Pitted Nails/nail Fungus

[Gl;itch.e]

Hey Guys. Hoping I can get an idea of whats going on here. I've recently started developing pitting on a few of the nails of my fingers. 3 on one hand and 1 on the other. I can't work out what I may have changed that could account for this. I've been incorporating a lot of peats philosophies for well over 18months now and a lot of health things have improved, especially skin related things. Bit worried about this since everything I can find points to psoriasis which doesn't sound like much fun! I have had fungus in some of the toe nails for years that seems to be improving very slowly and could be related. But am unsure how to go about treating further.

The only things I've changed lately (that I can think of) are
more OJ during the day (used to be fairly low carb during the morning)
copper supplement 3mg every other day or so
pregnenolone supplement every other day 50-100mg

Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[charlie]

Seems like some sort of nutrient deficiency. Obviously your metabolic rate is improving because the nail fungus is going away.

 

[Gl;itch.e]

Yeah I just wonder what it could be. Possibly vitamin A? I have been supplementing topically with it for a long while (and eating liver here and there) but perhaps thats not sufficient? I do have some noticably yellow calluses on my hands (since starting to use a carrot salad almost daily for the last year or so), which made me think I might not be using what I was giving it and might be doing more harm than good with the vitamin A. I take B12 to help with beta carotene conversion as well.

 

[Gl;itch.e]

update: Weirdly the original nails that had pitting have grown out, but it seems that the pitting is moving around to other nails, growing out and then starting on other ones. Kinda strange. No idea what could be the reason. It has to be tied to my diet somehow though because I've never had anything like this in all my years.

 

[Mittir]

Reading your post i get the feeling that OJ or Copper are the possible
source of irritation. Pectin in OJ is a gut irritant. Copper supplement can
be problematic too. You can use food source of copper, liver, seafood etc.
Gut irritation can lower thyroid function and orange calluses are more
likely a result of low thyroid. Are you tracking your temp and pulse
after breakfast.

RP has recommended sulphur soap for nail fungus. He also mentioned
when fungus is inside the nail then it is difficult to reach. He thinks
DSMO can penetrate through nail.

Excess carotene and vitamin A both inhibit thyroid function, but carotene
does it more than Vitamin A. You can wash the grated carrot in water
to lower carotene content. Eating carrot with the meal will increase
carotene absorption. Chewing too much can increase carotene absorption.
Idea is to chew the carrot in such a way that it can avoid digestion and
reaches bacteria at lower intestine in intact form. I experimented
with different level of chewing to figure out which helps most.

He also mentioned that high estrogen in skin can cause skin problem.
You can check PTH to see if your calcium,phosphorus and vitamin D status are adequate.

 

[Gl;itch.e]

Reading your post i get the feeling that OJ or Copper are the possible
source of irritation. Pectin in OJ is a gut irritant. Copper supplement can
be problematic too. You can use food source of copper, liver, seafood etc.
Gut irritation can lower thyroid function and orange calluses are more
likely a result of low thyroid. Are you tracking your temp and pulse
after breakfast.

RP has recommended sulphur soap for nail fungus. He also mentioned
when fungus is inside the nail then it is difficult to reach. He thinks
DSMO can penetrate through nail.

Excess carotene and vitamin A both inhibit thyroid function, but carotene
does it more than Vitamin A. You can wash the grated carrot in water
to lower carotene content. Eating carrot with the meal will increase
carotene absorption. Chewing too much can increase carotene absorption.
Idea is to chew the carrot in such a way that it can avoid digestion and
reaches bacteria at lower intestine in intact form. I experimented
with different level of chewing to figure out which helps most.

He also mentioned that high estrogen in skin can cause skin problem.
You can check PTH to see if your calcium,phosphorus and vitamin D status are adequate.

Thanks for the reply Mittir.

I ran out of the Copper supplement awhile ago so I wont buy any more. I dont really have any sources of copper outside of a small amount of dark chocolate here and there. Never eat seafood.

The OJ is always strained to remove pulp.

I dont track temp or pulse but pay close attention to how warm my hands and fingers are before and after meals. They are trending warmer as of late. Especially since adding a lot more sugar and salt to coffee's etc.

I have used sulphur topically for some skin things with pretty good results. Didnt seem to help with toenails though and I never tried for the pitting. Maybe if I could get some DMSO to try it with. Dont think its legal/allowed in New Zealand though.

I haven't been having the carrot salad often lately since noticing the build up of colour in the calluses. I always used to rinse and soak it for a long time though to get as much carotene out. Obviously I digest the bejesus out of carotene! Recently ran out of the nutrisorb vitamin A I was using too. So besides what I might get in the cheese and milk Im not getting much A or beta carotene.

I would get at least 2500-3000mg of calcium, about the same in phosphorus, and I have supplemented with vitamin D (5000iu) on top of whatever I get from the sun (its winter though) and food. Do you think that something topical might help with estrogen in these areas?

 

[Blossom]

I do enjoy the cooked bamboo shoots that Mittir recommended as an alternative to the carrot salad. The orange tint to the bottom of my feed gradually went away after a few months of alternating the carrot and bamboo shoots. I take b12 a few times per week as well.

 

[Gl;itch.e]

I do enjoy the cooked bamboo shoots that Mittir recommended as an alternative to the carrot salad. The orange tint to the bottom of my feed gradually went away after a few months of alternating the carrot and bamboo shoots. I take b12 a few times per week as well.

Well I could certainly use these instead. How do you prepare them to make them edible? I have used them in thai dishes before but I guess they wouldnt have the same impact used that way.

 

[tara]

I'm interested in getting my nails healthier too, and what clues their state provides about what else I could do about general health. I have soft, ridged nails with occasional white specks on my hands, and fungus in all the nails on one foot. I'm assuming mild hypothyroid and possible nutrient deficiencies for the ridged and flecked finger nails, but not sure which nutrients. Someone with naturopathic training once told me the white spots indicated zinc deficiency. I thought they'd all gone a few months ago, but I was wrong - still growing new spots. Don't know if the ridging has similar mechanisms to the pitting. I have not supplemented copper(and suspect long term deficiency), but I do eat occasional chocolate or a couple of oyster.

I've had toenail fungus for decades. I get flare ups in the skin from time that always prompt me to treat again. I've tried several topical antifungals from the pharmacy, but never persisted long enough to know if they would clear up. Expensive little bottles. A couple of doctors recommended systemic antifungal medicines (lamisil?), but apparently they are hard on the kidneys - other drs advised against. I never used them. I've heard that you still have to treat everyday till they grow out even with the systemic medicine.

I think you have to treat the nail fungus everyday (preferably twice a day) till they grow out, or the old part reinfects the surrounding tissue.
Last year I launched a more determined campaign on mine. I mixed a little tea tree oil with olive oil, and spread over the nails and toes nearly every day for months. That 'nearly' was a problem. When I went away camping and skipped three days, I was back to square one. I gather that tea tree is a bit toxic, and was not entirely happy about using it every day for a long time.

Then I read that fungus can't grow in acid, and that vinegar works as an anti-fungal. I got some flowers of sulphur, but the powder doesn't mix easily with water, and I haven't persisted to find a way to apply it effectively. Haven't wanted to take it internally so far because I have tended to be a bit on the acidic side systemically. I should check pH again soon - if I've got more alkaline with all the calcium I might try ingesting a little.

This year my campaign consists of generously slopping straight white vinegar over my nails and toes everyday after I shower. It is not as effective as tea tree oil, but I am happier about it because it is not toxic. This does seem to slow it down, but is not always enough. Occasionally I miss a day, and regret it. When I get the beginnings of skin symptoms, or the nails look at all worse again, I use the tea tree-olive oil mix for a couple of days again, and that reliably helps. I can't claim success in getting rid of it yet, but I haven't given up yet either.

 

[charlie]

I found a mixture of coconut oil, flowers of sulfur, and some oregano oil kicks toe nail fungus butt!

 

[Blossom]

I do enjoy the cooked bamboo shoots that Mittir recommended as an alternative to the carrot salad. The orange tint to the bottom of my feed gradually went away after a few months of alternating the carrot and bamboo shoots. I take b12 a few times per week as well.

Well I could certainly use these instead. How do you prepare them to make them edible? I have used them in thai dishes before but I guess they wouldnt have the same impact used that way.

I've been boiling them for 15-20 minutes per instructions I found on the forum. I've been eating them separate from meals.

 

[Gl;itch.e]

I do enjoy the cooked bamboo shoots that Mittir recommended as an alternative to the carrot salad. The orange tint to the bottom of my feed gradually went away after a few months of alternating the carrot and bamboo shoots. I take b12 a few times per week as well.

Well I could certainly use these instead. How do you prepare them to make them edible? I have used them in thai dishes before but I guess they wouldnt have the same impact used that way.

I've been boiling them for 15-20 minutes per instructions I found on the forum. I've been eating them separate from meals.

D'oh! I was hoping you had a recipe for making them tasty! (;

 

[tara]

I found a mixture of coconut oil, flowers of sulfur, and some oregano oil kicks toe nail fungus butt!

Have you completely eliminated it? How long did it take?

 

[charlie]

Yes, not long at all.

 

[tara]

Ta. Since I've got coconut oil, flowers of sulphur, and tea tree oil, maybe I could try that first, and if it fails hunt out some oregano oil.

 

[Mittir]

@Blossom thank you for reminding bamboo shoots. I completely forgot about that.
I do not know if you are using raw or canned shoots, raw shoots needed to be boiled for
an hour and canned shoots 5-10 minutes to remove the bad taste.

@Glitche

100 grams of carrot has about 16,000 IU and 1 quart of OJ 2,000 IU of vitamin A
in carotene form. I do not think washing carrot removes a lot of it.
Cooked Bamboo shoot is a good alternative. RP eats with some kind of sauce,
IIRC he uses cheese sauce. I use canned shoots, these are already boiled,
i just boiled them for 5-10 minutes to remove bad taste. I add coconut oil
to ketchup and use it as sauce. I think any other cellulose type fiber like
coconut flakes with added coconut oil can give similar result.
I do not know if Cascara is a substitute for carrot salad and bamboos shoots.
It is important to have carrot or bamboo shoots separate from the meal for
full effect.

Straining does not completely removes pectin, you can use coffee filter.
Pectinase enzyme used in commercial Apple juice making can be used to
completely remove pectin from OJ. As RP has mentioned unless orange is sweet
and ripe straining will not help. You can use apple juice for a week to see if it
makes a big difference or not. You might have to experiment with several brands
to find out which apple juice is suitable for you.

I think without measuring PTH you can not be sure if your body is
absorbing and using enough calcium or not. I have also read in other forums
people taking regular supplement could not raise their vitamin D level.
It is possibly got to do with quality of supplement.

If excess estrogen is causing this infection then improving thyroid function
, improving liver function by lowering endotoxin, lowering serotonin by
avoiding gut irritants should be helpful. Regular bag breathings 1-2 minutes
2-3 times a day can improve blood circulation to hands and feet.
IIRC you drink lactaid milk, that means your digestive system is not that strong.
You might want to stop milk for few days to see how it feels.
You can make farmers cheese from 2-3 quarts of milk and add
egg shell or oyster shell powder for calcium. You can also avoid supplements
to see if those are possible source of irritants.

Liver is a rich source of copper, vitamin A, B vitamins and lots of other nutrients.
In a way we need to eat other animals liver to energize our liver.
You can make liver pate, it does not taste liker liver at all.
Here is a nice recipe viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1014&p=40713&hilit=liver+pate#p40713

 

[Blossom]

Thanks Mittir for the clarification on the cooking times for bamboo shoots!

 

[charlie]

Ta. Since I've got coconut oil, flowers of sulphur, and tea tree oil, maybe I could try that first, and if it fails hunt out some oregano oil.

I actually got the idea from "Nu-stock" which I put on my chickens leg for scaly leg mites, and is used for many skin issues and stuff like that for livestock. It has sulfur, pine oil and mineral oil. Miraculous stuff really.

 

[Gl;itch.e]

@Glitche

100 grams of carrot has about 16,000 IU and 1 quart of OJ 2,000 IU of vitamin A
in carotene form. I do not think washing carrot removes a lot of it.
Cooked Bamboo shoot is a good alternative. RP eats with some kind of sauce,
IIRC he uses cheese sauce. I use canned shoots, these are already boiled,
i just boiled them for 5-10 minutes to remove bad taste. I add coconut oil
to ketchup and use it as sauce. I think any other cellulose type fiber like
coconut flakes with added coconut oil can give similar result.
I do not know if Cascara is a substitute for carrot salad and bamboos shoots.
It is important to have carrot or bamboo shoots separate from the meal for
full effect.

Yeah I might give the bamboo shots a go. Not as cheap (or tasty) but worth an experiment.

I think without measuring PTH you can not be sure if your body is
absorbing and using enough calcium or not. I have also read in other forums
people taking regular supplement could not raise their vitamin D level.
It is possibly got to do with quality of supplement.

I dont supplement calcium. I get that much from cheese, milk and casein powder.

If excess estrogen is causing this infection then improving thyroid function
, improving liver function by lowering endotoxin, lowering serotonin by
avoiding gut irritants should be helpful. Regular bag breathings 1-2 minutes
2-3 times a day can improve blood circulation to hands and feet.
IIRC you drink lactaid milk, that means your digestive system is not that strong.
You might want to stop milk for few days to see how it feels.
You can make farmers cheese from 2-3 quarts of milk and add
egg shell or oyster shell powder for calcium. You can also avoid supplements
to see if those are possible source of irritants.

The carrot salad did help some. I have a rash that likes to arrive every winter. I kept it away with the carrot this entire winter. When I had to stop the salad it came back after a few months. A couple of carrot salads later it disappeared again. So I think the endotoxin/gut/skin link is pretty much proven for me.

I drink normal milk. I've never had a problem with it.

Liver is a rich source of copper, vitamin A, B vitamins and lots of other nutrients.
In a way we need to eat other animals liver to energize our liver.
You can make liver pate, it does not taste liker liver at all.
Here is a nice recipe viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1014&p=40713&hilit=liver+pate#p40713

I got some Liver last week, ate that and felt strangely tired yet totally relaxed after. I got some more yesterday that Ill probably have on the weekend.

 

[Parsifal]

Yeah I might give the bamboo shots a go. Not as cheap (or tasty) but worth an experiment.


I dont supplement calcium. I get that much from cheese, milk and casein powder.


The carrot salad did help some. I have a rash that likes to arrive every winter. I kept it away with the carrot this entire winter. When I had to stop the salad it came back after a few months. A couple of carrot salads later it disappeared again. So I think the endotoxin/gut/skin link is pretty much proven for me.

I drink normal milk. I've never had a problem with it.


I got some Liver last week, ate that and felt strangely tired yet totally relaxed after. I got some more yesterday that Ill probably have on the weekend.

Any improvements?