Several studies have been conducted on how well terbinafine treats toenail and fingernail fungus. These studies showed that in 70 percent of cases, terbinafine was an effective "toenail fungus cure." In 79 percent of cases, the medication cured fingernail fungus. A nail fungus cure was defined as there being no evidence of fungus when part of the nail was looked at under a microscope.
In clinical studies, about 60 percent of people have significant improvements in the appearance of their nails. However, not all people who use terbinafine will have nails that look better (that is, are less thick, brittle, or discolored).
It also takes time to see the effects of terbinafine, as you will have to wait until a new nail grows to see any improvement. For toenails, the average time for overall success is about 10 months; for fingernails, it is about four months. About 15 percent of people had a return of the fungus following the initial treatment.
When and How to Take Terbinafine
General considerations for when and how to take terbinafine include the following:
- The medication comes in tablet form. It should be taken by mouth once a day. For treating ringworm of the scalp, terbinafine comes in oral granule form (which is also taken by mouth once a day).
- For fingernail fungus or ringworm of the scalp, terbinafine should be taken for six weeks. For toenail fungus, it should be taken for 12 weeks.
- Terbinafine can be taken with or without food.
- Do not break, chew, or crush the terbinafine tablets.
- Terbinafine oral granules should be sprinkled on a spoonful of non-acidic food, such as pudding or mashed potatoes (but not on applesauce or any fruit-based foods).
- Terbinafine should be taken at the same time each day to maintain an even level of the drug in your system.
- For the drug to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. Terbinafine will not work if you stop taking it.
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