Patients are often coming to our office asking about the different treatment options for their toenail fungus.  Some of them are very good candidates for the oral medication, Lamisil.  Lamisil, or terbenifine, is an oral tablet that is taken once a day for three months.  The active ingredient is metabolized in the liver and can remain in the body for up to 9 months after you take it.  Studies have shown that it can be up to 60-70% effective in the treatment of topical onychomycosis (nail fungus).

I don’t typically recommend Lamisil for the following patients:

·       If you have to take medications like Coumadin, Statin Drugs (Cholesterol medications) or oral contraceptives (Birth Control Pills) - these medications are also metabolized in the liver and can interact with the Lamisil

·       If you have chronic liver disease or cirrhosis of the liver

·       If you have elevated liver enzymes (we take a blood test before starting treatment and ½ through the course of treatment to check liver enzymes). 

It is important to remember that all onychomycosis treatment options are part of a comprehensive plan to clinically cure the problem.  It is very possible to become reinfected with toenail fungus after successful treatment. Proper maintenance with topical treatments will go a long way in keeping your toenails looking great even after you have finished oral medications or laser treatments for fungal nails!  

There are many different treatments available for thick, discolored, brittle, or just plain ‘ugly’ nails.  Many of these treatments can be extremely effective, but will take MONTHS to show their work.  Nails take 9-12 months to grow out, so even after you treat and kill the fungus in the nail (which causes the unappealing appearance); it can still take an entire year for the new healthy nail to grow out.  Until then, you’re stuck with thick, brittle, discolored nails that can ruin even the cutest peep toed pumps or sexy summer sandal.   Now, with state of the art Keryflex technology, you can walk in with ugly nails and walk out with beautiful, natural-looking nails- even if you only have a fragment of your natural nail remaining! 

Keryflex Nail Restoration System is an innovative, safe, non-systemic, non-pourus, cosmetic treatment that gives even the ugliest of toenails a beautiful healthy appearance.   This high-tech system transforms nails, providing an attractive natural look, similar to the professional, clean appearance of an acrylic nail.  Keryflex is superior to typical pedicure products, such as acrylics, because it is:

1.     Flexible: Keryflex is designed to flex with the movement of the finger or toe, minimizing lifting and further trauma to the nail while providing superior durability.

2.     No-Porous: Keryflex is water proof, so fungus, bacteria, and other harmful contagions can't sneak under the artificial nail and attack your natural nail, causing discoloration, thickening, and brittleness.

3.     Anti-Fungal: Piroctone olamine, a widely used anti-fungal agent, is formulated into Keryflex, to help retard the growth of existing fungus.

4.     Acid Free: Keryflex will not irritate the nail bed or surrounding skin the way acid containing salon systems can do.

5.     Sanitary: Every patient receives a brand new Keryflex treatment in a medical grade sanitary setting, assuring no cross contamination.

In as little as fifteen minutes, Keryflex is applied and sealed, creating an attractive, realistic-looking nail in place of the damaged one- even if you have less than half of your natural nail remaining.  You only have to have 15% of your natural nail left for Keryflex to be applied.  Keryflex can be applied to give the appearance of a full length nail.  After Keryflex is applied, you can paint the nail, get pedicures, go swimming, and engage in all normal activities! You can also use Keryflex while treating your nails for fungal symptoms, so you have the appearance of a beautiful nail while your natural nails are healing.  This technology has been especially popular for weddings, proms, and vacations. 

Call 309-661-9975 or visit www.HeartlandFootAndAnkle.com or www.HealingStepsSpa.com to schedule an appointment for Keryflex nail restoration! 

Looking down at our feet and seeing a thick, yellow toenail is the LAST thing we want to experience.  It happens more commonly than you would think (almost 50% of the population will experience a fungal infection – usually on the feet! – at least once in their lifetime).  At Heartland Foot and Ankle, seeing this problem isn’t the end of showing off your feet or wearing sandals.  We have a comprehensive treatment plan that has had wonderful success for our patients with those ugly toenails!

We attack fungus in a variety of ways – studies have shown that attacking it from the outside in (topical and laser treatments) and the inside out (oral treatments) work best when used in combination together.  Check out the pros and cons of each treatment!

Topical  (We like Clarus Antifungal Solution – Oil Based Tolnaftate)

·         Effective 50% of the time by itself

·         Painless, few side effects

·         Sometimes hard to penetrate in the nail

·         Have to apply every day for a year (because it takes 9-12 months for a toenail to grow out!)

Laser

·         Effective 85-95% of the time (we like to use it in combination with topical medications and topical sprays for shoes to really get up to that 95%)

·         Painless, few side effects

·         Can usually treat in just one visit – Cosmetic procedure

·         Long term studies (over 5 years) are not available yet because it is so new to the market

Oral (We like to usually prescribe Lamisil 250mg)

·         Effective 80% of the time by itself

·         One pill, once a day for 90 days

·         Some side effects (metallic taste, stomach upset, allergic reactions, liver issues)

·         Have to perform 2 blood tests (one at the beginning, one in the middle) to check liver enzymes

When dealing with an ugly, discolored nail, the best thing to do is to be INFORMED about your options and chose accordingly!  Please feel free to contact our office @ 309-661-9975 or www.heartlandfootandankle.com any time to discuss!  Also check out our medi-spa at www.healingstepsspa.com today for other all natural treatment options!

Have you ever found yourself in this situation? Your toenail is looking a bit strange; you think it might be fungus but aren’t positive. You keep telling yourself, “I will go to the doctor when I have the chance.” However, time passes quickly and you never end up seeing a physician. What is your thought to hide your scary looking toenail? Nail polish!

Although nail polish might seem like a quick fix, it is actually quite harmful to your fungal nail. The main ingredient in most nail polish is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde actually acts like food for the fungus, so it is very bad to polish fungal nails.

In essence, if you put most polishes on fungal nails, you are just ensuring the fungus sticks around even longer! While shopping for nail polishes, I recommend going all natural. Nail polishes like Dr.'s Remedy's doesn't contain toxic ingredients and is enriched with natural occurring elements like tea-tree oil, garlic bulb extract, wheat protein, and Vitamins C and E. These enriching ingredients strengthen and protect your nails against fungus, discoloration, cracking, and brittleness. Another great advantage is that they come in fun and flirty colors for every occasion.

So the next time your nails are looking discolored and brittle, stay away from the typical nail polishes. If you are going to maintain healthy nails, stick to natural products like the Dr.'s Remedy’s brand.

Patients often present to the office with questions about public hygiene.  In general, it is best practice to always have on foot wear (even if it is a flip flop!!) when out in a public area.  Pools, gyms, and beaches are three areas where there is known to be a lot of bacteria and fungus on all surfaces.  It is important to protect your feet with the following tips:

                AT THE GYM:

·         Always wear shoes (even to and from the shower!!)

·         Wear clean socks with every workout

·         Spray shoes with an antifungal spray (Mycomist) and let them air out after a workout to prevent fungus and bacteria buildup.

                ·         Protect your feet with anti-fungal socks, sprays, and creams to minimize your risk of catching any annoying infections while you are trying to get healthy!

AT THE POOL:

·         Flip flops are a MUST on pool decks – fungus AND bacteria can live on those surfaces.  Chlorine will kill most in the pool, but it is better to be safe when walking on hard surfaces.

·         A clean hand towel to dry your feet

·         Anti-fungal spray (Mycomist) for your flip flops after you are done at the pool – and don’t forget to let them air dry out!!

AT THE BEACH:

·         Shoes are a MUST here simply because of the debris that can wash up and cut or scratch your feet – it is okay to wear flip flops but a more structured sandal would be best because walking on sand is pretty hard without some support!

·         Make sure to wash your feet after a walk on the beach to clear off any sand or other materials that can cause irritation to your skin.

·         A clean towel to dry your feet

Following these easy tips will help alleviate the need for a trip to our office for a nasty fungal or bacterial infection and can help you enjoy your activities that much more!!