Yay, I’m in Maine visiting my family and friends!  The only problem is it’s about 30 degrees colder than Charlotte right now…not impressed. 

 

While visiting with my Aunt Jan, she brought up her toenail fungus issue.  She was told about a medication that may work to get rid of the infection, but that it may be too dangerous for her considering her age. 

 

The medication she is talking about is called Lamisil (there is a generic for it called terbinafine), and it is the most effective drug out there to treat fungal infections on the toenail (It also works for fungal infections on the fingernails).  Lamisil, compared to the other medications available to treat toenail fungus, causes fewer interactions with other drugs.  

 

The reason there may be some concern about her safety is that Lamisil can damage the liver, and the older one gets, the more likely they will be to get this liver damage. 

 

With her case, since she has no prior history of liver problems and she doesn’t drink alcohol pretty much at all, her liver should be fine.  Lamisil should be avoided in kidney disease.   She did have fairly severe kidney stones (surgery was needed), but her kidney problem is long gone – she has a clean bill of health. 

 

I think, with her doctor watching over her, that she will be fine taking Lamisil.  This medication is generally taken once a day for 3 months straight.  Many doctors like to keep an eye on your liver by doing blood tests once a month during treatment. 

 

Be warned – if you do not take your Lamisil every day, there is a good chance it will not work to get rid of your toenail fungus.  You should also know that even with taking Lamisil, treatment failures are common and there is a 20 to 50% chance you will get the toenail fungus again…sorry dudes! 

 

I actually had a toenail fungus that I picked up from all those years of walking around the pool deck barefoot, and I treated it by taking Lamisil – it came back several years later.  I used Lamisil again, and the fungus has not come back as of yet.  I also drank quite a bit of alcohol while taking Lamisil and I lived to talk about it – I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT THOUGH (I could have been the lucky one!)

 

Also, there is no need to worry if your toenail fungus is not completely gone after the 3-month Lamisil treatment – it may take 9 to 12 months to be fully cured.

 

There are some over-the-counter nail polish type options (called a lacquer) to treat toenail fungal infections, but they are not very effective since the fungus is usually living in the bed of the nail – the nail polish doesn’t seem to get into the nail bed very well.  Only 1 out of 15 patients find success with the OTC med, but even then, it is common for the infection to come back after you stop the treatment.

 

Let me know if you have any questions about Lamisil or toenail fungus by e-mailing me at cate@getpharmacyadvice.com – I am the Lamisil guru for crying out loud (I have had two courses of it in my lifetime already)!       

 

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