Antifungal Foot Soak: Time-tested Remedy

Patients with mycotic toenails who are unable to take oral antifungal agents may find relief with this old remedy. Instruct them to fill a basting pan with warm water, add 2 or 3 capfuls of chlorine bleach, and soak both feet in this solution for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day for 2 weeks. (Have them wash their feet after each treatment.) The toenails will first become white; this is a result of the penetration of the nails by the bleach, which destroys the fungus. New nails will grow in 2 to 3 months.
- Michael Rothstein, MSN, FNP
   Tappan, NY

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