Welcome to the Website of

Dr. Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS

 Thank you for visiting my website. I have been placing information and articles on this site for many years and have received millions of  hits during that time (and not that many of them were mine). I have designed it for people who like to read about their foot and ankle problems. Since I started the web site, I have added two associates to my practice, Dr. Darren Payne and Dr. Stephen Benson.  Since my site is filled with just my thoughts and opinions they are not, necessarily, shared by my colleagues. To see our less controversial (and less windy) practice web site, I offer you: www.ConejoFeet.com, the practice site for The Agoura Los Robles Podiatry Centers (ALRPC). The ALRPC practice site has a lot of material about our office, many of our policies and the registration forms to be filled out before your visit. I suggest all prospective patients visit www.ConejoFeet.com.

 I made the web site to give my patients the extra depth information that I don’t always have time to cover in the office visit. Visitors who are not my patients are welcome to browse the information found here. My younger colleagues are both under 50 and they, like many their age, do not favor in depth reading. They prefer their information presented to them in a few short, crisp bullet points. I, being of the, ahem, older generation, like to read about my ailments in greater depth. Here, I present the greater depth. If you ask a question about heel pain or bunions that I have not answered in my two monographs, I will quickly add it so that it is as complete as I can make it. If you agree with this philosophy, welcome to my page. If you correspond with me please let me know if you like the in depth reporting.

 Remember, this site is in no way intended to tell you how your own ailment or problem should be treated, only the approach I use when confronted with certain situations. Your problem may well be different from what you think it is and should always be evaluated by the appropriate professional, whether podiatrist, orthopedist or other authority. Please understand that I, nor anyone else, can offer you a proper diagnosis or treatment plan without seeing and feeling the problem at hand (foot?).  Happy reading.

 Sincerely, Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM

 P.S. All the information in this web site is © by me and it is mine alone. No picture or any of the articles cannot be used by anyone without permission from me, personally.

01/08/2012

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Hi Lisa,

Thank you for your question. I assume when you refer to beetle venom you are referring to the product, canthrone. Canthrone is made from a blister beetle and like all products made for warts it works sometimes. If you place a tiny drop of canthrone on a wart it will produce a blister after a few hours that can be, at times, excruciatingly painful. Other times it is merely painful. the blister contains the wart on the upper roof of the lesion. When you return to your podiatrist' s office he or she will take the roof off of the blister and the wart goes with it. At least that is the theory.  I use the product from time to time but I have not quite got the hang of using the exact right amount. Too little canthrone end of the war to remains. Too much canthrone and you get a large painful blister. But if your doctor has a lot of experience using just the right amount of the product, it could be a reasonably good experience if there's only one,  two or a few warts.

Tagamet has a different problem. Some literature shows that it is effective for children but not for adults. Very little or no literature is available to show that it really works for adults. The reason for this apparent discrepancy is because Tagamet is prescribed on a milligram per kilogram basis for children in a dose increases with the weight of the child until the child reaches about 110 pounds. After that weight the dose is the full adults does which means it is not used in as high a concentration as it is in children. The same number of milligrams  used for a 110 pound child will be diluted by half  in a 220 pound adult. I follow this logic and prescribed Tagamet only for children (and small adults)  who weigh up to 110 pounds. People who weigh more than this are probably wasting their money.

Dr. Michael Zapf

P.S.

Here are a few hints on using Canthrone. During your office visit your podiatrist will put a tiny drop of Canthrone on the suspected wart and cover it with a Band-Aid. At this point there is no pain. In about four or five hours, or when the wart starts to steam,  remove the Band-Aid and wash the area with soap and water. you will notice the area where the Canthrone was applied becoming a bit red and even swollen at times. If you are lucky it will form a blister. Many times a Canthrone blister is very painful. Sometimes it contains blood and looks like a red blood blister. If the blister in his extremely uncomfortable you can puncture it with a sterile needle to get rid of the fluid inside the lesion. Surprisingly, this procedure does not hurt because the roof of a blister has no nerve endings. Do not remove the roof of the blister. instead apply a little antibiotic cream or ointment  to the pad of a Band-Aid and apply the Band-Aid to the lesion; this will help prevent an infection. You will find relief from your pain when you drain the blister. Aspirin or Tylenol can be used during the first few days to treat the pain. Ice packs can also be helpful. Normally I  10 days to two weeks after the Canthrone is applied to the wart.

 will

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Copyright © 2000 Michael A. Zapf, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., F.A.C.F.AOA.M.
Last modified: January 08, 2012