Warts are not generally a topic for polite conversation. Even the name is kind of gross, especially the medical term, Verruca vulgaris. Plantar warts (Verruca plantaris) occurring on the soles of the feet can be especially troublesome. That’s because they can be painful when they get large. They can also resist treatment or come back after disappearing for a while. Readers report success with a variety of approaches.
Yucca Capsules Banished Plantar Warts:
Q. My husband suffered with plantar warts for years. He tried several remedies, including burning, freezing and duct tape, to no avail.
Then we started taking yucca capsules. Yucca is a plant with antiviral properties; we heard it was effective against arthritis.
After a few weeks, my husband noticed the plantar warts falling off, one by one, until they were totally gone! They have never returned, nor do we have arthritis in our joints.
A. What a fascinating testimonial! Yucca is the genus name for numerous North American plant species with anti-inflammatory properties (Antioxidants, March 2023). A protein found in yucca leaves can keep viruses from replicating (Antiviral Research, April 1992). This might explain the effect on plantar warts, which are caused by human papillomavirus.
Getting the Diagnosis Right Is Crucial:
Although it might seem easy to identify plantar warts, even healthcare professionals may sometimes miss the diagnosis.
One reader shared this tale of woe and intrigue regarding a mosaic wart:
“I was misdiagnosed several times as having a plantar wart. It hurt to walk on it, and in the summer it would swell until I’d limp.
“I tried OTC remedies and folk medicine but it just grew and grew, wider and wider, deeper and deeper. Five different podiatrists said I had a plantar wart and removed it surgically. Each time it grew back within six months. This resulted in quite a lot of scar tissue in that area, making it even more painful to walk.
“A plastic surgeon considered doing surgery on it, but it was so large that he didn’t think surgery on a wart would be successful. At that point I went to a dermatologist who diagnosed it as a mosaic wart.
“I am convinced that many people have mosaic warts rather than plantar warts. Trying to cut out a mosaic wart can cause it to spread more quickly and is not an effective way to get rid of them.
“I used 20 percent salicylic acid (basically Compound W) daily and scraped the area with a scalpel. The first visit he numbed the area and removed a lot of the tissue that had made walking so painful. Although the dermatologist said it usually takes a month of daily application, it took me four months. But that was five years ago. It has never returned. I hope you can educate people about mosaic warts so they don’t have to suffer like I did.”
Mosaic warts can be hard to treat. Technically, they are a collection of warts that have grown together to cover a large area. Surgery can be problematic for the reasons described. Once scar tissue has formed, it can be painful in its own right.
X-Rays for Plantar Warts?
We’re glad the topical salicylic acid worked. Years ago dermatologists actually used X-rays for hard-to-treat plantar warts.
Here’s one reader’s account of this now forgotten approach:
“My son had his [plantar wart] removed by a dermatologist who used radiation for a couple of minutes. The wart died, pushed to the surface and disappeared. It was a lot better than surgery.”
Dermatologists rarely use radiation for wart removal these days. Instead, they may use lasers or chemotherapy.
One reader shared this recollection:
“I had a chemotherapy agent injected into my heel for plantar warts that had multiplied like crazy. Four people had to hold me down to keep me still while this was done and then I spent days on the couch with ice packs on my foot. I had bruising and swelling beyond belief. This procedure didn’t work the first time and I had to have it repeated.”
Less invasive approaches include home remedies such as duct tape, hot water soaks, banana peel and topical turmeric. Many people report that the oral heartburn drug cimetidine (Tagamet) can also help.
Cimetidine vs Plantar Warts:
Here is just one of the many wart stories shared on our website re: cimetidine:
“My son battled warts for years. They were on the bottoms of his feet, under his thumb nail, and he had a really big one on his knee. We used all of the Compound W treatments and even had the one on his knee burned off by the dermatologist twice. It still kept coming back.
“A student at my school told me that his doctor recommended Tagamet. By taking two pills a day (one in the morning and one at night) they were all gone within a month. We tried this over a year ago and to this day my son is still wart free!”
Home Remedies for Warts:
Readers who would prefer to start with home treatment will find many suggestions in our book, the People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies.
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photo credit: happyfeet34 cc cropped
