Lamisil is the brand name of the drug Terbinafine. Terbinafine is a crystalline powder that could be in white color or off white color. The active ingredient in Lamisil, the terbinafine hydrochloride, is antifungal in nature. Although not fully soluble in water it is easily soluble in ethanol. The inactive ingredients in Lamisil are microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, sodium starch glycolate, and magnesium stearate. Lamisil is used in the treatment of onychomycosis. Onychomycosis is the fungal infection of the nails of the fingers and the toes which is caused by Trichophyton rubrum fungi. The tablets of Lamisil come in 250 mg biconvex tablets with the name Lamisil printed on one side and the number 250 printed on the other side. The tablets are available in bottles of 30 tablets and 100 tablets.
Recommendations
Before treating the fungal infections of the nails (onychomycosis) it has to be confirmed properly through lab tests. Once onychomycosis is confirmed, treatment can be started with Lamisil. For treating fingernail onychomycosis the treatment is for 6 weeks by giving 250 mg tablet daily once. In the case of toenail onychomycosis the treatment is for 12 weeks.
Precautions
While taking this drug there might be side effects like diarrhea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, rashes, taste disturbances, liver abnormalities, pruritus, and urticaria. In rare cases the liver might fail and there might be serious skin reactions. There might be fatigue, hair loss, vomiting and malaise. If the patient is already having some severe liver disease there might be hepatic events. If the skin rashes increase with the intake of Lamisil the drug can be discontinued. In general Lamisil is not recommended for patients who suffer from liver diseases. In some patients some changes in the retina and ocular lens might occur. If Lamisil is taken by nursing mothers, the content might be present in breast milk. Hence this drug is not recommended for nursing mothers fearing that it might affect the babies. The correct dosage of Lamisil should be given for the treatments. If the dosage is over the recommended one, then side effects like rash, dizziness, headache, vomiting, frequent urination, nausea, and abdominal pain are experienced.