Side effects | Medicines for nail fungus

Side effects

• Local antimycotics: Locally applied drugs against nail fungus do not cause any side effects in most cases. In individual patients, skin irritations strictly limited to the fingertips can be observed after application of the varnishes or ointments. These skin irritations are usually uncomplicated redness and slight itching.

  Usually these complaints subside on their own after a few hours.

• Oral antimycotics: Oral antimycotics, on the other hand, have a number of undesirable drug effects (side effects). Patients suffering from nail fungus must therefore be supervised by a doctor during treatment with oral nail fungus medication. As soon as particularities are observed or even complaints occur, the affected patients should immediately consult the treating specialist.

  Exactly which side effects can occur while taking oral antimycotics depends on the respective substance class and the dosage of the medication.

• Allylamines: Nail fungus drugs from the group of allylamines are generally considered to be very well tolerated. The individual active ingredients are metabolised and broken down in the liver. The actual excretion takes place afterwards via the kidneys.

  For this reason, long-term use of drugs from this group of drugs can impair both liver and kidney function.Skin reactions and disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract are rarely observed when taking these nail fungus drugs.

• Azole: Medicines against nail mycosis, which can be assigned to the group of azole, however, lead rather frequently to side effects in the form of digestive disturbances or complaints in the area of the gastro-intestinal tract. Many patients experience pronounced nausea and occasional vomiting when taking azoles. In addition, side effects such as headaches, circulatory problems and dizziness are quite common with these drugs.

  Some patients also develop allergic skin rashes while taking substances from this group of nail fungus drugs. Impairment of liver function is rather rare with azoles, however.

• Amphotericin B: One of the best known drugs for the treatment of nail mycosis is Amphotericin B. In contrast to most drugs from the group of antimycotics, Amphotericin B can only be administered via the vein (intravenously).

  The reason for this is the fact that this drug cannot be absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract and would therefore simply be excreted unused if administered orally. The typical side effects of Amphotericin B include damage to the kidneys (nephrotoxic). For this reason, the drug is usually only used for very severe fungal infections. Other side effects may include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and aching limbs. In general, allergic reactions and intolerances can occur with all medications against nail fungus.