Medical solutions such as medication
Toenail fungus normally isn’t what you like to see when you have a look at your toes. Fortunately, there are several treatments you might try. Prescription oral antifungals, like fluconazole (Diflucan) or terbinafine (Lamisil) are traditionally beneficial to cure toenail fungus. Prescription medications are sometimes required to cure toenail fungus that will not go away with natural remedies or OTC (over-the-counter) medications. Your healthcare giver might prescribe a medicated nail lacquer or topical antifungal cream to treat onychomycosis. (10)
Topical medication
Topical medications are quite effective in curing mild to moderate toenail fungus. Topical solutions might consist of nail creams, lacquers, or liquid medications such as Penlac, Loprox, and Jublia are among some of the most used medicines that are prescribed for toenail fungus.
- Penlac
Penlac consists of ciclopirox which is almost 8% of the topical solution. Also available in generic as well as in brand, you can apply it one time at bedtime to the surrounding skin and affected nail. It must be removed one time per week with rubbing alcohol. The removal of the non-attached, infected area by a healthcare provider must be done frequently while on such medication, as sometimes as once a month.
- Jublia
The medicine, Jublia (efinaconazole) is an antifungal known for topical treatment of toenail fungus. Jublia is applying to the affected site once a day (for 48 weeks) using a brush applicator that comes with the box. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Jublia consists of efinaconazole in a 10 percent topical solution.
Oral medication
Internal medications that might be orally taken are an alternative to current medications used to cure toenail fungus. Lamisil (terbinafine) and Sporanox (itraconazole) are two examples of medicine that might be taken orally to systemically cure onychomycosis.
- Lamisil
While Lamisil is sometimes more likely a topical OTC (over-the-counter) solution, it might be recommended in an oral form as well. Prescription Lamisil might be taken for twelve (for the toenail) or six (for the fingernail) weeks or even more to check the results of curing toenail fungus. A necessary warning: oral antifungal medicines have several drug interactions and might be quite dangerous, or even untreatable if eaten in combination with some medications. For instance, Sporanox might react with the antibiotic Biaxin (clarithromycin), particularly leading to an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). Check your medicines and discuss them with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before having an oral antifungal medication.
- Sporanox
Sporanox (itraconazole) occurs in capsule form for the cure of toenail fungus. The capsule is easy to be swallowed whole and eat with a complete meal. Make sure to consult with your pharmacist or healthcare provider and read all the prescriptions and labels to be sure you know all of the risk factors and are eating the medicines properly.
Antifungal medications
Most of the time, you will need to visit a healthcare provider for an antifungal medication prescription, such as itraconazole or terbinafine. These will sometimes consist of taking a medication that aids to destroy the fungus.
Surgery
Surgical nail removal might be performed for serious or returning fungal infections in the nail. The whole nail (avulsion) or each part of the nail (debridement) might be removed. Surgical nail removal might be performed in a clinic or the office of your healthcare professional. Your healthcare provider will give you an injection in the toe at the finger to lower the pain. He or she will then remove the skin around your nail (known as nail folds) from the nail and make the nail separates from the skin by utilizing a tool under your nail.
If each part of the nail is affected, only the disease area is removed. If you like to avoid infection in the future by stopping the nail from growing back, your healthcare provider will destroy the matrix of nails. This is gained by putting a chemical in the crucial area after the nail plate is cured. An ointment is put on the wound that is then covered with tape and gauze. If you like to avoid infection in the future by stopping the nail to grow back, your healthcare provider might destroy the matrix nail.
If other treatments do not function properly, the healthcare provider might need to eliminate your nail and let a healthy nail grow back in it does occur. The new nail might also get infected. If your healthcare provider tells you how to take care of the wound, follow the instruction of the doctor. If you did not have any instructions, follow the general advice in the following:
- Right after the first 24 to 48 hours, wash the wound with clean water almost 2 times a day. Do not use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide that might reduce healing
- You might cover your wound with a fine layer of petroleum jelly like Vaseline, and a non-stick bandage
- Apply petroleum jelly more and replace your bandage according to the need
- The wound must heal within a few weeks. Fingernails might take almost 6 months to re-grow and toenails might take at least 12 to 18 months to grow back.
Why is it performed?
Surgical nail removal is mostly done only when a huge portion of the nail is suffering from damage or disease or if the nails are quite painful. In a few cases, only the diseased area is removed, not the whole nails. This method is rarely required. After the removal of the diseased nail, the infection might be treated further by taking oral antifungal drugs or putting an antifungal cream on the remaining infected area.
Photodynamic or laser therapy
Healthcare providers are studying the latest treatments that utilize special light to try to destroy the fungus.
Therefore, individuals heal at different rates but hope at least 2 to 3 weeks for the nail to cure completely. Your healthcare provider will let you know when you could get back to your daily physical activities. Fingernails mostly come back in six months and toenails also occur in 18 months but it might take more time to heal. (11)