Am I taking the right medicine for ringworm infection?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had ringworm problems for the past three to four months. I used Abzorb - Clotrimazole powder and Betnovate GM cream. It did not stop but increased spreading to other areas. Then I went to a doctor and he diagnosed it as tinea incognito. He prescribed Terbinafine 250, Levocetirizine dihydrochloride daily at night after dinner, Upcan 150 twice a week in the evening, Ketoconazole cream, and Keto plus soap. After two weeks there was very less improvement and he added Itraconazole twice a day along with the same cream and soap. It has been a week and improvement is very slow and at times it itches very much. In between, two days I missed Itraconazole during the morning. Can it cause itching?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

If you are having ringworm infection then you are going on the right track. You have applied Betnovate cream (Betamethasone), which is a topical steroid. It usually suppresses or hides your lesion. That is why it gets converted into tinea incognito (fungal infection masked due to the application of a topical steroid). Now, you are using two oral antifungals simultaneously. One Terbinafine 250 mg which usually requires three weeks and Itraconazole 100 mg once daily for 28 days or twice daily for at least two weeks. Use certain general measures for the fastest recovery like:

Avoiding heat, moisture, and maceration.
Dry the body folds, fingers, and toe webs thoroughly after bathing.
Footwear should not be tight. It should fit well and be nonocclusive.
Hyperhidrosis of feet should be controlled.