Lamisil

What is Lamisil?

Lamisil is an antifungal treatment. It can treat a range of different infections, like ringworm, athlete’s foot and nail infections. Lamisil is the branded version of terbinafine and it comes as a spray, gel, tablet or cream. The tablets are used for fungal nail infections and more serious symptoms of athlete’s foot. The cream, gel and spray are used for ringworm and minor cases of athlete’s foot.

Ringworm, also known as tinea or dermatophytosis, is a type of fungal infection. It causes a ring-shaped, red or silver rash to appear on your skin. It can affect different parts of your body, but when it impacts your feet it’s called “athlete’s foot” or tinea pedis. It usually appears as itchy, white patches or cracked skin, mainly between the toes. Fungal nail infections cause the nails to become brittle and yellow, grey or brown.

How does Lamisil work?

The active ingredient in Lamisil is terbinafine. Terbinafine is part of a group of medicines called antifungals. Antifungals stop the fungus that’s growing on your body from reproducing.

Lamisil works by attacking a compound inside the fungus cells called ergosterol and creating too much of a compound called squalene. This makes the fungus unable to multiply and damages the membrane of the cells. Your body can then clear up any remaining infection. ^[1]

What doses of Lamisil are there?

There are four types of Lamisil available. There’s a cream, a spray, a gel and 250mg tablets. The cream, spray and gel all contain 1% of the active ingredient terbinafine.

You’ll usually take the tablets once a day for anywhere between two weeks and six months, depending on your symptoms. The spray is used once a day for one week. The cream and gel are used one to two times a day for up to two weeks. Our clinician will help you find the right dose for you.

How to use Lamisil

You should always listen to the advice of our clinician when you’re taking Lamisil. If you’re unsure about how to use it, just sign in to your account and send our clinician a message.

The way you take Lamisil will depend on whether you’re taking the tablet, cream, spray or gel.

Lamisil tablet instructions

• Take one tablet at the same time each day.
• Swallow the tablet whole with water.
• You can take it with or without food.

Lamisil cream instructions

• For the best results, try to apply the cream at the same time or times each day.
• Before using, clean and dry the affected area,
• Remove the cap from the tube and squeeze a small amount onto your finger.
• Apply a thin layer of the cream to each infected area. Also add a small amount of the cream to the skin surrounding each of these areas.
• Finally, put the cap back on the tube and let the cream absorb into your skin.
• Make sure to wash and dry your hands thoroughly before doing anything else.

Lamisil spray instructions

• Clean and dry the areas you’re about to spray.
• Remove the cap from the bottle. If it’s your first time using the medication, you might need to give it a few pumps before you get a good amount of spray.
• Hold the spray around 5cm to 10cm from the infected area.
• Spray the infected area until it is wet and covered in the Lamisil solution.
• Put the cap back on the bottle and let the solution absorb into your skin naturally.
• Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before touching anything.

Lamisil gel instructions

• Make sure the areas you’re using the gel on are clean and dry.
• Remove the cap from the tube. If it’s your first time using the treatment then you may need to use the cap to pierce the top of the tube.
• Apply a thin layer of the gel to each infected area. Also add a small amount of the cream to the skin surrounding each of these areas. Avoid rubbing the gel into places where it causes you pain.
• Put the cap back on the tube and let the gel absorb into your skin naturally.
• Wash and dry your hands thoroughly.

How long does it take Lamisil to work?

The cream, spray and gel normally begin to work within a week. The tablets take a little longer and you’ll usually feel their positive effects between two weeks and a few months. This is because the tablets are used if your symptoms are worse, so there’s more of the infection to fight off.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Lamisil?

You should try to keep to a regular dosage schedule when using Lamisil. This gives the medication the best chance of working effectively. You might find it helpful to set reminder alarms so you don’t forget to take it.

If you do forget a dose, just skip it and continue as normal. You don’t need to take any more Lamisil than you normally would to make up for a missed dose.