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Posts Tagged ‘antifungal medications’

Topical Medications to Treat Nail Fungus

Topical Medications to Treat Nail Fungus

There are a wide variety of treatments available to cure nail fungus. Some of these treatments are oral and some are topical. Topical treatments are available as prescription, over-the-counter and natural or alternative. Most people prefer using a topical treatment to an oral medication because the topical medication has far fewer risks associated with its use.

The topical prescription medication Penlac (otherwise known as Ciclopirox) is a relative newcomer to the U.S. market. Approved by the FDA in 1999 and in Canada in 2004, this was a wonderful improvement in the treatment of nail fungus as up until then, prescription treatments were all systemic, the regimens were long, and ran the risk of damaging the internal organs.

Penlac delivers its antifungal medication in nail polish form. The main ingredient in Penlac is Ciclopirox, a broad spectrum antifungal. This medication works via its delivery method. Because the medication is painted directly onto the affected area, it has time to penetrate the nail and deliver the necessary antifungal boost to the nail bed, which is where the fungus grows. The concept of Penlac is to kill the fungus where it lives, underneath the nail, so that the infection is permanently eliminated. This avoids the necessity of taking oral antifungal medications, which work systemically (throughout the body) and have more side effects, including possible organ damage. Application of Penlac is suggested daily to the infected nail and surrounding tissue for up to 12 weeks.

In today’s modern world, you can choose from allopathic, or prescription remedies, and natural, or homeopathic remedies. The natural remedies are frequently available at your pharmacy or online. Many products are available to cure nail fungus but one of the most effective is ClearFungus. ClearFungus is available on line and comes with a money back guarantee. The website has many testimonials available for you to read. ClearFungus is a natural fungicide and its main ingredient, combined with other natural products, work together to promote healthy recovery for your skin and nails.

The natural health market has several topical products and they usually include the same basic ingredients. The difference ends up being in the price. When looking for a natural remedy, make sure you have access to the list of ingredients, whether on the product packaging or on a website. A natural remedy should include an active fungicide and preferably ingredients that encourage healthy nail re-growth and conditioning for the surrounding skin. An excellent option for a topical nail fungicide is Tea Tree Oil, which can be purchased at any health food store and many pharmacies. If you have the option, research has shown that a spray, lacquer, or heavy ointment, are all more effective than a cream.

How you choose to treat your nail fungus infection is something that you and your doctor need to decide. If you choose to go with a non-prescription product, make sure that you do your research so that you find a product that will work best for you. Remember that natural medicine is strong and can fix many problems (as it has been doing for centuries) but that prescriptive medicine is a derivative of natural medicine as many prescription cures come from a similar chemical make-up. There are times when a prescription medicine may be necessary, especially in the case of a severe infection. However you choose to treat your nail fungus, research all possible medication interactions and side effects and keep track of anything that may occur. Because no one understands your body better than you.

Available Prescription Medication for Fungal Toenail Infections

Available Prescription Medication

for Fungal Toenail Infections

Antifungal medications are most commonly used to treat toenail fungus infections. These are normally oral prescription medications and unfortunately have a long list of potential risks and side effects. There are topical fungicides that are prescription strength and available on advice of your doctor. Both kinds of medication require a treatment regimen of 12 weeks for toenail fungus and 6 weeks for fingernail fungus. The length of treatment can vary with the severity of the infection.

Curing a toenail fungus infection can be very difficult and time consuming. Before you and your doctor agree on a treatment, it must be determined what kind of fungal infection you are suffering from. Once this is established, your doctor will prescribe a medication to eliminate the fungus. This is where you need to be educated and verbose. You need to tell your doctor about all of the medications you are taking, including supplements and herbal remedies. The prescriptions available to cure fungal nail infections are very hard on the system and can cause serious drug interactions.

Lamisil (otherwise known as terbinafine) is the most popular medication used to treat fungal infections. This medicine is most effective for dermatophytic infection. Lamisil is prescribed at 250 mg per day for 6-12 weeks. Another component of this medication is numerous blood tests to ensure that your liver is healthy enough to follow this regimen and that no damage is occurring during the treatment cycle. This makes this particular treatment very expensive. An initial baseline test will be done to determine your liver health before you start treatment. During treatment, your doctor will require that you visit the office and may order blood tests throughout the treatment at random, or regular intervals. This is done because Lamisil is processed by the liver and there is the potential for several rare hepatic side effects, including hepatitis, blood dyscrasias and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Following your doctor’s recommendations can protect you from serious liver damage over the course of your treatment.

Another well known antifungal used to treat toenail infections is Diflucan (or fluconazole) Diflucan is most commonly used to treat yeast infections.

Both of these medications can be found in their generic form at pharmacies all over the country for about $4.00 Numerous pharmacies, including Target, Wal-Mart and Publix offer prescription drugs at a discounted rate. Please note, you must have a doctor’s prescription to acquire these medications. If you need to take these drugs for an extended period, it may be worth the effort to research which pharmacies offer this program.

Other medications commonly used to treat toenail fungus infections are:

  • Ciclopirox (commercial name – Penlac) a topical nail lacquer used to infuse the nail with medication
  • Itraconazole (commercial name – Sporanox) is a newer medication and works similarly to Lamisil
  • Griseofulvin is an older drug and is no longer regularly prescribed due to its lack of efficacy
  • Ketoconazole (commercial name – Nizoral) although very effective at eliminating fungus, is not prescribed often because of the high risk of hepatotoxicity.

You and your doctor can work together to find the best antifungal treatment to cure your toenail fungus. The most important part of your treatment will be discouraging the growth of fungus on your own by making sure that your feet are clean, dry and surrounded by breathable materials so that you are not offering a hospitable environment. By following this simple advice, you are much more likely to find yourself fungus free at the end of your treatment.