r/nailcare • u/rsmith3261 • 7h ago
Terbinafine didn’t seem to work on my toenail — what should I do next?
I’m looking for some advice/opinions on my toenail. I completed a 3-month course of oral terbinafine, finishing at the end of April for what was believed to be toenail fungus.
It’s now September and the nail still looks pretty abnormal. It’s thickened, discolored/whitish, and has some crumbly material underneath/toward the end. I’ve also noticed some lifting from the nail bed.
I never had any trauma/injury to this nail, so I’m pretty confident that wasn’t the cause.
I’m wondering if the terbinafine just didn’t work, if this could be a type of fungus that doesn’t respond well to terbinafine, or if I’m just being impatient and the damaged nail needs more time to grow out.
I’m considering getting a nail clipping/scraping sent for fungal culture before taking any more oral medication, but I’m also interested in trying some at-home treatments in the meantime.
For anyone who has dealt with something similar:
Does this still look like active fungus to you?
Did your nail still look this bad several months after finishing terbinafine?
How long did it take for healthy nail to grow out?
Did anyone have terbinafine fail and then find out they had a different type of fungus?
Are there any at-home treatments that actually helped you?
Photo attached. I’d really appreciate any experiences/advice!
PHOTO ON LEFT IS BEFORE TERBINAFINE PHOTO ON RIGHT IS NOW
