Nonprescription antifungals for athlete's foot

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Azoles

Allylamines

Other antifungals

These antifungal medicines are put directly on the skin (topical). They are available as creams, lotions, solutions, gels, sprays, ointments, swabs, or powders. One medicine may be available in many forms. Your doctor will help you decide which form is best for you.

All of these medicines kill fungi. But you most likely will use terbinafine for a shorter amount of time than the others. See the medicine label for specific instructions. In general:

• Terbinafine is used for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Other medicines are used for 4 to 6 weeks.

If you stop treatment early, even if the symptoms are gone, an athlete's foot infection will likely return. It is very important to use the medicine for the entire time directed.

Nonprescription antifungal medicines are usually the first medicines used in treating mild and moderate athlete's foot. If treatment is not successful, or if you have a severe case, prescription antifungals are used.

Nonprescription antifungal medicines are effective in curing athlete's foot for most people. But studies show that allylamine medicines work slightly better than azole medicines.^{1, 2}

Terbinafine requires a shorter course of treatment (1 week) than miconazole and clotrimazole (4 to 6 weeks). While terbinafine costs more than the other two, you need less of it to successfully treat a fungal infection.

Topical antifungals rarely cause side effects. Stop using the medicine and talk to your doctor if the medicine causes severe blistering, itching, redness, dryness, or irritation.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

Among topical medicines, creams may be best used on mild-to-moderate non-oozing infections, lotions on oozing infections, powders and sprays to prevent reinfection, and gels and ointments for long-term moccasin-type infections.³

It is not known whether these medicines harm a fetus or pass into breast milk. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, talk to your doctor.

Complete the new medication information form (PDF) (What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.

Citations

1. Crawford F (2006). Athlete's foot, search date April 2006. Online version of BMJ Clinical Evidence. Also available online: www.clinicalevidence.com.

2. Crawford F, et al. (2007). Topical treatments for fungal infections of the skin and nails of the foot. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (3).

3. Weinstein A, Berman B (2003). Topical treatment of common superficial tinea infections. American Family Physician, 65(10): 2095–2102.