From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: help with tinea - athlete's foot everywhere!
Date: 2 Jun 1998 21:07:38 GMT

In <AhL3DxE5k8c1EwOg@dial.pipex.com> Ken Tough <ken@objectech.co.uk>
writes:

>Steven B. Harris <sbharris@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
>>   Diflucan kills it all.  It's about $10 for the a 150 mg pill, but
>>you can take one a day for a week or two, then one every couple of
>>days.  Then one a week to keep it in your nails.
>
>>   The stuff is very safe.
>
>Is it also effective for nail fungus?  I was told the
>antifungals (which, I dunno) were potentially hepatotoxic
>(and the GP said she wouldn't risk them on herself).
>
>--
>Ken Tough
>Cornwall, U.K.                  Home of the Choirgirl Hotel


   Diflucan is indeed effective for nails, although it's not officially
given that indication (yet) by the FDA.  In this case, it's also good
for candida and other skin "fungi,"  so it's drug of choice for
somebody who seems to have several fungal problems at once (and doesn't
want to pay the money for muliple cultures form a dermatologist who is
just going to end up prescribing Diflucan anyway <g>.).

   It's not hepatotoxic, as were some of the earlier drugs in its
class, most notably ketoconazole/Nizoral.  Somewhere, there must be a
case report or two of someone having a liver problem with Diflucan (as
with all drugs you can name, just about), but the chances of having a
liver problem are so small it's not routine to even check for it.  The
drug is used in high doses for long periods in AIDS patients and other
immune suppressed persons, and is tolerated remarkably well.  Really,
the only bad drawback is its expense.  Your UK G.P. was either not
talking about this drug, or has had too little experience with it to be
able to make accurate judgements about it.

                                          Steve Harris, M.D.

From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Athelete's foot (was Re: Pneumonia reoccuring)
Date: 19 Jun 1999 07:55:57 GMT

In <37664F33.E8D7490F@thegrid.net> Gordon Held <gheld@thegrid.net>
writes:

>I am trying a solution of Diflucan dissolved in a 2.5% solution of DMSO.
>The DMSO gets the Diflucan through the toenail and hopefully will get to
>the root.
>
>So far, (6 weeks), I have a lot of fungus peeling off and believe I can
>see some new firm skin at the base of the nail.
>
>Gordon Held


   Why don't you just TAKE the Diflucan??  It will get to nail plate
and everywhere else.  In fact, you only have to take it once or twice a
week.