Treatment of athlete’s foot

The treatment of athlete’s foot is not a difficult procedure in most cases. Due to the fact that there is a wide range of over-the-counter drugs on the market, treatment can be carried out in many places without the need to see a doctor. However, it is important to note that even a mycosis pedis disease can be dangerous if the treatment is not carried out, if the fungus affects the whole body circulation.

Therefore a treatment must take place in any case. If the problem is not improved by treatment with over-the-counter drugs, then a doctor should be consulted and if necessary, a switch to prescription drugs should be made. Treatment with the active ingredients clotrimazole, bifonazole and miconazole to be applied to the skin is carried out over two to four weeks by applying a cream or ointment to the affected area.

This is done one to three times a day, depending on the strength of the fungus or the doctor’s prescription. A much shorter topical (local) medication to be applied is Terbinafine. This is to be used over a period of one week.

In contrast to the other above-mentioned drugs, however, this is only available on prescription. In the treatment with tablets the period of taking is very different and depends on the active substance used. In this case, consultation with the treating doctor should be made.

The use of tablets in the treatment of fungal infections is usually relevant to the systemic treatment of a fungal infection, i.e. a fungus that does not grow superficially on the skin, but has spread throughout the body and attacked various organs. In contrast to most creams and other superficially applicable preparations, most tablets are not available over the counter or in pharmacies, but only on prescription.The use of tablets for the treatment of athlete’s foot is indicated if the symptoms are extreme and the athlete’s foot cannot be treated optimally from the outside. An active ingredient used in tablet form is Terbinafine, which can also be purchased in topical (locally applicable) form.

A doctor’s prescription is required for tablets and creams. Depending on the severity of the athlete’s foot infection, a treatment with 250mg per day can last between 4 weeks and 3 months. Itraconazole can also be prescribed as a tablet.

This is a triazole (drug that interferes with the formation of the fungal cell wall). Here between 100mg and 200mg are prescribed for four or two weeks depending on the severity of the fungal infestation. Also a triazole is the Fluconazole.

This must be taken over a longer period of time until the fungal infection disappears. The treatment can take up to 12 months. Another prescription drug is griseofulvin.

This acts on the so-called spindle apparatus of fungi that attack the skin (so-called dermatophytes). The spindle apparatus is a system of elongated protein chains that are important in the division of chromosomes and thus of cells through their assembly and breakdown. Only if this division takes place, the fungus can grow, multiply and heal in case of damage.

The normal applied daily dose for adults is 500mg. Exact periods and dosages must be discussed with the treating physician. A possibly existing pregnancy is an absolute contraindication, so the medication must not be taken during pregnancy under any circumstances.