KNOW THE CAUSE!

by Doug Kaufmann

Q… My 2 ½ year old daughter was diagnosed with a toenail fungal infection when she was 16 months old. All of her toenails had always been slightly yellow and very slow growing which I thought was normal for a baby. At 16 months, I noticed two of her nails were becoming thicker, so I sought the advice of her pediatrician and followed up with a second opinion by a dermatologist.

The dermatologist said it appeared 8 of 10 toenails were affected, and prescribed a foot powder to help keep her feet from sweating, Loprox .77% cream to be applied topically, and Penlac (ciclopirox) Topical Solution, 8%. I began the treatment for her, and the Loprox left the skin around her toes raw, red and sore. Eventually this was discontinued, because it seemed to be doing more harm than good. The foot powder was discontinued as well, but she remained on the Penlac for one full year. The dermatologist also indicated we would need to watch her for symptoms of a rare genetic condition called pachyonychia congenita. He stated I should watch for canker-like sores in her mouth since the gene that regulates the nails also affects the gums. I took her to a pediatric orthodontist who confirmed she had no symptoms at the present time that would relate her toenail condition to the pachyonychia congenita.

About 5 months into her treatment a biopsy was taken of her nail to actually test for fungus. (It never occurred to me to request a biopsy immediately, but in retrospect I would have.) The biopsy results came back negative for fungus, but the dermatologist did not repeat the biopsy, because she was responding well to the Penlac. After one year of treatment, he discontinued the Penlac since she had been on it for so long. At that point, some of her nails had cleared up. She has not been on any medication for this condition since November, 2003, but her little "pinky" toes are both still very thick along with one of her middle toes.

She has had no other physical problems, but she had been on antibiotics once during her first year for an ear infection, and about 4 times after that for ear and throat infections, etc. She was 100% breast-fed until she was 10 ½ months old at which time she went to whole milk. I believe she was born with these infected toenails or picked it up very early on within the first few months of life. What caused this? Was the Penlac safe? I was told no testing is done on these drugs and how they interact with small children because the testing would be too expensive. What advice can you give me to clear up her last three toenails, and what direction can I point her dermatologist in if necessary? Many thanks.

A...The scenario you present sounds all too familiar to me after working in a Dermatology Clinic for five years. Everyone reading this column must know that adverse reactions such as your daughter experienced are not rare. Care must always be exercised when taking any prescription, especially in pediatric cases when drugs are not tested on children. If a non life threatening condition exists such as onichomycoses (nail fungus), I'd always ask my doctor if natural remedies could be tried before such strong medication.

Pachyonychia congenita, according to the website emedicine.com, is a very rare disorder. As a matter of fact, only a few cases exist in the United States. The same site references that the lesions in PC do not endanger the patient's life. The "pachy" refers to thick skin whereas the "onychia" refers to the nail itself. "Congenita" refers to the condition as having genetic roots. It is my personal opinion that human DNA has become the unfortunate scapegoat of many medical conditions wherein the etiology, or root cause is unknown. If we could figure out the root cause of this nail condition in your daughter, steps could be taken to rectify the condition.

The physicans have probably told you that ciclopirox is a broad spectrum antifungal agent which was approved by the FDA for use in 1999. It treats toenail or fingernail fungus. As is the case with any prescriptive drug, side effects are well documented. Use of this drug, and subsequent recovery confirms that your daughter had a nail fungus condition. Although rare in children, you need to be aware of events that may have lead up to this fungal condition. Your letter eliminates the possibility that antibiotics given to her would have caused the nail fungus, but does not rule out that antibiotics you may have taken could be implicated. It is a common, although new practice to test pregnant women for Group B Strep of the vaginal tract in their 3rd trimester. About 15% of women test positive and begin taking antibiotics. This concerns me in that the broad spectrum antibiotic used might pass through the placental barrier and affect the unborn child.

Another factor to consider in this case is the diet you consumed while carrying your daughter and more importantly, the diet you consumed while breastfeeding. Fungus makes a poisonous byproduct called a "mycotoxin" and nail fungus is the least of the very harmful effects from consuming mycotoxins. Unfortunately, mycotoxins occur commonly in our grain supply in the United States! The "cancer-like" sores in her mouth that your doctor was concerned about may actually be supported by scientific literature in that mycotoxins in our diet can disseminate throughout the body and one mycotoxin called Alflatoxin B1, which grows on corn is known to cause human liver cancer. In 1995, the American Cancer Society published that "mycotoxins are genotoxic carcinogens, and exposure begins in utero and in mother's milk, continuing throughout life; these conditions favor the occurrence of disease."

If your diet was rich in corn and other grains during your pregnancy and while breastfeeding, one might logically be concerned that your daughter's nails were affected by mycotoxins. I'd thank God everyday for your daughter. I'd begin rubbing Vick Vapo-Rub on her nails before bed in the evening. The oils in Vicks are potent and safe fungus fighters. Although this approach takes longer to work than conventional medications, if she is otherwise healthy, I'm certain that her doctors would agree that medications and doctors' visits might be better reserved for sick people.

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Q… I have been suffering from dry eyes for almost 10 years. After visiting The John-Kenyon Eye Center to see if I qualified for Intralasik eye surgery to improve my vision, I was told that I had rosacea and that because of this I did not have enough oil in my tears. I was told that my cornea was scarred in both eyes and that laser surgery would be necessary to remove the scars. I had the surgery three weeks ago and my vision is better.

My question is, what would you recommend, so I don't have this problem again. After watching your show I have taken two bottles of the olive leaf extract and started taking probiotics, but I haven't seen any improvement as yet. The eye doctor had put me on antibiotics over eight months ago. I stopped taking these after I had watched three of your shows. I also take three to five flax seed tablets each day, and I am using a prescription eye drop called Restasis.

A...It is not surprising that a dual diagnosis of Rosacea and dry eyes exist. As a matter of fact, if the right questions were asked of any Rosacea, the practitioner, he would find that stomach problems, fatigue and pain existed concomitantly. Unlike conventional medical belief, I happen to believe that germs cause every malady known to man. I do not believe that eyes dry up anymore than I believe that lumps spontaneously develop in breasts! We always must examine what occurred before the disease began. In your case, my guess would be that you moved into a different house 10-12 years ago, or your house leaked and water sat for a while. Also consider libraries, office buildings, and schools when considering mold as the cause of your condition. Dry eyes can develop after exposure to toxic molds such as aspergillus, penicillium or stachybotrus. If let go, this inhaled mold can cause breathing problems and skin problems, such as Rosacea. There is a silent air purification unit called the Pionair air purifier (www.pionair.net) that emits negatively charged ions into the air of your home and renders particulate like pollen, dander and mold harmless. I like this company as they have committed to either fixing the problem (dry eyes in your case), or giving you a full refund after 30 days of trying it. If this is not a mold problem, try drinking fresh squeezed carrot juice immediately after juicing it every morning for 14 days. Carrots inhibit fungal proliferation in addition to adding Vitamin A into the equation. Beta carotene, one of 400 carotenes found in carrot, becomes Vitamin A inside your body. Vitamin A helps with night blindness, so we know that it plays a role in vision. Make certain that you are also getting about 6mg of supplemental Lutein daily.

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