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A few months ago someone in our family had a fungal infection on the back of their neck that turned out to be ringworm, but I won’t say whom……
(First, if you’re looking for the info on PROBIOTICS and a little bit of fermenting information, see the information & links below. Or just go here to buy: GAPS recommended probiotics.)
OK, fine, it was ME, but it’s a little embarrassing to admit, on the worldwide web no less! But there’s a good reason I’m confessing such a thing: I figured out what helps and had to tell you about it.
“RINGWORM”…EWWW
I don’t even like how the word sounds! But just in case you don’t know, there’s no actual worm in “ringworm“!
HOW DO YOU GET IT?
First you must be wondering how you catch such a thing. Ringworm is contagious, but no one close to me has had it. Sometimes you can get it from pets, but we don’t have any. I also read you can get it when your immune system is compromised, and all I can figure is that my late nights (working on this blog!) might have caught up with me a little, who would have thought?
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
It started with the back of my neck itching, which turned into a pink circle a little bigger than a quarter, and that’s when I knew it was ringworm. (I do remember a couple things from nursing school, but not much.)
NATURAL HELP FOR RINGWORM/FUNGAL INFECTION
Maybe it’s my nursing background (minimal as it is), but as much as I believe that a healthy diet and/or natural remedies are better for us than always using another medicine, and as skeptical as I’ve become about some drug therapies, sometimes I’m lazy and think of medicine as the “easy and fast” way out. (There are times I do believe meds are necessary, though.) So I’m trying to change this mindset more and thought I’d try checking in my Natural Cures book (Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition). There were many various suggestions, but one I decided to try was fresh garlic.
It burned like crazy and stopped the itching for a couple days, but it was so messy (& smelly), I bagged it and bought an anti-fungal cream at the store. After a week or two of being consistent with that, it didn’t look any better, so I got a different anti-fungal cream. After another week, now it looked worse, and I knew the next step for the doc would be prescribing an oral anti-fungal med, but I didn’t want to go there.
I started reading online and saw many testimonials. A few people suggested applying coconut oil mixed with tea tree oil (got that at my local health food store). I began applying this, but wanted to be sure, so I also tried another remedy that worked for many people: raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to the affected area.
EUREKA!
I used cotton balls and put it on my neck every time I thought of it (about 5 times/day), and after a couple days it was definitely better. Then, just to be sure I was hitting it hard, I also added crushed garlic to the solution. After a couple days I just put it on 2-3 times/day, so I wasn’t irritating the skin on my neck so much and it could heal. I actually think the vinegar is what helped the most, but it could’ve been a combination of that and the coconut/tea tree oil.
BUT…ONE PROBLEM
Only one itty-bitty little issue: the garlic/vinegar solution stinks like crazy! The smell was grossing the whole family out and I felt like I had to give a disclaimer to all my day care parents when they dropped their kids off. (I cannot believe I’m sharing all this. I hope I get a huge jump in subscriber numbers or maybe some Diggs or Stumbles…something out of it!)
One night I crawled into bed and Kent was already asleep. I was laughing and thinking, “Yep, Kent’s a lucky man…” I had just put on more of the stink-bomb vinegar and garlic solution, and I’d been washing my hands so much (afraid of it spreading anywhere) that my hands were raw, so I put Bag Balm all over my hands and gloves on them for the night – oh yes, I’m quite a package!
A BIG DISCLAIMER!
Keep in mind, I’m only telling you what my experience was. You may have a different condition all together, you may need a different treatment all together, and if your doc tells you to do something different, follow their advice! Or do your own research to figure out what is the best option for you; don’t blindly follow what I’m telling you worked for me. Also, sometimes a fungal infection can turn into a secondary bacterial infection, so you may need other treatment for that as well.
A final thought…
No matter what, it’s all a big pain to mess around with, but I try to remember to count my blessings, because like my Mom often says, “At least it’s not something much worse…” Thanks Mom!
Too bad I have to add this post note:
It came back. Grrrrrrr. So I asked my friend who is a naturopath, and she said that I needed to treat the whole body, from the inside. She got me some powerful (and expensive) oral probiotics (since I don’t eat as many fermented foods as I should, which would be a cheaper, natural way to get probiotics), and after taking these AND doing the vinegar again (no garlic this time, I didn’t want to put my family through that again), now it’s been better for good, for at least four months now. (Links to the probiotics are below.)
THANK GOD!
INFORMATION ON PROBIOTICS:
Probiotics are more powerful than I think I even realize yet. They can help support a healthy gut more than you would think – many bodily issues actually start as a result of problems in your gut/digestive system, which is basically where your immune system is. As stated above, eating more homemade fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha tea, etc.) is always better (and cheaper) than trying to get your probiotics in a pill (and probiotics are also naturally in raw milk), but I’ve read that sometimes your body needs some “big guns” probiotics that you can’t get enough of in a normal amount of fermented foods that you might eat. So if you need a probiotic supplement, here is what I suggest:
I don’t recommend the following anymore since I found the above GAPS probiotics – they aren’t as strong yet cost more money. I’m leaving these links here for now, though, in case someone wants to keep using them for whatever reason.
I’m leaving this next one on here, too, because it’s a little cheaper, even though it’s not quite as strong as the GAPS one mentioned above:
- Primal Defense or Primal Defense Ultra (ultra is a stronger version) ***Note, you’ll have to scroll down at this link to find this product. Don’t forget to type in “free shipping” in the redeem code when checking out in order to get the deal!
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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow this is timely–our dog has a real problem with this and she’s lovingly passed it on to a few of us time and time again. I wonder if this would work on dogs–the apple cider vinegar, that is….
Kelly,
Thanks to your timely raw apple cider vinegar suggestion months ago when I contracted poison ivy/oak (yet again!), the itchy, nearly-unbearable-at-times rash went away!! Wondrous!
At first I didn’t think it was working since it took probably a full twenty minutes for me to experience any relief whatsoever from the vinegar, but then I noticed that I didn’t have the insane urge to itch, and over the next days, the rash appeared to be getting better and better.
Believe it or not, I also applied kombucha to the rash. I relied mostly on the apple cider vinegar (I wouldn’t recommend non-raw) and will definitely be relying on this if/when I struggle with poison oak again. Also, I took a bath in water with two cups apple cider vinegar. Earlier I had ground up oats and soaked in that, too. Soothing.
Hope this info helps anyone who has endured the woes of poison ivy/oak!!
Thanks, Kelly!!
Katrina,
I wonder if there are doggie probiotics, because if he has a recurring issue with this, maybe that would help.
Julie,
I’m so glad to know the raw apple cider vinegar really works for the poison oak/ivy rash, too – I was only speculating that it might work when I originally suggested it!
Kelly
Kelly –
I had to laugh at your statement about “yep, Kent is a lucky man!”
There have been nights in the past when I slathered on ointment on my chapped lips and on my hands with gloves on thinking, “yeah, very sexy!” ha ha!
Thankfully, we have wonderful husbands who care more about our inside than our outside.
Awhile back, I’m pretty sure our daughter had a UTI. Instead of calling the MD, I asked our naturpath friend. She recommended straight cranberry juice (organic, no sugar), coloidal silver (a natural antiobiotic) and a childrens probiotic.
We did this, and within 4-5 days she was all better.
FYI on the coloidal silver – be sure to check with a certified naturopth for a good brand as there are some questionable ones out there.
As we travel down the path to living more naturally, I find myself trying more and more homeopathic remedies to treat various ailments with the kids.
God gave us so much in nature for healing.
God bless,
Amy
God bless,
Amy
I got ringworm on my back several years ago, no idea how. It drove me nuts all spring, then went away. The next spring it came back and itched like blazes for a month, until my Mom both diagnosed it (I hadn’t bothered) and suggested vinegar. I put it on every morning and every night for about another month, until it was so gone I was sure it would stay gone. But the next year at the same time, it came back again. I started right away with the vinegar and just kept applying it all spring for good measure, though I would often skip a day (or three, lol). I haven’t had it back since. I used any old vinegar I could find, too, not necessarily raw apple cider. Never tried red wine vinegar, though.
This is very helpful since we have a family member that struggles with recurring ringworm infections. I will tell you that the doctor with prescribe antifungal cream that you apply twice daily for four weeks. Yeah right. It usualy gets better at first, but then when I forget to put the cream on, it comes right back. I will look into these options. I especially like treating from the inside out with the probiotics.
Hi Kelly. My mom was a career RN back in the day, and she used iodine on ringworm. Works like a charm and much quicker than the process you described.
Jim
Amy,
You took a probiotic and a natural antibiotic (coloidal silver) at the same time? I read in a forum recently that if you take those at the same time, they cancel each other out…? Although I suppose it would depend on which “bugs” the natural antibiotic went after – maybe they don’t attack the good guys. Anyone know about this?
Also, Jim, I hadn’t heard of trying iodine, I’ll have to look into that one.
Thanks for your comments everyone!
Kelly
Holly,
I’d love to hear if these suggestions help!
Kelly
Sorry, I keep forgetting to add something, so I have to do a new comment:
Freedom First, it’s good to know that any old vinegar might do the trick just fine. Thank you!
Kelly
I just got rid of a ringworm with coconut oil and tea tree oil. Worked great. Morning and night for about 2 weeks.
I probably should’ve tried harder with that remedy, but since mine was on the back of my neck, it was making my hair look greasy. It was bad enough having ringworm, I didn’t want to look like a greaseball, too!
Thanks for letting us know how that works.
I just read your article about your bout with ‘ringworm’, and thought I would tell you about using liquid silver for fungal infections (and other infections – google liquid silver). My sister-in-law fought a fungle foot infection for months (doctor perscriptions, etc.) and finally took 7 teaspoons of liquid silver for only two days, and her fungal infection cleared up immediately. I keep it on hand and take it for sore throats and other infections for only 2 or 3 days – maybe two to three teaspoons a day, and the infection clears up. I was told liquid silver was the antibiotic used before man thought they would make pencillin, etc. I guess they thought they were smarter than God. Another secret ‘out of the bag’ for us who need the Lord more than we need the ‘big drug lords’. Reba
PS: My grandmother had me rub the juice of a walnut shell (the thick black shell that you have to hit with a hammer to get lose) around the outside of the rings of a ringworm. It disappeared quickly – Didn’t like walnuts!!
Wow, you’re the 2nd person to mention Coloidal Silver. I like it for other things, but now will use it for ringworm if it ever comes back!
Thanks, Kelly
I’ve used collodial silver for pink eye, with good results. Of course when I told my eye doctor what I’d done, he said to “just call me next time”. I agree with the commenters that say the cures are there in nature for us; we just have to search them out.
I’m so grateful for websites like this that empower us to live better, healthier, longer and stronger.
You’ve helped ( as a vessel for Christ ) turn my way of thinking about food completely around and for that I thank you!
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
God sure does crazy things sometimes, and I love how He does seem to use this blog in different ways (one of my hopes when I began) – it’s fun to hear about. Thanks for your sweet comment!
Kelly
Two years ago my sister traveled in India, Nepal and Thailand. She brought back a cool tattoo, great photos, stories of swimming with elephants and the ugliest, nastiest foot rot anyone has ever seen. My whole family has struggled with athelete’s foot for years but this is a whole new beast. It seems to attack the bottoms of our feet with little puss filled bumps and itchy flaky skin. Ga-ross.
I have never been good about twice a day, every day rememdies (lord knows I should just do it – but it’s on my feet.. I need those things!) but we have found varying degrees of relief with both apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil. In fact, years ago my sister got long lasting relief (possible cure with later reinfection) from “regular” atheletes foot by soaking her feet in apple cider vinegar every day for a couple weeks.
Vinegar is amazing, amazing stuff
Alyss, I love hearing more success stories with natural remedies, thanks!
Hi Kelly,
I’m catching up on old posts (as I just found this blog recently) while I have a few days off work. Like Amy, I had to laugh when you said, “Yep, Ken’ts a lucky man … I’m quite a package!” Ha! Ha! You’re so cute … and sweet, too, to share your story (and everybody else as well). We’ve all been there, haven’t we, with something or other? And those of us that have spouses or significant others that love us through all of these types of things are truly blessed. And hopefully we do the same for them. Anyway, what great tips! And I’d love to know if anyone can suggest a good brand of the colloidal silver. Thanks everyone!
Hi Kimberly, I’m glad you found your way here!
Check out my Colloidal Silver post for a good brand:
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/12/my-top-3-uses-for-colloidal-silver.html
I’ve tried others that were less expensive, and you could tell – they were…weaker or something.
Take care!
Kelly
My mom has been using a vinegar remedy for ringworm for quite some time. Hers is different in that you put pennies in the vinegar and let them soak for a few hours. Then you apply the vinegar two or three times a day until the ringworm is gone. Sounds crazy, but it works!
Sally, very interesting, I haven’t heard that, but love new things to try!
Speaking of fungal infections and coconut oil– my baby got thrush at about a month old and the pediatrician ordered Nystatin drops 4 times a day which the baby hated! Not only was trying to give them to her hard because she cried, it didn’t even get rid of the problem. I didn’t want to go through that again so I decided to rub some coconut oil in her mouth each time she got done nursing. It didn’t take very many times before she got used to me doing that and didn’t mind AND it got rid of the thrush!
What a great testimony, thanks for sharing, Tracy!!!
I had fungal rashes for four years. Tried many different natural remedies. I also went to the Dr. and was put on Clotrimazole four times over the four years and flucanazole. After the meds it came back even worse on my face neck and eye. It also came back on my legs. It was very large areas of my legs. It was stressing me out so bad and very very itchy. Not to mention embarassing. Had to wear leggings in the summer with my skirts. I also tried acupuncture. The only thing that helped was a product my husband bought for me. It is from Market America called Isotonix OPC-3. It is expensive and can be purchased only from a distributer or Ebay(he got it on Ebay). I also had pretty bad allergies and have two cats which does not help my situation. I did not want to get rid of the cats. Within a couple weeks the rashes were almost completely gone.My allergies were unbelievably better. Not sure how it works. It has pychnogenol and grapeseed extract among a few other things. I went through the whole bottle within a month. I also will mention that I have also been eating more sugar than normal and have been out to eat more than I should. This stuff is amazing because usually my rashes would be extemely itchy after eating sugar and processed foods. The only downside to it is that it is about $55 a bottle and not sure if I will have to take as much for longer period of time to get the effects. I probably would not have to take as much if I ate better. I am just thrilled that I no longer look like a freak! I thank God because I had been praying about finding a natural remedy that works. This product also has many testimonials from Adhd to high blood pressure. Kelly, if you can tell me how it works that would be great. I know it is antioxidants. Do they just reverse free radicals and thats it? I hope this helps someone else.
Sorry, Lola, but I’ve never heard of it… I’m glad it has helped you, though!
the green hull of the black walnut was always used with great success in getting rid of ringworm. the green hull was rubbed over the area, yes, it stains for a few days. no other treatment was needed. you could tape the hull over the spot, but we would just rub it on a few times and it was gone! walnut hulls are used for many types of parasites— internally as well as externally. Hulda Clark’s books have remedies that utilize the walnut hull for parasite problems.
Oh! I know this is really late, but in case it comes back:
my Grandpa would always put either straight iodine on it, or (I know this sounds crazy, but it WORKED) he would burn a cotton ball on an axe, and then rub the ashes onto the ringworm, and it would be gone the next day. I promise I’m not making this stuff up!!!
I had ringworm once, and cured it by applying Oil of Oregano topically for a few days. Poof! I had athlete’s foot at the same time (they are the same thing, I believe, just different manifestations) and it cured that too.
Bumping up the probiotics also sounds smart. Though this freaked me out enough to stop using Primal Defense Ultra. Just FYI: http://www.listen2yourgut.com/blog/gut/bacterial-soil-organisms-hsos-sos-sbos-etc/
Kelly,
Thanks for all the good info on your blog and especially for sharing the ringworm story. I had been praying about a fungal infection I’ve had for 30 years it’s called tinea versicolor. A cousin of ringworm but a very itchy, unsightly nuisance. Right after praying I saw your post. I’ve tried all kinds of remedies on this but not vinegar. I started using the Eden Foods raw vinegar (a Michigan product)last week and the improvement is amazing. My skin feels different. It’s making my skin an unfriendly host for this nasty. I’m so thankful. I thought you’d like to know what a blessing you are! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! for being willing to share even a possibly touchy subject.
Are you ready for my ring worm story? When I was in kindergarten I contracted ring worm in my scalp–a nasty place to get it. When the treatments for it didn’t work my mom had the barber come to our house and I had to have my long thick locks of hair shaved off. I missed quite a bit of kindergarten, I’m glad my mom kept me home during my bald phase. Actually, I had to have my head shaved twice as I developed a secondary infection due to something–maybe the treatment. I am glad I was young, I survived. And my hair grew in even thicker than it was before. I wish mom would have known about some alternate methods of treating it. My daughter has been fighting a toe fungal infection–very tenacious beasts. I am going to pass the info. on to her. Thanks.
I know I’m really late on this conversation, but I just found your website. I’ve gotten several cases of ring worm…each one harder to get rid of than the previous. The first time I got it I used black walnut extract which worked wonderfully. I got it another time and did the same with tea tree oil. Then I got it again and had to get cream from my doctor. It would not go away. Then next time I got it, I went through an over the counter cream and then two from the doctor. Nothing worked–not the tea tree oil, not the black walnut extract which I took internally and externally.
I also tried this amazon tea stuff. I would sit there with tea bags on my infected spot. My chiropractor mentioned iodine which I think was starting to work. By that time, though, the ringworm was about 3 inches across, and my sis made me an appointment with a dermatologist. The doctor gave me internal medicine to take for 2 weeks–the nasty stuff that when you take for extended periods of time, you have to get your liver checked. At that point, I just wanted the ring worm gone!!! Luckily, it went away. But, it seems to get stronger every time.
I never thought about probiotics, though. I’m hoping that I never get it again. Oh, and I don’t know why I got it, but every time I do get it, it’s in the same place.
Anyway, it is a yucky thing to discuss, but on the other hand, it’s a reality and it’s nice to hear that other people have different remedies to try and have had similar experiences. I’m looking forward to looking at the rest of the site.