Diflucan For Nail Fungus

Nail fungus is a problem that often develops on toe nails or finger nails, when bacteria are able to enter under the nail and create infections. The problem is more prevalent with toe nails though, because most people wear tight closed shoes for hours on end each day. And the dark, warm, moist environment created by keeping your foot closed up and sweaty in a shoe, can provide the perfect growing environment for fungus.

Nail fungus is also contagious. It can be caught in a swimming pool, walking barefoot on the ground or other surfaces where infected people have also walked barefoot, in community showers and gyms, or simply by using a towel or nail grooming tools that had previously come into contact with a nail fungus infection.

There are various medications, topical creams and ointments, and untested home remedies people use on nail fungus with varying degrees of success.

One treatment called Diflucan, is a prescription medication also known as Fluconazole. It's normally used to treat various types of yeast infections in the body: Vaginal, esophagus, mouth, throat and other areas within the body that sometimes develop yeast infections.

Although using Diflucan for nail fungus is not approved by the FDA, it's considered an off label use of this medication that sometimes works for someone who has a mild nail fungus infection. Some nail fungus infections are caused by yeast being able to enter under the nail itself, which is why sometimes Diflucan or other yeast fighting antifungal medications and ointments can sometimes work for curing nail fungus infections.

Diflucan works by slowing the growth of the fungus that cause the infections. For the more common uses, Diflucan is often taken just once or twice. When used for nail fungus infections however, Diflucan generally needs to be taken more often until the fungus problems are fully cleared up, and that takes six to seven months on average. Your doctor will tell you how often you'll need to take the medication, and the cost generally tends to average $15-$30 per pill. That could mean some hefty medication bills if your insurance does not cover all or part of that cost.

Diflucan can cause mild side effects that aren't considered overly serious, such as headache, dizziness, diarrhea, and stomach pain. More severe side effects however, can include yellowing of the skin or eyes; dark urine; seizures; hives; swelling around the face, throat or tongue; and difficulty breathing or swallowing.

Like many other prescription oral medications used for treating nail fungus, Diflucan may have some risks of kidney or liver problems. And like all drugs, it can interact badly with other medications, so be sure to tell your doctor if you're taking any prescription drugs or herbal supplements. Also talk to him or her about any diseases you may have such as HIV or Diabetes, whether you've had kidney or liver problems in the past, or whether you've ever had an irregular heartbeat.