Toe nail fungus infections are a problem many people suffer from. In some cases the problem is more cosmetic and embarrassing than a severe health hazard, but in other cases it can be a sign of other problems within your body. The condition can also be much more problematic for anyone who has another severe illness or disease such as HIV or Diabetes.
Because of this, it’s important to start treating nail fungus as soon as you find it developing.
Nail fungus is quite common among athletes however, or people who work out regularly. It can also be a problem for anyone who lives or works in very moist environments, or people who’s feet sweat a lot.
There are three oral medications normally used to treat toe nail fungus. Each of these works to varying degrees, are quite expensive, and can have some serious side effects or potential hazards.
Diflucan (Fluconazole) is not technically a toe nail fungus medicine. It’s approved by the FDA for use on various types of yeast infections within the body such as vaginal, throat or mouth yeast infections. Despite this however, it is sometime prescribed as a toe nail fungus medicine when the toe nail fungus is a mild case, or it appears to be yeast generated toe nail fungus infection.
When used for its standard purposes, Diflucan often needs to be taken just once or twice. When used as a toe nail fungus medicine though, it may need to be taken every week for six to seven months. Your doctor will tell you the proper dosage needed for your specifical fungus infection.
Sporanox (Itraconazole) is a prescription oral medication designed specifically to treat toe nail fungus infections. How much you’ll need to take will depend on the severity of your fungus infection though. Some people have reported taking this medicine once or twice a day for months, while others simply had to take it for a week, stop for three weeks, then take it for one more week.
Lamisil (terbinafine hydrochloride) is one of the newest medications on the market that’s specifically designed to treat toe nail or finger nail fungus. It generally needs to be taken for six to twelve weeks, then it remains persistant in your body for many more months, working to kill the remaining fungus which are causing the infections.
These toe nail fungus medicines tend to work fairly well for most people, however they do tend to have some severe side effects and additional health risks. Kidney and liver damage are possible when taking these medicines for instance, so your doctor may require blood tests regularly to make sure those organs are working well while you’re on the medication.
These toe nail fungus medicines are not cheap either. They can range from $250 to $1500 depending upon the frequency, dosage, and length of time you’ll need to take them.
And that’s the other really important thing to know about nail fungus medicines. They take time. Usually a completely new nail must be grown before the full toe nail fungus infection is completely gone. And for some people, this can take a whole year or more.
