02.07.08 5:00 AM CST
• The Advisor
• Chip Rowe
In January we discussed the old wives’ tale that peeing on yourself can cure athlete’s foot, when medication and keeping the area dry are better solutions. That prompted many readers to write with their own suggestions, none of which we have attempted or can endorse. As they say, we share them only for informational purposes and/or their entertainment value:S.H. from Shelton, Washington, writes, “Peeing on your feet probably would get rid of the problem temporarily, because even if it doesn't contain enough urea, it is very acidic, and athlete's foot fungus needs an alkaline condition. I have had athlete's foot off and on for the better part of my 72 years. I am now living in a damp climate and do a lot of gardening, so my feet get wet quite often. For the last 15 years or so I've used natural raw apple cider vinegar. I usually need to dab a little on itchy spots one or two times a month with a cotton swab. Fungus never builds up a resistance as it might with synthetic drugs. Plus, two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar plus two teaspoons of organic honey in a cup of warm water is a great health drink.”
J.V. of Buckeye, Arizona: “I told my chiropractor that I had a problem with athlete’s foot and he said I have too much yeast in me and that I should get a pharmacist for acidophilus pills or tablets. It worked.” We don’t know about his explanation, but acidophilus may help boost your immune system.
“I had a real bad case,” says D.K. of Ooltewah, Tennessee. “A guy at work told me to get a bottle of sulfur powder and coal tar, mix it in equal parts to a toothpaste texture, apply it to your feet and put on an old pair of socks. It will sting at first, but it makes athlete’s foot go away. Mine didn't come back for 18 months, and then it was only minor.”
N.S. of Huntington, Indiana adds this: “It's all about the moisture. Frequent washing makes it worse if not completely dried afterward. I suffered for years before declaring all-out war on moisture. Buy seven to 10 pairs of shoes to be worn in daily rotation. Like a good wine, shoes need time to breathe.”
“I had athlete’s foot and jock itch that would come back steady,” says a reader from Rapid River, Michigan. “I also had nail fungus on my feet. I got a prescription for Lamasil to treat the nail fungus. After taking it for a few months, my athlete’s foot and jock itch disappeared as well. I’ve gone five years now without a recurrence.”
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