Q. Your column mentioned using pineapple or banana skin as a topical treatment for plantar warts. The treatment of choice (unfortunately not well known among family doctors or even dermatologists) may be the daily topical application of vitamin A.
Vitamin A can be bought in capsules in any drugstore. Puncture a capsule of the vitamin with a sharp needle. Each day squeeze a drop or two of the vitamin A oil out of the capsule onto the wart and rub it in well.
Dr. Robert Garry reported 100 percent success within five months in 50 consecutive patients (New England Journal of Medicine, Oct. 14, 2004). I likewise had success with this treatment for a very stubborn plantar wart, although mine required applying the vitamin twice a day to get results.
No side effects have been reported. It just requires stubborn persistence.
A. We were delighted to learn about this simple wart therapy. Dr. Garry reported further success with topical vitamin A therapy in the treatment of a woman with a nine-year history of recalcitrant warts (Virology Journal, Jan. 17, 2012). We are somewhat surprised that dermatologists have not pursued this unique approach to see if it holds up to rigorous research.
We have been collecting wart remedies for almost 40 years. Over that time we have learned that what works for one person may be a total bust for someone else. Warts are especially challenging in that regard. That’s why we bring to your attention our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies, with lots of other wart remedies including bacon fat, banana peel, duct tape, garlic, Listerine, potato, turmeric and vinegar. You will find details on hundreds of other simple health remedies when you add Quick & Handy Home Remedies to your library. You are likely to refer to it on a daily basis.
Here is just one amazing example from the book:
“We gave our six-year-old daughter a heartburn medicine, cimetidine, for her warts. It’s amazing! After months of visits to the dermatologist, the warts on the back of her hand are gone. She had up to 40 big and tiny warts, and they were starting to spread to her wrist and other hand. Finally, we gave her cimetidine daily for eight weeks and they just disappeared.”
