Plantar Warts!

Updated on August 29, 2008
S.J. asks from Gordonsville, VA
14 answers

I come to you moms since you have helped me in the past. I have been fighting plantar warts for about 7 years now. I am now at the point of frustration since I've tried everything. On the ball of my left foot I have a big plantar wart and in the last year I've started getting small ones on both feet. I was seeing a podiatrist and having laser treatments, acid, blistering, and eventually surgery. I thought after surgery I could move on with my life but within months it returned. I went back to my podiatrist to endure more treatments but was pregnant this time so we mainly did laser therapy and castor oil on the wart to keep it soft. Right before my due date my doctor said I was cured, looking back I doubt I was but he was just trying to "cure" me before I gave birth. Over the summer I started seeing a dermatalogist when I realized my wart had not gone away and several smaller ones were developing. We've frozen the warts and put acid pads on the wart. I even had a chemotherapy drug injected into the wart several times to get rid of it. The large wart is slowly getting smaller and the smaller ones have gone away but are now starting to come back. At this point I am frustrated since I am a teacher and I am on my feet all day and am in constant pain. I do not go barefoot anywhere except when I am in bed - I even wear flip flops in my own shower! At this point I am seeking advice of what has worked for other people to get rid of these pesky warts and keep them away.

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L.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Arbonne skin Conditioning Oil or the RE9 Body Serum/Body Lotion set has worked for many people.

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C.H.

answers from Washington DC on

S.,
I haven't had plantar warts but we have had mollescum, which is where you have clusters of warts and are a total pain. We were told to try SilverCure and after 3 months they have totally cleared up. SilverCure is not cheap, especially now that they are FDA approved but you may want to check to see how it would work on plantar warts. They sell it on the web.It's a bit of a process but it worked for us, good luck.

C.

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S.H.

answers from Lynchburg on

mY DAUGHTER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM ON HER HANDS AND i READ ON THE INTERNET THAT APPLE CIDER VINEGAR WILL GET RID OF THEM. SOAK A COTTON BALL IN THE ACV THEN PUT IT ON THE WART WITH A BAND AID FOR 48 HRS AND REPEAT THEY SAY IT IS PAINFUL SO BE AWARE OF THAT. HOPE THIS HELPS

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C.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Believe it or not, my daughter (she was 9 at the time) cured her warts with Tagamet (an antacid). The foot and ankle doctor prescribed it. She had about 15 to 20 small warts on each foot. We did the acid but it hurt and didn't really work. She took Tagamet 3x a day for about three months and they disappeared!! now, my son, age 6, is going to try the treatment for warts on his fanny. the doctors don't seem to really know why it works, but it does!! So talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for the tagamet!! Good luck.

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T.G.

answers from Washington DC on

My daughter had two families of warts on her feet - one foot between the toes and the other on the ball of her foot. She was talked into having them frozen off during Christmas holiday two years ago and was miserable. She could hardly walk. After they healed - they returned. I took her to a podiatrist and he started treating them with only topical ointments - she would not agree to anything other than that. One day he tells her about a herb treatment that he had tried with his father. She started taking the herb and within 6 months all of the warts were gone. My husband takes it also and he too has had the same results. The herb can be bought at any vitamin shop - Olive Leaf Extract. It comes in a soft gel tab and you take it by mouth. Thats it.

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A.S.

answers from Dover on

I have to 2nd what another poster said, "Duct tape"! I had one years ago and went through the whole painful (and expensive) process of freezing and scraping. Took me like 4 visits to get rid of it. About a year and half ago my oldest got one. I was so afraid she was going to have to go through that. The dr told me I'd think she was nuts but to try it. It worked! Soak your foot. Use a pumice (walmart has this great foot brush that has a brush on one side and pumice on the other). Dry your foot and apply a piece of the tape right over the wart. Wear it for 6 days (just put on a new piece when needed ie...after bath/shower) then soak again and pumice and apply new piece. I don't remember how long it took but it kept getting smaller & smaller and was gone. Not a painful process at all!

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R.W.

answers from Norfolk on

ok so this is going to sound REALLY strange.

I experienced a plantar wart a few years ago and my Father in law told me to put a small piece of duct tape on it. I know I know but yes duct tape. Keep it on there and just keep putting a new one on until the wart is gone.

I don't know why or how but it worked. It took a couple of weeks but something about the tape worked. It kept it moist and soft and eventually the little "knot like middle" fell out and my foot healed.

Good luck!
R.

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E.J.

answers from Washington DC on

Try putting duck tape on it every day, all day. It will take time to go away but it works. I had a plantar wart on my foot and put tape on it and within a few weeks it was gone. An additional plus is that the treatment was painless. Good luck.

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S.L.

answers from Washington DC on

This sounds strange, but the only thing that worked for my father was putting duck tape on them. And if the tape started to wear off he would reapply. Eventually, this prevented the wart from living and it died. He tried lots of things as well before a dermotologist in Leesburg told him about duck tape.

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K.H.

answers from Washington DC on

I understand what you are saying, I too suffered with plantars warts for many years. I covered my feet at all times, did the acid treatments, tried to freeze them off, etc, etc. I was beginning to think they would never go away. My sister mentioned to me that she had heard that you can take tagemet once a day and your plantar's warts will go away. Believe it or not it actually worked, I am COMPLETELY wart free. I will tell you that I got sick more often, when I took it every day, but the warts are gone. It DID NOT happen over night it probably took six months, but I had several warts in one area. So, it may take less time if you only have the one. Anyway, just wanted to share my positive experience with a pain free method to get rid of warts.

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A.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I work for a group of alternative MDs who publish their research in monthly newsletters. Here are a couple of excerpts I found in past newsletter issues. (Not included below, but I have also heard the duct tape recommendation!)

Tip #1: Try natural oil of cinnamon. Here’s a story from someone who did: “I went to my drugstore, where they had one bottle on a back shelf for $1.98. I went home that evening and, after bathing, covered the wart with the cinnamon oil. The next evening I did the same procedure. After about three days, I carefully removed the top layer of dead tissue with a new sterile single-edge razor blade, then applied the oil of cinnamon again. I followed this procedure for about two weeks and the plantar's wart was gone. There was no scar and it did not return. The oil must be the natural cinnamon oil, not the artificial kind that is used to scent candles.”

Tip #2: You may not believe the following remedy, but we have found it to be quite effective. We first learned of the technique from Dr. Matthew Midcap of Morgantown, WV, who claims to have successfully treated over 150 patients using this method. It involves the use of banana peels. Use the peels of bananas that have turned brown. The white inner side of the peel is placed against the wart and taped to the foot. The peel is changed daily and the dead portion of the wart is trimmed away weekly. The time necessary for total removal of the warts usually varies depending on their size. In most cases a couple of weeks are necessary; however, extremely large warts may require a few months. Some patients who had unsuccessfully tried all of the removal processes you’ve mentioned, in addition to radiation, had permanent relief with the banana peels. The "peel patches" will also help provide a nice cushion while walking.

Tip #3: These notoriously stubborn growths are only problematic when they cause pain while walking. Of course, you can have them burned, frozen or cut, but before you do, try salicylic acid. Studies have shown that on average, 75 percent of people who used a topical salicylic acid product got rid of their warts in a few months, versus only 48 percent of those who were given placebo treatments. Salicylic acid products are available everywhere — good brands include Duofilm and Compound W. Or, since salicylic acid is the active ingredient in aspirin, you can try this home remedy: Dissolve a regular aspirin with a small drop of water and apply to the wart; cover with a bandage; repeat twice daily. Try to keep the mixture off surrounding skin, as salicylic acid can cause minor skin irritation in some people.

Good luck!

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L.G.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi S.,
I'm a stay at home mom and I practice holistic medicine. I use Oregano essential oil for warts- only the Young Living brand works for medicinal purposes. Oregano is the most commonly used oil for plantar warts and within a month it should disapear forever because it is anti-viral. It actually kills the virus so it will never come back. It is really strong, so you would have to dilute it with olive oil 50/50, preferably organic. You just apply it morning and night on the spot and voila! I used this on a huge wart on my husbands head that he was afraid to get removed and it worked. You can check out some testimonials of other people who have used it at www.oil-testimonials.com. It's a great resource for us oilers to see what we need to fix which problem.
You can order it from my site at www.youngliving.org/amoreyr. Since I'm not trying to make any money off of it, I can send you a rebate so you get it for wholesale. It will probably cost you about $40 when it's all said and done and you'll have plenty left over for any viral infections you may encounter in the future.
You can call me today if you have questions at ###-###-####.

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L.O.

answers from Washington DC on

I had mine cut out. That seemed to help more than any other treatment I've had in the past. Also use Dial soap. and soak your feet in salt water.
L.

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A.L.

answers from Washington DC on

Wow! So many cool suggestions! I seriously hope at least one of them works for you - the few times I've had warts they've driven me CRAZY!!
Here is a remedy that worked for me that I didn't see anyone else mention: Pure Melaleuca Oil. My parents had been doing Melaleuca for years and all I did was get some of the pure oil from them and rub it on the wart for about a week - probably about three times a day (sometimes more - I wanted that thing gone so bad!!). I think everyone's body responds differently to different things, so I don't know if it will work for you like it did for me, but it's worth a shot.
Good luck!!

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