With the antifungal agent Amorolfin can be used to treat dermatological fungal diseases. The active ingredient is available as a varnish to treat nail fungus and as a cream against skin fungus.
What is Amorolfin?
Amorolfine is used to treat various fungal infections on the skin and nails. This includes dermatophytes, yeasts and molds. Typical fungal diseases in which Amorolfine is successful are:
- Nail fungus (onchomycosis)
- Athlete's foot (tinea pedis)
- Inguinal skin fungus (tinea inguinalis)
- Fungus of the skin of the trunk (tinea corporis)
- Skin infections caused by Candida albicans yeasts
The active ingredient is available without a prescription as a special nail polish with an amorolfine concentration of 5% and as a prescription cream in stores. The nail polishes are sold by the companies Aliud (Amorolfin AL), Stada and Ratiopharm, the cream as Loceryl Creme by the manufacturer Galderma Laboratorium.
Pharmacological effect
Amorolfine belongs to the group of active substances called fungicides, which are also known as antimycotics or antifungal agents. With its fungistatic to fungicidal effect, the drug Amorolfin combats fungal diseases of the outer hairless areas of the skin - especially the trunk, groin, feet - and the nails.
These fungal diseases are dermatophytes, dimorphic fungi and yeasts. In short, amorolfine disrupts the normal structure of these fungi and thus hinders their viability. It can be stated in more detail that amorolfine inhibits D14 reductase and D7-D8 isomerase. As a result, more ignosterol, which inhibits the growth of the fungi, accumulates in the cell membrane of the fungi.
As effective as Amorolfine proves, this effect is limited to the skin areas affected by the fungus. The active ingredient is hardly absorbed by intact skin. At most, minor side effects such as burning, reddening or itching can be observed. The nail polish against onychomycosis can also be used with nail fungus without any problems. It penetrates deep into the affected nails, with which it kills the fungi perfectly, but does not damage the nail structure.
The nail discoloration that may occur during the use of nail polish with Amorolfin is only a temporary aesthetic impairment.
Medical application & use
Amorolfin is applied locally to the affected areas of skin or nails in the case of skin and nail mycoses. For the skin, the active ingredient is available in a cream and for the nails as a special nail polish without a prescription.
The drug Amorolfine is effective against fungal infections of the skin on the trunk and groin as well as other skin infections caused by Candida albicans yeast, against athlete's foot and against fungal nail diseases, also known as onychomycoses. Therapy with amorolfine leads to growth inhibition or even killing of the fungi, as the active ingredient prevents the fungi from producing special substances that are essential for the fungi to survive and multiply.
The over-the-counter amorolfine containing nail polish can be prescribed by a doctor, but is also very suitable for self-medication. It should be noted that the nail mycosis may make up a maximum of 80% of the entire nail surface. Otherwise another therapy must be used and medical advice must be sought. The applied nail polish penetrates deeply into the nail and shows a strong and long-lasting effect. It is usually sufficient to apply the paint only once a week.
Before applying new paint, old paint residues must be removed with isopropanol swabs. Thickened residues can best be removed with a disposable file. Since the toenails grow slowly on the feet, amorolfine nail polish should be used over a longer period of time. 6 to 7 months are usual, in some cases a full year. As an aesthetic side effect, nail discoloration can occur during treatment with amorolfine nail polish.
Risks & side effects
Amorolfin is extremely effective when applied to fungal outer, hairless skin areas. Occasionally, slight impairments such as burning, reddening or itching occur. Contact eczema is also possible. Very rarely do blisters develop on the treated skin area. Amorolfine is hardly absorbed by healthy skin.
In addition to the possible side effects of antifungal treatments with Amorolfine, there are also a few contraindications. It must not be used for:
- Hyposensitivity to amorolfine
- severely injured or inflamed skin
- Artificial nails
- Infants and young children
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women
It should also be noted that the combination of amorolfine with other antimycotics can add up the effects.
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