Treatment and Medication for Athlete's Foot

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that develops in the moist areas between your toes and sometimes on other parts of your foot. Athlete’s foot usually causes itching, stinging and burning. thlete’s foot, also called tinea pedis, is the most common type of fungal infection. It’s closely related to other fungal infections such as ringworm and jock itch. Although contagious, athlete’s foot often can be treated with over-the-counter antifungal medications.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of athlete’s foot can be numerous, although you probably won’t have all of them. They include:

• Itching, stinging and burning between your toes
• Itching, stinging and burning on the soles of your feet
• Itchy blisters
• Cracking and peeling skin, especially between your toes and on the soles of your feet
• Excessive dryness of the skin on the bottoms or sides of the feet
• Toenails that are thick, crumbly, ragged, discolored or pulling away from the nail bed

Onychomycosis — a fungal infection of the nail — may develop with or without other signs and symptoms of athlete’s foot.

If your athlete’s foot is mild, using an over-the-counter antifungal ointment, lotion, powder or spray. If your athlete’s foot doesn’t respond, you may need a prescription-strength topical medication or an oral (systemic) medication.

Treatment And Medication

Over-the-counter medications
There are numerous over-the-counter (OTC) medications on the market. Medicated powders also will help keep your feet dry. OTC medications include:

• Butenafine (Lotrimin Ultra)
• Clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF)
• Miconazole (Desenex, Zeasorb, others)
• Terbinafine (Lamisil AT)
• Tolnaftate (Tinactin, Ting, others)

Prescription medications
If athlete’s foot is severe or doesn’t respond to over-the-counter medicine, you may need a prescription-strength topical or oral medication.

• Topical medications. These include clotrimazole and miconazole.
• Oral medications. These include itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan) and terbinafine (Lamisil). Side effects from oral medications include gastrointestinal upset, rash and abnormal liver function. 
• Taking other medications, such as antacid therapies for ulcer disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), may interfere with the absorption of these drugs. Oral medications for athlete’s foot may alter the effectiveness of warfarin, an anticoagulant drug that decreases the clotting ability of your blood.

Wash and dry the affected area. Then, apply a thin layer of the topical agent once or twice a day for at least two weeks, or according to package directions. If your athlete’s foot recurs frequently, it’s recommend that you use a medication continuously.