It is a ring but it's not a worm (Lamisil AT Cream)

Member Name: Tracy_1127

Product:	Lamisil AT Cream
Date:	26/02/09 (264 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: it worked!

Disadvantages: none

Last summer I was in the unfortunate position of managing to acquire ringworm. Unlike alot of people who catch it from animals I managed to get it from some wet grass.

Ringworm is of course not actually a worm but a type of fungal infection that tends to produce circular patches with a defined outline which is where the worm description comes from. It is commonly found on cattle, sometimes on domestic animals and in the soil and grass. It thrives in warm moist areas so if ringworm gets into a changing room at the gym or swimming pool it can spread like crazy.

It is also highly contagious, for example, if you have a patch and it touches your clothes you have to wash the clothing on a high temperature or the fungus can live on and keep reinfecting your skin. While you have ringworm you must wash towels daily, sheets daily and don't share anything that has touched the infected area. Keep your hands away from the area even though it usually itches like crazy and if you do touch it scrub your fingernails. It all sounds very awful doesn't it?

My ringworm started on my foot after I'd been outside in wet grass with just flip flops on. Not in between the toes or under the foot like athletes foot fungus but right on top of my foot. It began as a small, angry red patch with no defined shape that itched like mad. I had no idea what it was and merrily scratched it for a few days. Then I realised it was growing rapidly and the skin was cracking in the centre so I started applying Calendula Cream. This didn't work of course as it's not for fungal infections but I still didn't know what it was.

Meanwhile a small patch had started on my other foot too in exactly the same place. I switched treatment to Calendula Ointment believing it needed moisture because of the cracked skin. A few days later the first patch revealed its cause.

The centre of the patch had become normal skin again and only a bright red, itchy, raised ring remained. I knew straight away this was ringworm as this is typically how it presents. I was absolutely horrified as I'm a clean freak and started researching online.

For the benefit of anyone who is looking for a home remedy forget it. A common suggestion is to treat the area with either neat or diluted bleach. I tried this and it did nothing so don't waste your time. Get your sheets in the washing machine on a high temperature and get to a chemist!

Before hitting the chemist I wondered how I was going to get through asking for cream for ringworm. Strangely I found it very embarrassing even though it really is no worse than having athletes foot. I checked online for creams and Lamisil AT 1% came up which is described as being suitable for both athletes foot and ringworm so I decided to just go and pick some of that up.

This may just be because our chemist is a small one but it was behind the counter, however the assistant just handed me a tube with no questions asked. It cost me about £4 for a 15g tube at the time and I figured this would be enough to treat both patches that were now about the width of a golf ball.

I read the leaflet once I got home and found it contained Terbinafine which is the same ingredient contained in cream you would get from your GP. The instructions were to clean and thoroughly dry the areas then apply a thin layer on and around the patches every day for a week then leave it and it should go.

I might add at this point you can get ringworm on your skin, scalp and nails. If you get it on your scalp you will lose the hair where the patch is (it grows back once the infection has gone) and on your nails they will become very discoloured. If you get it on your scalp or nails you need tablets as topical treatment will not work so that calls for a trip to your doctor. However on the skin cream is fine.

So I applied some immediately with a cotton bud to both areas. Once you start applying anti-fungal cream the areas are no longer contagious but I didn't take any chances and continued with all the extra washing for the duration of treatment.

After a few days I noticed the patches had faded slightly and didn't itch anymore but again I didn't want to take any chances with this so I decided to continue with the cream until all the redness had gone.

This took over 2 weeks and I applied it twice a day instead of once too so it's quite persistant. The cream smells mildly of chemicals and is white and thick. The tube looks the same as the box (see above) which is mostly blue and tells us it contains 1% of the active ingredient Terbinafine Hydrochloride.

Two and a half weeks later my ringworm had gone. I stopped the obsessive washing and scrubbing and hoped it didn't return. I'm pleased to say it didn't!

I was mortified to get ringworm, I'm not sure why really, and I even took my boys (cats) to the vets to be checked for it but they were clear so I was the only one in our house who managed to get it. It is found more often on people whose immune system is low for whatever reason so perhaps everyone else in the house just had stronger immune systems than me!

Thankfully it has not returned and I have managed not to get another dose of this. I can thoroughly recommend Lamisil AT 1% for ringworm, it is actually suitable for athletes foot, ringworm and jock itch which I am told is fungal infection in the groin. The tube is small but as you only need a thin layer it lasts well. I would also recommend using a cotton bud to apply this cream so you keep your fingers away from the infection.

If you get ringworm get some Lamisil.

Summary: Highly recommended