The Lemon Fool

I've been taking Terbinafine tablets for 6 months for fungus in my big toenail. It hasn't completely grown out - there are about 3mm left. Would I expect to keep taking the tablets until it's completely gone? I don't want to stop too soon and have it recur, but I just looked online and it seems 3 months is more typical.

I think Terbinafine tablets are prescription only. You need to speak to your doctor.

clissold345 wrote:I think Terbinafine tablets are prescription only. You need to speak to your doctor.

I think this is right, and could take up to a year. Also need regular blood tests cause they're hard on the organs. Hope it works for you.

MyNameIsUrl wrote:I've been taking Terbinafine tablets for 6 months for fungus in my big toenail. It hasn't completely grown out - there are about 3mm left.

If you've got that far, I'd have thought that a 5% amorolfine lacquer (Curanail, Loceryl) would finish the job satisfactorily?

Always available online, though you might have to answer a few tick-box questions. Don't forget to file the nail surface down - one reason why lacquers often fail.

BJ

A typical course is 6 weeks, the nails grow out clear over a year afterwards. Speak to your GP, I think you have been on the tablets too long.

bungeejumper mentioned the lacquers. "The cure rate with topical agents [treatments applied to the nail] alone, is low, approximately 15-30%. Topical treatments are safe. Local redness and irritation can occur." The quote is from a British Association of Dermatologists leaflet.

I may have a fungal nail infection. I was thinking of trying a topical treatment - but since the cure rate is so low I probably won't try it. Note: I realise that the OP has been taking an oral treatment.

Moosehoosenew wrote:A typical course is 6 weeks, the nails grow out clear over a year afterwards. Speak to your GP, I think you have been on the tablets too long.

Terbinafine is highly lipophilic and tends to accumulate in hair, skin, nails, and fat cells.
This accumulation results in therapeutic levels of terbinafine even after 80 days following one week treatment of 250 mg/day. Different dosing schedules have been proposed such as 500 mg/day for one week or 250 mg/day for two weeks each followed by a drug-free period of three or two weeks, totalling 3 months of treatment including the drug-free periods. Such intermittent dosing schedules appear to be as effective as continuous regimens.

A long time for a medication with so many side effects.

V8

I tried almost every treatment before terbinafine, all cost a lot of money none worked. Pharma making a fortune out of quack treatments.

But to repeat, 6 weeks would be a long course, nails take an age to grow out clear but they do.

My GP did say, he is not aware of any side effects from putting up with fungal nails.