Contents
- 1 Is liver damage from Lamisil reversible
- 2 Which oral antifungal is safest for liver
- 3 How long can you safely take Lamisil
- 4 Is terbinafine worth the risk
- 5 What happens if you drink alcohol while on terbinafine
- 6 Can you just stop taking Lamisil
- 7 When should I check liver function after starting terbinafine
- 8 How long can you safely take Lamisil
- 9 How long can you stay on Lamisil
Is liver damage from Lamisil reversible
Outcome and Management Most cases of acute hepatic injury from terbinafine resolve within 3 to 6 months of stopping the medication. In some instances, however, the injury is severe and unremitting, leading to acute liver failure and either death or need for liver transplantation.
What should I avoid while taking Lamisil?
Proper Use – Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects. This medicine comes with a Medication Guide and patient instructions.
Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions. Terbinafine tablets may be taken with food or on an empty stomach. However, it is best to take terbinafine oral granules with food. To help clear up your infection completely, it is very important that you keep using this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if your symptoms begin to clear up or you begin to feel better after a few days.
Since fungal infections may be very slow to clear up, you may need to take this medicine for several weeks or months. If you stop taking this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return. This medicine works best when there is a constant amount in the blood.
To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses. Also, it is best to take the doses at the same times every day. If you need help in planning the best time to take your medicine, check with your doctor. If you are using the oral granules, you may sprinkle the contents on a spoonful of pudding or other soft, non-acidic food such as mashed potatoes.
This mixture must be swallowed immediately without chewing. Do not use applesauce or fruit-based foods. If you will need two packets of oral granules with each dose, you may sprinkle the content of both packets on one spoonful or two spoonfuls of non-acidic food.
Which oral antifungal is safest for liver
Introduction and background – Oral antifungals have been implicated in many case reports of hepatotoxicity and serious liver injuries in the last few decades, Antifungal-induced hepatic injury is often characterized as an acute, cholestatic, or mixed hepatocellular-cholestatic response,
The reaction generally resolves with discontinuation of treatment, but some liver damage can be chronic. Serious hepatic side effects of oral antifungal agents are considered rare, but reported incidence rates vary widely and depend on the agent, Fungal infections are a leading cause of ailment and death in immunocompromised and very ill patients,
Although antifungal drug options have increased in recent years, yet effective management significantly depends on the early and proper treatment that improves efficacy and safety, Existing liver disease can be a contraindication for antifungal administration due to safety concerns.
The liver is a major component of drug metabolism, and hepatic disease can dramatically alter the pharmacokinetics of antifungal drugs due to impaired clearance, liver blood flow, biliary excretion, and plasma protein binding. Such patients are less likely to tolerate drug-induced liver injury (DILI) than healthy people,
In addition, patients with cirrhosis are more prone to drug-related side effects, such as kidney failure, intestinal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy, A hepatic function can influence drug-drug interactions (DDI) due to reduced drug uptake and inhibition of metabolizing enzymes,
- Hepatotoxicity is defined as chemical-induced liver damage,
- There is a known link between ketoconazole and hepatotoxicity,
- However, the early evidence suggested that ketoconazole-induced hepatotoxicity was mild, rarely fatal, and could be reversed upon drug discontinuation.
- In the United Kingdom, hepatotoxicity was reported in one of 15,000 patients in the first decade after oral ketoconazole market approval,
DILI is one of the leading causes of acute and chronic liver diseases. To diagnose this condition, it is essential to distinguish detected biochemical abnormalities from actual hepatic dysfunction. DILI is typically characterized by increased levels of hepatic enzymes resulting from the effects of an active drug or its metabolites on the liver,
- This biochemical imbalance is not necessarily associated with clinically significant liver dysfunction because the liver has significant healing properties,
- However, DILI may cause hepatic dysfunction, which manifests as hyperbilirubinemia and coagulopathy, or severe liver failure, presenting with jaundice and hepatic encephalopathy,
Most drugs work by interfering with one or more cellular/molecular activities; they, therefore, have the potential to produce less desirable reactions, The antifungals fluconazole and itraconazole are considered relatively safe; they have been associated with only minor changes in liver function tests that usually do not require interruption of treatment.
- Fluconazole is widely used in the treatment of various fungal infections.
- It is found in oral and parenteral forms and is different from other azoles as it is primarily metabolized by the kidneys rather than the liver,
- The mechanisms by which it causes temporary elevation of transaminases are unknown, although idiosyncratic reactions appear to be involved.
There have been two reported cases of marked liver toxicity due to fluconazole and itraconazole requiring the suspension of these azoles; in these cases, the symptoms resolved immediately after drug withdrawal, Ketoconazole has a higher incidence of hepatic damage than other systemic antifungals,
In a randomized clinical trial, patients with ketoconazole-treated onychomycosis were three times more likely to develop hepatitis than patients treated with griseofulvin, Cases of liver damage have also been reported in conjunction with griseofulvin, itraconazole, and terbinafine, and several fluconazole-related cases have occurred in severely immune-depressed patients,
In a recent post-marketing study of 25,884 patients treated with terbinafine, two cases of symptomatic hepatic injury related to antifungal treatment were identified, The risk of liver damage and hepatic dysfunction caused by an antifungal agent depends on several factors: the chemical characteristics of the agent, genetic predisposition, comorbidities including primary hepatic disease, associated hepatotoxic drugs and DDIs, and fungal infection severity and involvement of the liver,
Thus, the mechanisms of DILI can be multi-factorial. Chronic liver disease patients are at increased risk of developing diseases that lead to life-threatening conditions, such as sepsis and hepatic encephalopathy, for several reasons, including dysfunctional immune response, increased intestinal permeability resulting in changes in the quantity and quality of gut microorganisms, and genetic predisposition, which adds to the transmission of fungal infections from the gut to the circulatory system,
The onset of fungal infections has been linked to the emergence of many complications, such as severe kidney damage and multiple organ failure, all of which result in short- or long-term mortality, Fernandez et al. found that 2% of hospitalized patients with acute-on-chronic liver disease (ACLD) had fungal infections,
At any stage of liver disease, either compensated or non-compensated, and including severe or chronic liver failure, the added complication of fungal infection leads to an increased risk of death. Overall, there is no clear consensus in the published literature about the use of antifungal agents in patients with pre-existing liver disease.
The understanding of liver damage caused by antifungal drugs in patients with hepatic impairment is not clear, and recommendations for dose adjustment in these cases are not straightforward. Most information about antifungal regimens dosing comes from clinical trials and pharmacokinetic studies which included only a few patients with varying degrees of liver disease.
The manufacturers of some antifungals recommend dose reduction in cases of hepatic dysfunction, while others do not, We aimed to summarize the current data on the pharmacokinetics of antifungals for these individuals and to increase clinical awareness of the proper use of various antifungal compounds in the case of liver injury.
Materials and methods This research was completed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure transparency, completeness, and robustness of reporting. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria Articles were selected for inclusion in this systematic review based on study type, participants, and interventions, as follows.
- Only randomized controlled trials, observational cohort studies, and case reports were included.
- For randomized trials, the researcher assessed the methodological approach to determine whether each study was based on a clearly described randomization method.
- The participants in the studies included in this review were patients with clinically diagnosed liver diseases or signs or symptoms of drug-induced liver damage who were undergoing antifungal therapy or had a recent history of oral antifungal administration.
We selected studies that evaluated pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to prevent and manage fungal infection in liver disease patients and included only studies that compared interventions with controls such as placebos, standard treatment, or no treatment were selected.
- We placed no publication date restrictions on the searches and included only peer-reviewed journal articles with full text and that were published in English.
- Articles were excluded if they did not meet the inclusion criteria, were not peer-reviewed, were published in websites ending with dot com, or described medications other than antifungals.
The primary outcomes were liver enzyme levels and the secondary outcomes were abdominal ultrasound and liver biopsy findings. Information Sources and Search Articles included in this review were obtained from searches in English-based databases with high quality and peer-reviewed articles, namely PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE.
- The searches were guided by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, Version 5.1.0.
- We used keywords and Boolean search strategies, with terms such as OR, AND, and NOT used to identify relevant articles.
- The search carried in PubMed was based on the following combination of keywords: (“antifungal” OR “ketoconazole” OR “fluconazole” OR “griseofulvin” OR “terbinafine”) AND (“acute liver disease” OR “acute liver failure” OR “acute liver damage”).
Articles were filtered to include only full-text articles, articles published from the databases’ inception to 2021, articles published in English, and peer-reviewed articles. Study Selection The retrieved articles were manually screened to remove duplicates and to remove irrelevant articles.
The full texts of the remaining articles were then read to determine eligibility. We also assessed the bibliographies of the included articles for additional eligible studies not identified by the initial search, using the same eligibility criteria. The excluded studies were documented along with the reasons for exclusion.
The final list of selected studies is shown in Table 1,
Does Lamisil cause permanent liver damage?
Precautions – It is important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for any unwanted effects. If your or your child’s symptoms do not improve, or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
- You may need to take this medicine for several weeks or months before your infection gets better.
- This medicine may cause a serious type of allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
- Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
- Call your doctor right away if you have a skin rash, itching, hives, trouble with breathing or swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth while you or your child are using this medicine.
This medicine may cause serious liver problems, including liver failure. Check with your doctor right away if you start having nausea or vomiting, dark urine, light-colored stools, stomach pain, or yellow eyes or skin while you or your child are using this medicine.
- This medicine may cause problems with your sense of taste or smell.
- Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have change or loss of sense of smell, change in taste or loss of taste, poor appetite, or weight loss.
- You may become depressed when taking this medicine.
- Tell your doctor right away if you or your child thinks this medicine is causing changes in your mood or behavior.
Other symptoms include feeling very sad or empty, irritable, lack of appetite, loss of interest or pleasure, restlessness, trouble concentrating, or trouble sleeping. Serious skin reactions can occur with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, red skin lesions, severe acne or skin rash, sores or ulcers on the skin, or fever or chills while you or your child are using this medicine.
This medicine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection. If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you or your child get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.
This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have a red, scaly skin rash or unusual sensitivity of the skin to the sun. Use a sunscreen when you are outdoors. Avoid sunlamps and tanning beds.
Is liver damage from terbinafine permanent?
Terbinafine Induced Liver Injury: A Case Report ∗ Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India Find articles by † Institute of Digestive and Hepatobiliary Sciences, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India Find articles by ∗ Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India Find articles by ‡ Institute of Histopathology, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India Find articles by ∗ Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India Find articles by
∗ Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India † Institute of Digestive and Hepatobiliary Sciences, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India ‡ Institute of Histopathology, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India Sanjiv Saigal:
∗ Address for correspondence: Sanjiv Saigal, Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta, The Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana, India. Tel.: +91 9811552928. Received 2014 Jan 12; Accepted 2014 Mar 3. Drug induced liver injury (DILI) is a cause of significant morbidity; timely diagnosis is important and requires a high index of suspicion. Terbinafine induced liver injury is rare. We report a case of Terbinafine induced hepatitis-cholestatic injury. The patient had a prolonged recovery phase lasting 3 months after discontinuation of drug. Keywords: Terbinafine, drug induced liver injury, liver Abbreviations: DILI, drug induced liver injury; ULN, upper limit of normal A 55-year-old male presented to us with history of progressive jaundice and pruritus. He had been on Terbinafine 250 mg once a day for onychomycosis for a total duration of 1 month after which he developed jaundice. He had no history of any systemic disease. Terbinafine was stopped and he was investigated thoroughly; his liver functions tests revealed mixed cholestatic hepatitis picture (bilirubin 13.6 mg/dL (direct fraction 11.7 mg/dL), AST 119 U/L, ALT 216 U/L, GGT 205 U/L, ALP 202 U/L, R ratio 3), blood counts were normal (hemoglobin 13.6 g/dL, total leukocyte count 9000/μL, platelet count 160,000/μL), viral serologies (IgM anti-HAV, IgM anti-HEV, HBsAg, anti-HCV, hepatitis B virus DNA, hepatitis C virus RNA) were negative, markers for autoimmune liver disease were negative (anti-nuclear antibody, anti-smooth muscle antibody, anti-mitochondrial antibody, anti-liver kidney microsomal antibody), he had normal values of serum Ceruloplasmin and Ferritin, USG abdomen and MRCP were negative for biliary obstruction. To further substantiate the diagnosis of drug induced hepatotoxicity and to exclude other causes, a liver biopsy was done which showed maintained lobular architecture with extensive intraductal and canalicular cholestasis, minimal lobular inflammation and portal tract expansion with mixed infiltrate along with extensive Kupffer cell hyperplasia; there was no suggestion of autoimmune hepatitis or granuloma formation (shown in ). A diagnosis of Terbinafine induced liver injury was made (RUCAM score 9, highly probable) and he was given Ursodeoxycholic acid 300 mg thrice a day till normalization of liver function tests, which was for a total duration of three months. His liver function tests improved gradually during this period as shown in and, DILI is rare with most of the drugs used; diagnosis is important as drug discontinuation is needed and it requires a high index of clinical suspicion. DILI has a wide spectrum of manifestations that include acute hepatitis, cholestatic hepatitis (with and without bile duct injury), steatosis/steatohepatitis, chronic hepatitis, granulomatous hepatitis, vascular lesions and tumors. Drug induced liver injury are difficult to diagnose as characteristic features are lacking, however, mixed hepatitis and cholestatic picture and features of hypersensitivity may suggest DILI. Several criteria are used to define DILI and RUCAM criteria is the most widely used., DILI is defined as serum alanine transaminase ≥ 5 times elevation of upper limit of normal (ULN) or alkaline phosphatase elevation ≥ two times ULN or alanine transaminase ≥ 3 ULN with elevation of bilirubin to ≥ 2 ULN. Hepatitic or cholestatic types of liver injury are defined by using R value ( R = ALT ULN/ALP ULN); R ≥ 5 is suggestive of hepatocellular injury while R < 2 is suggestive of cholestatic injury and R value in between 2 and 5 is suggestive of mixed type of injury. Terbinafine is a common antifungal drug used for onychomycosis that may cause hepatotoxicity with an incidence of 0.5–3/100,000 exposed. Terbinafine cause several types of hepatotoxicity that include acute hepatitis, cholestasis or mixed picture, acute liver failure and vanishing bile duct syndrome.,, Latency period between drug exposure and onset of jaundice is generally 2–6 weeks, serum bilirubin values may peak upto 3–5 weeks after Terbinafine discontinuation and normalization of liver function tests may take 2–12 months., Most of the cases recover after discontinuation of the drug, however, rarely Terbinafine may cause acute or subacute liver failure requiring liver transplantation. Possible mechanisms of Terbinafine related liver injury include reaction to allylic aldehyde metabolite that may bind to hepatobiliary proteins to cause direct toxicity or by causing immune-mediated reaction to canalicular proteins leading to cholestasis. The histopathologic examination of liver biopsies generally show a mixed picture of hepatitis and cholestasis. There is no specific treatment, although Ursodeoxycholic acid is reported to help in recovery as seen in our case, and periodic monitoring of liver function tests should be done. Thus a high index of clinical suspicion supported by a liver biopsy helped us to diagnose Terbinafine induced mixed hepatitis-cholestatic liver injury. All authors have none to declare.1. Chitturi S., Farrell G.C. Drug-induced liver disease. In: Schiff E.R., Sorrell M.F., Maddrey W.C., editors. Schiff's Diseases of the Liver.10th ed. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; Philadelphia: 2007. pp.924–1005.2. Tajiri K., Shimizu Y. Practical guidelines for diagnosis and early management of drug-induced liver injury. World J Gastroenterol.2008; 14 :6774–6785.3. Shapiro M.A., Lewis J.H. Causality assessment of drug-induced hepatotoxicity: promises and pitfalls. Clin Liver Dis.2007; 11 :477–505.4. Aithal G.P., Watkins P.B., Andrade R.J. Case definition and phenotype standardization in drug-induced liver injury. Clin Pharmacol Ther.2011; 89 :806–815.5. Gupta A.K., del Rosso J.Q., Lynde C.W., Brown G.H., Shear N.H. Hepatitis associated with terbinafine therapy: three case reports and a review of the literature. Clin Exp Dermatol.1998; 23 :64–67.6. Anania F.A., Rabin L. Terbinafine hepatotoxicity resulting in chronic biliary ductopenia and portalfibrosis. Am J Med.2002; 112 :741–742.7. Topalak O., Uçmak F., Sağol O., Akpinar H., Gönen O. Terbinafine induced prolonged cholestasis: case report and review of the literature. Turk J Gastroenterol.2002; 13 :180–182.8. Perveze Z., Johnson M.W., Rubin R.A. Terbinafine-induced hepatic failure requiring liver transplantation. Liver Transpl.2007; 13 :162–164.9. Iverson S.L., Uetrecht J.P. Identification of a reactive metabolite of terbinafine: insights into terbinafine-induced hepatotoxicity. Chem Res Toxicol.2001; 14 :175–181.10. Agca E., Akcay A., Simsek H. Ursodeoxycholic acid for terbinafine-induced toxic hepatitis. Ann Pharmacother.2004; 38 :1088–1089. Articles from Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology are provided here courtesy of Elsevier : Terbinafine Induced Liver Injury: A Case Report
Can I drink coffee while taking Lamisil?
Proper Use – Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex ® Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.
This medicine comes with a Medication Guide and patient instructions. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions. Terbinafine tablets may be taken with food or on an empty stomach. However, it is best to take terbinafine oral granules with food. To help clear up your infection completely, it is very important that you keep using this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if your symptoms begin to clear up or you begin to feel better after a few days.
Since fungal infections may be very slow to clear up, you may need to take this medicine for several weeks or months. If you stop taking this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return. This medicine works best when there is a constant amount in the blood.
- To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses.
- Also, it is best to take the doses at the same times every day.
- If you need help in planning the best time to take your medicine, check with your doctor.
- If you are using the oral granules, you may sprinkle the contents on a spoonful of pudding or other soft, non-acidic food such as mashed potatoes.
This mixture must be swallowed immediately without chewing. Do not use applesauce or fruit-based foods. If you will need two packets of oral granules with each dose, you may sprinkle the content of both packets on one spoonful or two spoonfuls of non-acidic food.
How long can you safely take Lamisil
How long to take it – The length of your treatment will depend on the type of infection you have, what part of the body is affected and how well you respond to treatment. Fungal skin infections (tinea): If you have a tinea infection of the feet (athlete’s foot), you will usually take the tablets for 2 to 6 weeks.
- If you have a tinea infection of the body or groin, you will usually take the tablets for 2 to 4 weeks.
- The signs and symptoms of infection may last for several weeks after the fungi (dermatophytes) have been killed.
- Fungal nail infections: Fungal nail infections usually take longer to heal than fungal skin infections.
You will usually take the tablets for anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. But, if you have a nail infection of the big toe or your nails grow very slowly, you may need to take the tablets for up to 6 months. It may take several months after you stop taking Lamisil tablets for your nail to look completely normal.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Lamisil?
Lamisil Precautions – If you’ve allergic to Lamisil or any it’s ingredients tell you doctor or pharmacist. Be sure to consult your pharmacist if there’s any doubt. If you’re allergic to terbinafine there’s a good chance that you may also be allergic to other antifungals.
Lamisil, as well as most other drugs in tablet form, contain multiple inactive ingredients. Some are known allergens and can cause severe reactions in sensitive individuals. Terbinifine is a powerful drug and can be tough on the liver and kidneys. Before taking Lamisil, tell your doctor if you’ve had problems with either of these organs in the past.
Also tell your doctor if you have a history of immune disorders, most notably lupus. While taking Lamisil limit your alcohol intake. Drinking also stresses the liver and can increase your risk of side effects. Also limit sun exposure while taking Lamisil, as it makes the skin more sensitive to the sun.
- Avoid both outdoor and indoor tanning.
- If you do get a sunburn while taking Lamisil, it’s likely to be much worse.
- When outside, be sure to wear protective clothing and a high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) sunscreen such as SPF 50.
- It’s not advisable to take terbinafine while pregnant.
- You can discuss any potential risks and benefits with your doctor.
In most cases treating fungal toenails can wait until after you’ve delivered your baby. Don’t take terbinafine while breastfeeding. This drug is known to pass into a mother’s milk and can harm your newborn. If you must take Lamisil shortly after the delivery use a high-quality baby formula instead.
Is terbinafine worth the risk
How safe is oral terbinafine? How safe is terbinafine? This a question that crops up regularly when speaking to colleagues and patients alike. Terbinafine is an allylamine drug used in the treatment of onychomycosis. Despite the drug being available since the early 1990’s, there has always been some hesitancy about its potential side effects particularly those affecting the liver when taken orally. Terbinafine, as a new antifungal, was a game changer in the treatment of onychomycosis when it entered the UK market in the 1991 (latterly 1998 in the USA). Before this time, the choices for treatment of fungal nails were limited. Topical treatments were often disappointing.
- Until this time, oral griseofulvin and ketoconazole were the drugs of choice indicated for dermatophyte nail infection orally but they were far from effective (1).
- They required long courses and had a narrow spectrum of activity.
- Many patients would give up due to the unpleasant side effects.
- So the idea of a new, modern antifungal drug was appealing with early studies suggesting it was much more effective than griseofulvin (2) with double the mycological cure rate.
This was latterly shown to be the case with terbinfaine showing superiority in numerous studies (3). The drug became widely used in the treatment of dermatophyte nail infections. Like many drugs, terbinafine is metabolised by the liver and excreted by the kidneys, consequently a reduction in function of either of those two organ systems could result in serious problems if prescribed to the wrong patient.
- The issue of liver disease (hepatotoxicity) with terbinafine has been long known, with the drug manufacturers highlighting that it should not be prescribed for patients with liver disease (Lamisil Monograph, Novartis 2013).
- Terbinafine, like nearly all classes of medications, has been shown to induce idiosyncratic liver injury or drug induced liver injury (DILI).
The causes of DILI are diverse although pre-existing liver disease can play a part, in otherwise healthy individuals its aetiology is unclear although genetic susceptibility appears to play a role (4). Consequently, The British National Formulary consequently advises it should not be used in patient with known liver disorders and for those prescribed the drug, they should have liver function tests before commencing the drug and then periodically after 4–6 weeks of treatment (British National Formulary online) to assess liver function. There is a view that oral terbinafine is a particularly dangerous medication in relation to causing hepatotoxicity (5). The most common side effects in patients taking the drug include gastro-intestinal upset, taste disturbances, headache and rashes but liver problems may not be as common as perceived.
In 1996 a British study (6), researchers reviewed 9879 patients who had taken the drug. Half of these had concurrent illnesses and were taking other medications at the same time. Of the cohort, 14% reported various side effects with only half of these thought to be related to the terbinafine as reported by their physicians.
Liver problems were only reported in 0.1% of patients (14 cases) of which 10 cases were classified as minor and transient elevations in liver enzymes. In addition, some of these patients were found to have pre-existing history of liver disease (gall bladder disease, alcohol related changes, hepatitis and cirrhosis).
There were no terbinafine associated deaths. The National Library of Medicine Liver Toxicity Database report on terbinafine (7) paints a similar picture reporting that less than one percent of patients see an increase in liver enzymes in the bloodstream and most resolve with stopping treatment. It estimates the probability of developing elevated liver enzymes levels requiring stopping treatment is about 0.31% for 2 to 6 weeks’ treatment and 0.44% for treatment lasting longer than 8 weeks.
It goes on to state that clinically apparent liver injury from terbinafine occurs rarely, in around 1 in 50,000 to 120,000 prescriptions. So what are the symptoms of drug induced liver injury? One final piece of research, worthy of a mention appeared in the British Journal of Dermatology (8).
In this work 173 cases of terbinafine induced liver injury were reviewed. Interestingly, they discovered that terbinafine induced liver injury can occur at any time whilst taking the drug but most of these cases occurred on average at 30 days after commencing drug therapy. Patients typically reported symptoms such as jaundice, but include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, general itching and dark urine.
Despite guidelines issued by the BNF of regular liver function monitoring for patients on terbinafine, none of these patient’s liver damage was discovered by testing – it was all patient reported. However, others have highlighted cases where detection was made with blood tests in otherwise “healthy” patients (9).
Summary As with most classes of drugs, terbinafine can potentially lead to liver problems. However, the data from the above suggests that oral terbinafine is safer than perhaps it is perceived, and minor side effects are far more likely for most patients than serious liver damage. Data from studies suggest the risk of serious liver injury to be between 1 : 50 000 – 1 : 120 000.
Despite its rarity, patients taking terbinafine who exhibit any of the symptoms of liver problems (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, general itching and dark urine) should urgently be referred for further assessment. References 1. De Doncker P.
Itraconazole and tèrbinafine in perspective: from petri dish to patient. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol.1999;12:S10-S6.2. Faergemann J, Anderson C, Hersle K, Hradil E, Nordin P, Kaaman T, et al. Double-blind, parallel-group comparison of terbinafine and griseofulvin in the treatment of toenail onychomycosis.
J Am Acad Dermatol.1995;32(5, Part 1):750-3.3. Kreijkamp-Kaspers S, Hawke K, Guo L, Kerin G, Bell-Syer SEM, Magin P, et al. Oral antifungal medication for toenail onychomycosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2017(7).4. David S, Hamilton JP. Drug-induced Liver Injury.
US Gastroenterol Hepatol Rev.2010;6:73-80.5. Sun CW, Hsu S. Terbinafine: Safety profile and monitoring in treatment of dermatophyte infections. Dermatologic Therapy.2019;32(6):e13111.6. O’Sullivan DP, Needham CA, Bangs A, Atkin K, Kendall FD. Postmarketing surveillance of oral terbinafine in the UK: report of a large cohort study.
Br J Clin Pharmacol.1996;42(5):559-65.7. US National Library of Medicine. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug Induced Liver Injury Bethesda, Maryland, USAUpdated 2018 [Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548617/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK548617.pdf.8.
- Ramer ON, Albrecht J.
- Clinical presentation of terbinafine‐induced severe liver injury and the value of laboratory monitoring: a Critically Appraised Topic.
- Br J Dermatol.2017;177(5):1279-84.9.
- Hurana A, Sardana K, Bhardwaj V.
- Terbinafine induced liver injury may be asymptomatic: need for regular monitoring.
Br J Dermatol.2018;178(3):807-8. : How safe is oral terbinafine?
Why is Lamisil discontinued?
Antifungal Tablets to Be Discontinued Drug discontinued-text Novartis Pharmaceuticals has made a business decision to permanently discontinue the product Lamisil Tablets 250mg. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a discontinuation notice for (terbinafine HCl; ) tablets 250mg. The Company stated the permanent discontinuation was a business decision and is not due to manufacturing, product quality, safety, or efficacy concerns.
Can you take vitamin D with terbinafine?
Interactions between your drugs No interactions were found between terbinafine and Vitamin D3.
Are antifungals hard on your liver?
What are the potential side effects of antifungals? – Side effects from antifungals vary. Results depend on the type of drug, dosage (strength) and fungus. You may experience:
Abdominal pain, upset stomach and diarrhea, Itchy skin, burning sensation or skin rash.
Rarely, an antifungal drug may cause serious problems like:
Liver damage ( jaundice ). Severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, Severe allergic skin reactions, such as blisters and peeling skin.
Is Lamisil safe for liver?
Precautions – Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex ® It is important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for any unwanted effects.
- If your or your child’s symptoms do not improve, or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
- You may need to take this medicine for several weeks or months before your infection gets better.
- This medicine may cause a serious type of allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
- Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
Call your doctor right away if you have a skin rash, itching, hives, trouble with breathing or swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth while you or your child are using this medicine. This medicine may cause serious liver problems, including liver failure.
- Check with your doctor right away if you start having nausea or vomiting, dark urine, light-colored stools, stomach pain, or yellow eyes or skin while you or your child are using this medicine.
- This medicine may cause problems with your sense of taste or smell.
- Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have change or loss of sense of smell, change in taste or loss of taste, poor appetite, or weight loss.
You may become depressed when taking this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child thinks this medicine is causing changes in your mood or behavior. Other symptoms include feeling very sad or empty, irritable, lack of appetite, loss of interest or pleasure, restlessness, trouble concentrating, or trouble sleeping.
Serious skin reactions can occur with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, red skin lesions, severe acne or skin rash, sores or ulcers on the skin, or fever or chills while you or your child are using this medicine. This medicine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection.
If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you are getting an infection or if you or your child get a fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination. This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.
What happens if you drink alcohol while on terbinafine
Terbinafine Tablets And Alcohol – Abbeycare NHS guidelines specify that you can drink alcohol whilst taking terbinafine, but side effects may include dehydration and headaches, Drinking alcohol with terbinafine has the potential to reduce the effectiveness of the drug, by prolonging and exacerbating fungal infections,
Is Lamisil hard on your body?
Side Effects – Diarrhea or stomach upset may occur. If either of these effects lasts or gets worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects.
- Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
- Changes in your sense of taste/smell or loss of taste/smell may occur.
- These side effects may improve after stopping terbinafine, but can last for a long time or become permanent.
- Tell your doctor right away if you notice either of these side effects.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: vision changes, mental/mood changes (such as depression ), unexplained bleeding/bruising, unusual tiredness, signs of kidney problems (such as change in the amount of urine).
Terbinafine may rarely cause serious (possibly fatal) liver disease, Get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of liver damage, such as: nausea / vomiting that doesn’t stop, loss of appetite, severe stomach / abdominal pain, yellowing eyes / skin, dark urine, A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare.
However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: fever, swollen lymph nodes, rash, itching /swelling (especially of the face/ tongue /throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing, This is not a complete list of possible side effects.
Can you just stop taking Lamisil
How does ramipril work? Ramipril is a type of medicine called an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Like other ACE inhibitors, ramipril relaxes and widens your blood vessels. This lowers your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.
- When will I feel better? If you’re taking ramipril for high blood pressure or after a heart attack, you may not have any symptoms.
- In these cases, you may not feel any different when you take ramipril.
- This does not mean that the medicine is not working.
- It’s important to keep taking it.
- Ramipril starts to work within a few hours to reduce high blood pressure, but it may take a few weeks for full effect.
If you’re taking ramipril for heart failure, it may take weeks, even months, before you feel better. Are there any long term side effects? Ramipril is generally safe to take for a long time. In fact, it works best when you take it for a long time. But taking ramipril for a long time can sometimes cause your kidneys to not work as well as they should.
Your doctor will check how well your kidneys are working with regular blood tests. What will happen if I stop taking it? Talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking ramipril. Stopping ramipril may cause your blood pressure to rise. This may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you’re bothered by side effects, your doctor may be able to prescribe you a different medicine.
Can I stop taking ramipril now my blood pressure is lower? Even if ramipril has successfully lowered your blood pressure, it’s best to carry on taking it. If you stop taking ramipril your blood pressure could rise back up again. If you need blood pressure-lowering medicines, you’ll probably need to take them for the rest of your life.
Remember, by keeping your blood pressure low, you’re protecting yourself against having a heart attack or stroke in the future. How does ramipril compare with other medicines for high blood pressure? There are several other angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor medicines that work in the same way as ramipril.
They include enalapril, lisinopril and perindopril, There are also lots of other types of medicines that lower your blood pressure:
calcium channel blockers like amlodipine angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) like candesartan beta blockers like bisoprolol medicines that make you pee more (diuretics) like bendroflumethiazide
If you cannot take ramipril or other ACE inhibitor medicines because of side effects such as a dry cough, you may be able to switch to another type of medicine to lower your blood pressure. This will usually be a medicine called an angiotensin receptor blocker, such as candesartan, irbesartan, losartan or valsartan,
How does ramipril compare with other ACE inhibitors? Ramipril works as well as other ACE inhibitors such as enalapril, lisinopril and perindopril when you take it to lower blood pressure and for heart failure. The side effects are also similar to those of other ACE inhibitors. There are a few differences between ramipril and other ACE inhibitors.
Ramipril is officially approved to be used for reducing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, but other ACE inhibitors may not be. It’s also approved for reducing or delaying kidney problems, but other ACE inhibitors may not be. Can I take ramipril before surgery? Tell your doctor that you’re taking ramipril if you’re going to be put to sleep for an operation or are going to have a major operation, such as a caesarean section, without a general anaesthetic.
Ramipril can reduce your blood pressure when it’s used with a general anaesthetic, Your doctor may advise you to stop taking it 24 hours before surgery. Is ramipril addictive? No, there’s no evidence that ramipril is addictive. Will it affect my contraception? Ramipril will not affect any type of contraception.
But some types of hormonal methods of contraception, such as the combined pill and contraceptive patch, are not usually recommended if you have high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor if you’re taking or using a combined hormonal contraceptive. If ramipril makes you sick (vomit) or have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy.
- Look on the pill packet to find out what to do.
- Read more about what to do if you’re on the pill and you’re being sick or have diarrhoea Can I drive or ride a bike? Ramipril can cause blurred vision and make some people feel dizzy, especially when they first start taking it or after taking a bigger dose.
If this happens to you, do not drive a car, ride a bike, or use tools or machinery. If you’ve had a stroke or a heart attack then it may not be safe for you to drive. It’s an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It’s your responsibility to decide if it’s safe to drive.
GOV.UK – medical conditions, disability and driving GOV.UK – drugs and driving: the law
Can I drink alcohol while taking ramipril? Drinking alcohol can increase the effect of ramipril, so that it lowers your blood pressure too much, which can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded. During the first few days of taking ramipril or after your dose increases, it’s best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.
If you find ramipril makes you feel dizzy, it’s best to stop drinking alcohol. Is there any food or drink I need to avoid? Do not use salt substitutes such as Lo-Salt. This is because they’re high in potassium. When mixed with ramipril, they may make the level of potassium in your blood too high. There are no other foods or drinks you need to avoid while taking ramipril.
Eating well can help if you have high blood pressure or heart failure. Can lifestyle changes help the health of my heart? You can boost the health of your heart by making some key lifestyle changes. These will also help if you have high blood pressure or heart failure,
Quit smoking – smoking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Quitting smoking brings down your blood pressure and relieves heart failure symptoms. Try to avoid secondhand smoke too. Cut down on alcohol – drinking too much alcohol raises blood pressure over time. It makes heart failure worse, too. Try to keep to the recommended guidelines of no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. A standard glass of wine (175ml) is 2 units. A pint of lager or beer is usually 2 to 3 units of alcohol. Exercise – regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition. It does not need to be too energetic – walking every day will help. Eat well – aim to eat a diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products and lean proteins. It’s a good idea to follow these tips for a lower salt diet, too. Eating too much salt is the biggest cause of high blood pressure. The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be. Aim for no more than 6g of salt a day.Deal with stress – when you’re anxious or upset, your heart beats faster, you breathe more heavily and your blood pressure often goes up. This can make heart failure worse, too. Find ways to reduce stress in your life. To give your heart a rest, try napping or putting your feet up when possible. Spend time with friends and family to be social and help avoid stress. Vaccinations – if you have heart failure, it’s recommended that you have the flu vaccine every year and the pneumococcal vaccine as recommended by your GP. Ask your doctor about these vaccinations. You can have them free on the NHS. Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination is recommended for most people. Make sure you’ve had all the doses that you are eligible for. Talk to your doctor if you think you might be in one of the at risk groups.
When should I check liver function after starting terbinafine
If I’m treating a patient for onychomycosis with terbinafine for a standard 12-week course, I routinely check a complete blood count (CBC) and liver function tests (LFTs) at baseline and at six weeks.
Can you take terbinafine longer than 12 weeks?
Continuous terbinafine 250 mg daily for 12 weeks was not significantly different from continuous terbinafine 250 mg for 16 and 24 weeks, pulsed terbinafine 500 mg, weekly fluconazole, or pulsed and continuous itraconazole regimens in mycological cure.
How can I reduce the side effects of terbinafine?
If you experience upset stomach or nausea from terbinafine, taking it with food can help lessen these side effects. If you forget to take your dose of terbinafine, take it as soon as you remember.
What is the success rate of terbinafine?
Indications – In vitro susceptibility tests have shown that terbinafine has fungicidal activity against a wide variety of dermatophytes, molds, certain dimorphic fungi, and C. albicans,108,112,113 In clinical trials, Savin 114 found terbinafine cream applied topically twice daily to be safe and significantly superior to the vehicle when used in the treatment of chronic tinea pedis.
In this study, 89% of patients treated with terbinafine were clinically and mycologically clear, whereas none of the patients treated with the placebo cleared. Randomized double-blind, vehicle-controlled parallel-group studies were designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of terbinafine in the treatment of tinea corporis and tinea cruris.
Overall, 76% of patients receiving topical terbinafine achieved mycological cure and clinical improvement, with only 17% of the placebo group achieving similar results. In a large multicenter study of 629 patients in Japan, investigators found terbinafine 1% cream to be both safe and effective in the treatment of tinea pedis, tinea corporis, tinea cruris, pityriasis versicolor, and intertriginous candidiasis.115 In a review of clinical experience from 27 studies in which 1258 patients with various dermatomycoses were treated with terbinafine cream, Villars and Jones 116 found the overall efficacy rate of topical terbinafine to range from 70% to 90% for the various conditions treated and from 80% to 90% for the treatment of tinea corporis or tinea cruris.
- Although some clinical trial success against Candida has been shown, Candida infections are not included in the terbinafine indications.
- Although routine topical application of any antifungal is not likely to result in either clinical or mycologic cure of onychomycosis, newer approaches may facilitate the use of topical antifungals for this purpose.
Terbinafine in particular may be delivered in therapeutic concentrations into the nail plate via iontophoresis, or may be combined with nail-penetrating laser technologies. Such techniques are currently in development.
How long can you safely take Lamisil
How long to take it – The length of your treatment will depend on the type of infection you have, what part of the body is affected and how well you respond to treatment. Fungal skin infections (tinea): If you have a tinea infection of the feet (athlete’s foot), you will usually take the tablets for 2 to 6 weeks.
If you have a tinea infection of the body or groin, you will usually take the tablets for 2 to 4 weeks. The signs and symptoms of infection may last for several weeks after the fungi (dermatophytes) have been killed. Fungal nail infections: Fungal nail infections usually take longer to heal than fungal skin infections.
You will usually take the tablets for anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. But, if you have a nail infection of the big toe or your nails grow very slowly, you may need to take the tablets for up to 6 months. It may take several months after you stop taking Lamisil tablets for your nail to look completely normal.
How long is it safe to use Lamisil?
💡Key facts about Lamisil cream – • Lamisil cream is a brand name for terbinafine cream. • The cream is only licensed for adults aged 16 years and older, but doctors sometimes prescribe it for children. • The cream should be applied to affected areas of skin once or twice a day for one to two weeks, as directed by your doctor.
Is terbinafine worth the risk?
How safe is oral terbinafine? How safe is terbinafine? This a question that crops up regularly when speaking to colleagues and patients alike. Terbinafine is an allylamine drug used in the treatment of onychomycosis. Despite the drug being available since the early 1990’s, there has always been some hesitancy about its potential side effects particularly those affecting the liver when taken orally. Terbinafine, as a new antifungal, was a game changer in the treatment of onychomycosis when it entered the UK market in the 1991 (latterly 1998 in the USA). Before this time, the choices for treatment of fungal nails were limited. Topical treatments were often disappointing.
- Until this time, oral griseofulvin and ketoconazole were the drugs of choice indicated for dermatophyte nail infection orally but they were far from effective (1).
- They required long courses and had a narrow spectrum of activity.
- Many patients would give up due to the unpleasant side effects.
- So the idea of a new, modern antifungal drug was appealing with early studies suggesting it was much more effective than griseofulvin (2) with double the mycological cure rate.
This was latterly shown to be the case with terbinfaine showing superiority in numerous studies (3). The drug became widely used in the treatment of dermatophyte nail infections. Like many drugs, terbinafine is metabolised by the liver and excreted by the kidneys, consequently a reduction in function of either of those two organ systems could result in serious problems if prescribed to the wrong patient.
- The issue of liver disease (hepatotoxicity) with terbinafine has been long known, with the drug manufacturers highlighting that it should not be prescribed for patients with liver disease (Lamisil Monograph, Novartis 2013).
- Terbinafine, like nearly all classes of medications, has been shown to induce idiosyncratic liver injury or drug induced liver injury (DILI).
The causes of DILI are diverse although pre-existing liver disease can play a part, in otherwise healthy individuals its aetiology is unclear although genetic susceptibility appears to play a role (4). Consequently, The British National Formulary consequently advises it should not be used in patient with known liver disorders and for those prescribed the drug, they should have liver function tests before commencing the drug and then periodically after 4–6 weeks of treatment (British National Formulary online) to assess liver function. There is a view that oral terbinafine is a particularly dangerous medication in relation to causing hepatotoxicity (5). The most common side effects in patients taking the drug include gastro-intestinal upset, taste disturbances, headache and rashes but liver problems may not be as common as perceived.
- In 1996 a British study (6), researchers reviewed 9879 patients who had taken the drug.
- Half of these had concurrent illnesses and were taking other medications at the same time.
- Of the cohort, 14% reported various side effects with only half of these thought to be related to the terbinafine as reported by their physicians.
Liver problems were only reported in 0.1% of patients (14 cases) of which 10 cases were classified as minor and transient elevations in liver enzymes. In addition, some of these patients were found to have pre-existing history of liver disease (gall bladder disease, alcohol related changes, hepatitis and cirrhosis).
- There were no terbinafine associated deaths.
- The National Library of Medicine Liver Toxicity Database report on terbinafine (7) paints a similar picture reporting that less than one percent of patients see an increase in liver enzymes in the bloodstream and most resolve with stopping treatment.
- It estimates the probability of developing elevated liver enzymes levels requiring stopping treatment is about 0.31% for 2 to 6 weeks’ treatment and 0.44% for treatment lasting longer than 8 weeks.
It goes on to state that clinically apparent liver injury from terbinafine occurs rarely, in around 1 in 50,000 to 120,000 prescriptions. So what are the symptoms of drug induced liver injury? One final piece of research, worthy of a mention appeared in the British Journal of Dermatology (8).
In this work 173 cases of terbinafine induced liver injury were reviewed. Interestingly, they discovered that terbinafine induced liver injury can occur at any time whilst taking the drug but most of these cases occurred on average at 30 days after commencing drug therapy. Patients typically reported symptoms such as jaundice, but include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, general itching and dark urine.
Despite guidelines issued by the BNF of regular liver function monitoring for patients on terbinafine, none of these patient’s liver damage was discovered by testing – it was all patient reported. However, others have highlighted cases where detection was made with blood tests in otherwise “healthy” patients (9).
Summary As with most classes of drugs, terbinafine can potentially lead to liver problems. However, the data from the above suggests that oral terbinafine is safer than perhaps it is perceived, and minor side effects are far more likely for most patients than serious liver damage. Data from studies suggest the risk of serious liver injury to be between 1 : 50 000 – 1 : 120 000.
Despite its rarity, patients taking terbinafine who exhibit any of the symptoms of liver problems (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, general itching and dark urine) should urgently be referred for further assessment. References 1. De Doncker P.
- Itraconazole and tèrbinafine in perspective: from petri dish to patient.
- J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol.1999;12:S10-S6.2.
- Faergemann J, Anderson C, Hersle K, Hradil E, Nordin P, Kaaman T, et al.
- Double-blind, parallel-group comparison of terbinafine and griseofulvin in the treatment of toenail onychomycosis.
J Am Acad Dermatol.1995;32(5, Part 1):750-3.3. Kreijkamp-Kaspers S, Hawke K, Guo L, Kerin G, Bell-Syer SEM, Magin P, et al. Oral antifungal medication for toenail onychomycosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2017(7).4. David S, Hamilton JP. Drug-induced Liver Injury.
- US Gastroenterol Hepatol Rev.2010;6:73-80.5.
- Sun CW, Hsu S.
- Terbinafine: Safety profile and monitoring in treatment of dermatophyte infections.
- Dermatologic Therapy.2019;32(6):e13111.6.
- O’Sullivan DP, Needham CA, Bangs A, Atkin K, Kendall FD.
- Postmarketing surveillance of oral terbinafine in the UK: report of a large cohort study.
Br J Clin Pharmacol.1996;42(5):559-65.7. US National Library of Medicine. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug Induced Liver Injury Bethesda, Maryland, USAUpdated 2018 [Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548617/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK548617.pdf.8.
Kramer ON, Albrecht J. Clinical presentation of terbinafine‐induced severe liver injury and the value of laboratory monitoring: a Critically Appraised Topic. Br J Dermatol.2017;177(5):1279-84.9. Khurana A, Sardana K, Bhardwaj V. Terbinafine induced liver injury may be asymptomatic: need for regular monitoring.
Br J Dermatol.2018;178(3):807-8. : How safe is oral terbinafine?
How long can you stay on Lamisil
How long to take or use it for – If you’re using the cream, gel or spray, you’ll usually need to use it for 1 to 2 weeks. Talk to your doctor if your symptoms do not get better within 2 weeks. If you’re taking the tablets, you’ll usually take them for:
- 2 to 4 weeks if you have jock itch
- 2 to 6 weeks if you have athlete’s foot
- 4 weeks if you have ringworm
- 6 weeks to 3 months (sometimes longer) if you have a fungal nail infection
It’s important to keep taking or using terbinafine until you finish the course, even if your symptoms get better. Follow the instructions from your doctor or on the leaflet that comes with the medicine. If you stop using your terbinafine too soon, or if you do not use it as recommended, the fungal infection could come back.