Ointment against athlete's foot

General

Athlete's foot affects many people at least once in their life. The infection is often noticed by itching between the toes, white, swollen skin or sometimes bloody cracks between the toes. Since athlete's foot does not usually heal on its own, it must be treated. For this purpose, e.g. special ointments with antifungal Active ingredients that are available in pharmacies without a prescription.
When treating the fungal disease with creams or ointments, the feet should be cleaned thoroughly before each use. Socks that have been worn can be washed with hot water. In addition, the spaces between the toes should be dried carefully, as the fungus feels most comfortable in a moist environment.

Read more on this topic: How contagious is athlete's foot?

It is best to use disposable towels so that the fungus cannot be transferred to other parts of the body through the towel. The desired ointment or cream can then be applied to the affected areas of the skin. After applying the cream, it is essential to wash your hands to prevent the fungus from spreading. Below are some supplements that can be used to treat athlete's foot.

For more information, see the main article athlete's foot or our article on mushrooms.

Canesten® Extra Cream

The Canesten® Extra Cream is available from pharmacies without a prescription. It contains the active ingredient Bifonazole. The effect of bifonazole is based on the inhibition of certain enzymes of fungi, which are required for the construction of the cell wall. This makes the fungal cells unstable and eventually die. Bifonazole has a broad spectrum of activity, because it acts equally on yeasts, molds, Dermatophytes and other mushrooms (e.g. Malassezia furfur). Since the exact genus of athlete's foot is not known to most sufferers, this preparation is well suited for treatment, as it already covers various pathogens.

In addition, Canesten® Extra Cream has an anti-inflammatory effect. Unless otherwise prescribed, the cream is applied thinly to the affected areas of the skin once a day. A small amount of cream is usually sufficient. In the case of athlete's foot, a treatment period of around 3 weeks should be observed in order to permanently eliminate the fungus. If after a week there is no improvement in the symptoms, a doctor should be consulted. In the course of treatment, it can in rare cases allergic Skin reactions to the medicine (Rash, Blistering, etc.). However, these subside at the end of the treatment. Interactions with other drugs are not yet known.

In infants and in the pregnancy or breastfeeding, the cream should only be used under medical supervision or on medical advice. The active ingredient is also available as a spray.

Lamisil®

The Lamisil® cream contains the active ingredient Terbinafinewhich, like bifonazole, inhibits fungal enzymes that are involved in stabilizing the fungal cell membrane. This will kill the fungal cells. Accordingly, terbinafine also has a broad spectrum of activity and is effective in the treatment of athlete's foot caused by dermatophytes, yeasts and molds. Lamisil® is available in various preparations in pharmacies without a prescription, namely as a cream, spray, gel and the special variant Lamisil Once®which only needs to be applied once to the toes and between the toes.

Further treatment is then usually no longer necessary. The standard preparation Lamisil® Cream is applied to the affected skin areas once a day for athlete's foot between the toes for seven days. In the case of fungal attack on the soles of the feet, the treatment period is 4 weeks. The cream should not be used in children under 5 years of age, during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Interactions with other drugs are not yet known. This preparation can also cause allergic reactions in the form of reddened skin, itching or the like. come.

Ciclopoli Creme®

The Ciclopoli cream® contains the active ingredient Ciclopirox. Like bifonazole and terbinafine, this belongs to the Broad-spectrum antifungal drugsi.e. it acts against different fungal species at the same time. Ciclopirox is particularly effective in treating athlete's foot caused by yeast fungi (Candida) and dermatophytes. The active ingredient impairs the function of the cell membrane of the fungi and thus leads to their death. Ciclopoli is available in different preparations in the pharmacy. The Ciclopoli nail polish for the treatment of nail fungus is available without a prescription, but the cream for the treatment of skin fungus requires a prescription.

The preparation is applied to the affected skin areas twice a day. It usually takes about two weeks for the skin changes to subside. Thereafter, treatment should be continued for one to two weeks to prevent the fungal infection from recurring. The cream should not be used in children under 6 years of age, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with other athlete's foot ointments, skin reddening, itching and other intolerance reactions may occur during treatment, but these will subside when the therapy is over.

Tonoftal Creme®

The Tonoftal cream®contains the active ingredient Tolnoftat. Tolnoftat has a killing effect on the fungal species of dermatophytes, but is ineffective against yeasts. It is therefore not suitable as a broad-spectrum antimycotic for athlete's foot therapy in the case of unknown pathogens. The first choice in this case would be preparations that kill several types of fungi at the same time, e.g. Preparations with bifonazole or terbinafine (see above).

The strength of the Tonoftal Creme® is classified as significantly weaker compared to the other preparations already mentioned. The cream should only be used during pregnancy in consultation with a doctor; it must not be used during breastfeeding. The drug can be used safely in children. The Tonoftal Creme® is applied to the affected skin areas 1-2 times a day. After the symptoms have subsided, the treatment should be continued for one to two weeks in order to completely eliminate the fungal infection. There are no known interactions with other drugs. Treatment with Tonoftal Creme® can lead to allergic skin reactions.

Daktar 2% Creme®

The Daktar 2% Creme® contains as an active ingredient Miconazole. Miconazole is built into the fungus' cell wall. This hampers its function and the cell dies. In addition, Miconazole inhibits various metabolic processes in the fungal cells and thus works fungicide. The cream is especially used for athlete's foot caused by yeast. It usually has to be applied twice a day for a period of at least 14 days until the fungus has been completely killed. If possible, the drug should not be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding or only in consultation with a doctor, as a certain proportion of it passes into the mother's blood.

During treatment with Daktar 2% Creme®, the simultaneous use of certain other drugs can increase their effectiveness. In this way, the effect of blood-thinning drugs can be increased (e.g. Warfarin, Marcumar). The same is true of some medicines used to treat diabetes (Diabetes mellitus) can be used, e.g. Sulfonylureas. Also the effect of Phenytoin (Anti-seizure medication) may be aggravated. Possible side effects of treatment with Daktar 2% Creme® are rashes, redness, itching and burning. Very rarely (less than 1 in 10,000 patients treated) systemic side effects such as Shortness of breath and drop in blood pressure come.