How Long Does Antifungal Cream Take to Work?

Fungal skin infections are common to occur, especially because they can be easily transmitted from one person to another. The symptoms involve the appearance of red, itchy, and scaly rashes on the skin, which often have raised edges. Skin discoloration is also common, apart from cracking and thickening. As a treatment measure, using an antifungal cream is the patient’s best choice. But which infectious diseases can be treated by these products? How long does antifungal cream take to work?

In this article, we will address the question about how long does antifungal cream take to work for the treatment of infections. In addition, some of the well-known antifungal cream brands have also been linked for the reader’s convenience.

What are Antifungal Creams?

Antifungal creams are the topically applied medications that are used for the treatment of fungal infections. These contain different types of antifungal drugs as their active ingredients, which are combined with certain excipients to formulate the creams.

While learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, keep in mind that antifungal creams are available in both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription-only forms. The OTC ones are mild and can treat minor fungal infections, while the prescription antifungal creams can also handle more severe diseases.

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Healthcare providers can call 404-639-5168 or email [email protected] for consultation on diagnosis or treatment for both suspected and confirmed fungal diseases.

How Long Does Antifungal Cream Take to Work?

Different kinds of antifungal creams require different time durations for their effectiveness. This is because these contain different types of active ingredients that need from a few days to a few weeks to perform their antifungal action. The following table addresses the question of how long does antifungal cream take to work for the management of antifungal infections:

Antifungal Medications	Indications	Dosage and Usage Duration	Side Effects
Clotrimazole	Athlete’s foot and ringworm Jock itch Tinea versicolor	Twice daily for 4 weeks Twice daily for 2 weeks Twice daily for 1 to 4 weeks	Burning Itching Skin irritation
Miconazole	Athlete’s foot and ringworm Jock itch Tinea versicolor	Twice daily for 4 weeks Twice daily for 2 weeks Twice daily for 1 to 4 weeks	Skin irritation Burning Rashes
Butenafine	Athlete’s foot between the toes Jock itch and ringworm	Twice daily for 1 week   Once daily for 2 weeks	Stinging Burning Itching
Terbinafine	Athlete’s foot and ringworm Jock itch Tinea versicolor	Twice daily for 1 week Once daily for 1 week Twice daily for 1 week	Skin irritation
Tolnaftate	Athlete’s foot and ringworm Jock itch For athlete’s foot prevention	Twice daily for 4 weeks Once daily for 2 weeks Once or twice daily	Skin irritation

In some cases, the patient may experience that their fungal skin infection is recovering quickly, so much so that the visible lesions disappear within 2 to 3 days of using antifungal cream. However, while learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, keep in mind that the disappearance of lesions does not indicate the complete eradication of the fungal infection.

Rather, the fungal cells may still be present on the skin but are not visible to the naked eye. Therefore, it is recommended to complete the treatment with the antifungal creams despite the disappearance of the lesions. This will prevent the infection from coming back after a few weeks.

Risks Associated with Early Treatment Discontinuation

While learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, it is also important to look into the risks associated with its improper use. If the treatment is discontinued, the following risks increase:

1.      Recurrence of Infection

In case of an incomplete treatment of an antifungal skin infection, it is most likely that some of the fungal cells remain alive and present on the skin around the affected area. It is just that these are not visible to the naked eye.

While learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, keep in mind that once the application of the antifungal cream is stopped, these fungal cells start multiplying once again to produce similar symptoms within a few days.

2.      Spread of the Infection

While learning how long does antifungal cream take to work, keep in mind that the complete effectiveness of these products cannot be achieved if the treatment is discontinued without completion. Apart from the infection recurrence, this practice also elevates the risk of the spread of the infection from the skin to other body parts.

3.      Infection Transmission

Another risk associated with incomplete treatment of the fungal skin infection is the transmission of the infection from one person to another. While learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, remember that this happens after direct exposure of a person to the affected skin area. In addition, when a patient shares worn clothes, socks, or other items with other people, fungal cells can also be transmitted. This way, the infection reaches other people.

4.      Development of Potential Complications

Another risk that should be taken into consideration while learning how long does antifungal cream take to work is the elevated chance of potential complications if the treatment is stopped before the recommended duration.

These complications involve penetration of the fungal infection deeper into the skin, where these cells can form nodules or papules. In addition, the skin infection can spread to the nails, where it breaks and damages their texture. This nail infection then takes a long time to get treated. People who are at high risk of these issues are those who have a compromised immune system.

5.      Antifungal Resistance

Antifungal resistance, just like antimicrobial resistance, is a condition in which the fungal cells develop a resistance against the medication used to eradicate them. This happens because a certain dose of the antifungal medication is required repeatedly to tackle the fungal cells. This regular exposure over 1 to 4 weeks kills the fungal cells effectively and eliminates them.

However, while learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, remember that, in case of an early discontinuation of the therapy, some of the fungal cells survive, which start developing a resistance against the medication. Once this process is complete, these fungal cells initiate another infection. But this type, the same type and dose of the antifungal cream, will not be effective against the infection. Therefore, different antifungal agents in stronger doses are needed.

Antifungal Creams at Health Supply 770: Features and Specifications

Antifungal creams are the topical preparations that are employed for treating fungal skin diseases. These are available in both OTC and prescription-only forms. The product is easy to apply and sticks to the skin for longer.

When it comes to learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, it is also essential to look into some of the products that many brands manufacture. Some of these well-known brands are also available at Health Supply 770 and have been detailed below, along with their features and purchase links:

Tinactin Antifungal Foot Cream 15 gm 0.5 oz

US$130.88

Product Details

Tinactin antifungal foot creams are products that have been designed for topical use only. These come in an easy-to-squeeze tube that has a net weight of 15 grams or 0.5 ounces. These Tinactin antifungal products are over-the-counter products, which means no prescription is required to purchase them.

Moreover, while learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, a common question is about the efficacy of the product in case of certain diseases. In this regard, these Tinactin antifungal foot creams can be employed for the treatment of athlete’s foot as well as ringworm infections.

Furthermore, these tolnaftate-based antifungal creams have the right viscosity to stay in place for longer. Despite being well-tolerated, these Tinactin antifungal foot creams can cause skin irritation, dryness, and redness in some patients.

DermaRite 00234 Antifungal DermaFungal® 2% Strength Cream 3.75 oz. Tube (24/CS)

US$159.88

Product Details

DermaRite 00234 antifungal DermaFungal® 2% strength creams are antifungal products that are designed to control the odor associated with a fungal infection. These antifungal creams also have efficacy in keeping the skin moisturized, so that the risk of dryness is eliminated.

Furthermore, these over-the-counter DermaRite 00234 antifungal DermaFungal® 2% strength creams can be employed for the management of ringworm, athlete’s foot, jock itch, as well as other superficial skin infections.

While learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, keep in mind that these DermaRite 00234 antifungal DermaFungal® 2% strength creams contain miconazole nitrate, a commonly used antifungal medication, as their active ingredient. As for the strength, it equals 2.0%. The amount of medication in each tube is 3.75 ounces.

DermaRite 00233 Antifungal DermaFungal® 2% Strength Cream 5 Gram Individual Packet (144/BX)

US$85.88

Product Details

DermaRite 00233 antifungal DermaFungal® 2% strength creams are a smaller version of the above-mentioned product. These come in the form of sachets which are easy to carry and are cost-effective. The product can be purchased over the counter.

Moreover, in addition to learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, patients are also concerned about their strength as well as the grammage. In this regard, these DermaRite 00233 antifungal DermaFungal® 2% strength creams have a strength of 2.0% with each sachet containing 5 grams of the topical medication.

53-6391 McKesson Antifungal CR 2% 4OZ Tube CS12

US$83.86

Product Details

53-6391 McKesson antifungal tubes are miconazole nitrate-based antifungal creams that are effective against issues like skin scaling, itching, cracking, and burning. In addition, their application can also be extended to treat athlete’s foot as well as jock itch. Moreover, the product can also manage chafing, skin irritation, redness, and soreness.

While learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, the patients are often concerned about the risk of possible allergies to the medication. These 53-6391 McKesson antifungal tubes contain safe excipients that do not trigger a hypersensitivity reaction. These are also free from natural rubber latex.

As for their grammage, these 53-6391 McKesson antifungal tubes carry 4 fluid ounces (fl oz) or 118.3 ml of the miconazole nitrate antifungal cream at a strength of 2%.

*Note: The prices of these items mentioned in the article are taken from the Health Supply 770 website. These may vary over time.

The products mentioned in this article, while learning about how long does antifungal cream take to work, along with many other medical supplies, can be purchased from Health Supply 770, a reliable name when it comes to medical products. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee and provide your products to you in the shortest possible time. Click the link at the end of the article to check the wide range of antimicrobial items.

Conclusion

Antifungal creams are the products that are topically applied to the skin where fungal lesions are visible. These are easy-to-use and viscous products that stay in place for longer and get absorbed effectively.

While learning how long does antifungal cream take to work, keep in mind that every antifungal cream is to be used for a certain time duration for achieving maximum benefits. Some of these require 1 week to eradicate the infection, while others take up to 4 weeks to do so. Whatever the case may be, it is essential to complete the course to avoid complications such as antibiotic resistance, spread of the infection, recurrence, etc.

Considering their importance, topical antifungal creams should be kept in every household as well as in healthcare facilities for the management of fungal infections. For purchasing different types of antifungal creams, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.