Wart Treatment with Apple Cider Vinegar

I love treatments like these. Definitely use white vinegar if near the nails, since the apple cider vinegar can stain the nails. I already recommend white vinegar soaks or patches for toenail fungus.

Chronic Warts: Email Correspondence

Dr. Blake

I actually just read the following post regarding chronic warts:

http://www.drblakeshealingsole.com/2010/11/plantars-wart-email-advice-in-chronic.html

I also have had chronic warts on my foot since 1999 (from 1 to as many as 20). I've tried a lot of different techniques, including freezing/shaving, surgical removal (twice, in 1999 and 2006), and most recently burning them off using an East Asian technique that is apparently common in Korea--effectively wetting finely ground grass and creating a "fuse" to the wart, and then lighting it til the fire becomes too close/painful, 10 times per session, per wart. In the first or second iteration of each of the treatments mentioned above, the warts were removed after 6-8 weeks, but each time they came back w/ greater resistance. In the summer of 2007 I had approximately 20 warts on both feet just one year after I had my one wart surgically removed in a bloody operation in '06; and my mother suggested the fire technique which, to my joy, removed all 20 warts in about 6 weeks. Several months later, a few warts appeared on the balls of my left foot, followed by one wart on the balls of my right foot. Tried the fire again, this time to limited effect. I gave up, figuring I could live w/ a couple warts. However this year I've taken on running as a more serious hobby, and the pain from the warts on the balls of my feet are a real impediment.

Can you recommend a doctor for me in the NYC or Stamford area?  Your run of the mill podiatrists want to continue to freeze and shave, but the last few incidences of freezing/shaving have only caused warts to spread. I even had one podiatrist who prescribed some herpes pills to help stop the spread of the plantar warts a few years back, to no effect.

Would very much appreciate the reference.

James

Dr Blake's comment: 

Dear James: The podiatric guru in that area has just retired, but I am sure will tell you who to see in the Stamford area. His name is Dr Michael Sabia. Here is his contact info. 

Michael L. Sabia, Jr, DPM 217 Haviland Road Stamford, CT Phone: 203-322-0082 Cell: 203-912-6232 Email: noodels2@optonline.net Education/Affiliations Graduate TUCPM - 1970; Residency Guiffre Med Center - Philadelphia, PA - 1971 Specialty board: ABPOPPM Practice Currently retired from practice. Was in group of podiatric medicine and surgery for 40 years. Active with civic and sports groups for all of practice life. When dealing with warts, which are living viruses, I always think about compromises in health. My big question to you regards your overall health picture and could there be some reason that your body can not deal with the virus well. Have you had your overall health checked both with western medicine, and more naturopathic doctors? Have you had normal bloodwork? I at least would have an internal medicine specialist check you out looking at areas of immune compromise. There are some new, and probably more expensive, lab tests regarding immunity. Immunity is your ability to fight virus, bacteria, fungus, cancer, etc, anything that attacks you. Hope this helps you. Dr Rich Blake

Use of Salicylic Acid Plasters for Warts and Corns Sometimes can be Too Strong

 This nice young man had a wart on the side of his foot.
He went to the pharmacy and picked up an OTC Wart Remover with Salicylic Acid.

http://www.warttreatmentandremoval.com/articles/over-the-counter-wart-removal-methods.php

The concentration was the normal 40%, but for him it was too strong. You can get it around
15% also.
He ignored the pain being produced thinking that was part of the treatment and left the
medicine on for several days.
It became so painful the 3rd night, that he had to remove the covering and found this
sore had developed.
He can into the office the next day.
Because it was a burn, I used Silvadene Cream (my gold standard). This is also OTC.

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/silvadene.html

 He wore flipflops
for several days, and massaged the medicine into the wound three times daily.
After about 4 days he was fine, but realized he could have really done a much more
serious injury, with a much longer process.
The moral is to not ignore pain when applying anything, and at least, once a day looking at the
wound. I am amazed how he let this go that long. Oh, the quest to get rid of those nasty warts!!

Please see the write up from my national organization the APMA-- American Podiatric
Medical Association

http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/Foot-Health/Brochures/Learn-About-Your-Feet/Warts.aspx

Plantar's Wart: Email Advice in a Chronic Condition

Sent 11/1/10
The Day the San Francisco Giants Won the World Series!!!

Dear Dr. Blake,



I have been fighting a Plantar's wart since 1998. I have had it frozen, cut out, I've tried duct tape, home remedies and the likes, but it keeps reoccurring. I have to cut it down weekly to make it bearable to walk. I have read that it eventually goes away, but 12 years later it is still here, and I've given myself a bunion from walking on it, or I should say trying not to walk on it. Do you have any advice that can help me? What makes life difficult is that I am on my feet for 10 hours a day do to my profession, it appeared shortly after I broke my ankle back in 1997. I would appreciate anything. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Brett
 
Dear Brett,
 
     Thank you so very much for emailing me. I have a few patients with plantar's warts that have lasted this long, but yours is unusual due to the pain. Normally, patients can co-exist with their warts with occasionally care and perhaps some shoe inserts. Of course, this is the less than 1% that do not respond to treatment during a 1 year period, which you have passed.
 
     First of all, do you have a wart or another type of skin lesion? This would be important to know and perhaps you had it removed at some point. Did the lab actually say it was a wart, also called verruca plantaris? With laser treatments, cryo (cold) therapy, bleomycin injections, cantharone or phenol acid treatments, there is a myriad of treatments available out there to attack the virus (and destroy). Please confirm that you actually have a virus.
 
     Second of all, in removing warts, some doctors go too deep, breaking through the dermal layer and leave you with a painful scar. Perhaps this is more what is hurting you. A painful scar is a totally different animal to treat than a wart. In Philadelphia, near you I believe is the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine at 8th and Race Street. One of my dear friends, a Dr Howard Palamarchuk could consult with you and even let me know what he thinks, or at least get you to the right person.
 
     Many times the wart is under a bony prominence that has become more prominent over time. A special xray called a Plantar Axial for the bottom of the foot may reveal even a bone spur or bad position of the bones.
 
     So, I would see or at least talk to Dr Palamarchuk and see if he can confirm you have a wart, see if your treatment left you with scar tissue, entrapped nerve, or bone spurs have developed. He can then let you know if you are a candidate for one of the big guns in wart treatment like bleomycin, laser, cold therapies, etc. And he could make sure the shoe inserts you have adequately take pressure off the sore area (sounds like you need something better than what is in your shoes).
 
    Please let me know if this info was helpful. Rich Blake