Athlete's Foot Cures

[jdcnow]

Good evening all!

Well, there never seems to be an end to the grief my left foot gives me. Now, I've come down with athlete's foot (educated guess - because of all the walking I do, and I constantly have to be in shoes)

It's in the left foot, the last 3 toes toward the left.

Is there anything good to cure it?

I've tried the creams, the aerosol spray powder, and even soaking my feet in bleach water - all nothing. The bleach water helped some, but didn't cure it all.

But I'm at my wit's end about what to do.

Any and all advice appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Benvolio]

Good evening all!

Well, there never seems to be an end to the grief my left foot gives me. Now, I've come down with athlete's foot (educated guess - because of all the walking I do, and I constantly have to be in shoes)

It's in the left foot, the last 3 toes toward the left.

Is there anything good to cure it?

I've tried the creams, the aerosol spray powder, and even soaking my feet in bleach water - all nothing. The bleach water helped some, but didn't cure it all.

But I'm at my wit's end about what to do.

Any and all advice appreciated.
Thanks.

Time to see a dermatologist. Some remedies require a prescription.

 

[racer2438]

Plus changing socks N shoes 2/3 x's a day cuz ur carrying the bacteria in ur socks and shoes.

but stronger Rx than over counter stuff is best to get it under control.

 

[jensu846]

I used Lotramin Ultra cream. and that usually clears it up. at least for me it did.

I also heard soaking feet in vinegar water, but that doesn't clear it up in a speedy timeframe..

 

[medic1]

There are of-course over-the-counter remedys. Some of which do a good job,however i would suggest you see your own GP,as you may be in need of the stronger script only ones. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[kallipolis]

 

[KaraBulut]

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis) is caused by a fungus. For most people, fungus exists on the skin as an otherwise harmless organism Occasionally, the fungus gets a bit out of control and causes an irritated rash that can take a while to clear up. The fungus can also be passed from person to person which is why it can get established in gyms and locker rooms.

There are three things that fungus needs to thrive: warmth, moisture and food. The food is dead skin cells which accounts for the oozing, blistering rash on the skin, as it feeds on the top layers of the skin causing the local rash and eventually a pigmentation of the skin. The key to the cure is to get rid of the three things that the fungus needs for survival.

Keeping the feet and the area between the toes clean and dry is probably the most important thing. Washing the feet and gently removing dead skin cells from the surface of the feet, between the toes and around the nails will help. Dry the feet well after bathing and showering. Wear cotton socks and change the socks frequently if your feet sweat. Remove shoes and socks when possible to let the feet dry.

If you are having trouble with athletes foot, remove your socks, wash your feet and dry them well with a towel and a blow dryer. If you can go barefoot, do so. Otherwise, apply a pair of clean cotton socks.

You can start with over-the-counter treatments when it gets out of control. There are over-the-counter antifungal creams that are available at pharmacies. It will take multiple treatments over a long period of time to clear it up. And it can be difficult to tell whether the treatments are working because it takes the skin a while to heal once the fungus has eroded the surface layers of the skin. Quite often, the over-the-counter preparations are not strong enough to control the fungus once it gets out of control, so you may need to see your doctor to get a prescription-strength formulation.

One other remedy that some people find effective is zinc oxide cream. It is sold in the baby supplies section as a diaper rash paste (US brand name: Desitin). It is a bit messy, so you have to wear socks after applying it. It does seem to be effective in controlling fungal overgrowth, particularly in areas where there are folds in the skin, like between the toes.

 

[nafhoosier]

Oh boy - athlete's foot and jock itch are some of the nastiest skin irritations to deal with.

I hope all of these recommendations that are suggested work for you..... My issues have only been resolved long term with prescription-strength ointments that are prescribed by a dermatologist. Most over the counter treatments only temporarily heal the fungus.

If it's really, really bad you might have to take an oral regiment that kills the bacteria inside out. Those are usually used as last resorts.

 

[jdcnow]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

@KaraBulut - I will look into Desitin, and some of the other products mentioned.

What's helping for me, at least for today is that, before I went to bed this morning, I soaked the edge of a hand towel in alcohol mouthwash I have, and then weaved it in between my toes and just went to bed like that. I'll know tonight at work, if that actually helped or not.

I've even tried to run my shoes themselves in my washing machine, using bleach, and that helped some, but not completely.

But I will look at all of these.

 

[star-warrior]

Keep your feet dry in your socks by sprinkling talcum powder in. A mildly medicated one like lanacane helps keep those tootsies dry whilst you're in your socks and shoes. But, the powder does seep through the socks, so sprinkle inside your shoe too. Also, wear several pairs of shoes in rotation to let them dry out before the next use.

 

[jdcnow]

Follow up >> Thanks to all for your posts.

Yes, Lotrimin Ultra really helped. So did the towel trick mentioned above...

I have also been getting a couple bottles of the extra-large super inexpensive alcohol mint mouthwash from the dollar store. I then take those bottles and fill up my foot bath, and then soak my feet while I play video games for a few hours. That has helped a great deal also.

 

[kallipolis]

Pleased to hear the good news.

 

[harleyguykl]

A friend of mine was a soccer player. He used to get AF all the time. He told me the best cure for him was to urinate on his feet while in the shower. No kidding! So when I was in Afghanistan and got the itchies I tried it. It helped. Plus it was a bit kinky so.....

 

[Kulindahr]

Wear sandals (no socks) at home, to keep your feet dry.

Change socks at least twice a day.

Put medicated inserts in your shoes.

Scrub your feet thoroughly every night.

Use talcum powder mixed with baking soda (three parts to one) on your toes any morning the athlete's foot is still there and before any day you are likely to get sweaty feet.

 

[CowboyBob]

CVS sells tubes of antifungal ointment for about $5 that works for me. Seems like whenever I go to a motel I come down with it.