Athlete's Foot?

[moondragon]

Well I'm getting that itching sensation on my feet...any Thai products you can recommend. I can't seem to find U.S. equivalents here.

Thanks

Moon

[ProThaiExpat]

Go to any reasonably modern pharmacy and ask for "fungus" medicine for your toes. Most Pharmacists speak reasonable English. They also have a form of a PDR that has most U.S. products listed and their Thai generic equivalents. Buying a U.S. imported medicine is a lot more expensive that the Thai equivalent, even a Thai brand name, let alone a generic.

I have been taking probenicid for gout control forever, and when I visited Pattaya without my normal Thai generic @3 baht a pill, I was quoted anything from 25baht a pill from one of those big international drug rip offs to 5 baht for a Thai equavalent of my regular thai version, bought at discount for steady customer.

My Thai friend, who is an athlete and has two "athletes' feet", ( a little levity this morning) uses a product with Thai written on one side and English on the other. The English side is provided:

cream 5 grams

GYNESTEN-B

Clotritmazole / Betamethasone Valerate

Antifungal with Antiallergic

Distributed by: Bangkok Drug Co., LTD etc.

Good luck.

[lopburi3]

I always used Absorbine Jr and have found it here in Thailand at some major drug stores. At least you can 'feel' it working rather than trust a non stinging cream is doing the job.

[john b good]

The only real problem is that whilst one might be able to manage (treat) the condition once you have had it is with you for life.

Once it is under some degree of contol it is essential that one is absolutely fastidious in making sure that the skin between the toes is 100% dry after showering etc.

Around a month back I could hardly walk due to a recurrence and it took some shifting.

Personally I haven't been able to find much here in Thailand that is really effective in treating / controlling the condition.

PTE.... I will however look for the product you have recommended as it's much simpler if one can get it (something) here rather than having to stock up on the now infrequent trips home.

[Tornado]

free alternative would be to urinate on your feet every day for 1 week - yes it works!

[splitlid]

canestan works well, and is also used for thrush.

[daveh]

The only real problem is that whilst one might be able to manage (treat) the condition once you have had it is with you for life.

Are you sure about that? Athlete's foot, or tinea pedis, is just a fungal infection. Once the fungus is erradicated, it is gone. It does not mean that you cannot get it again though, especially if the fungus is in your shoes.

One problem that can arrise is after showering toweling off your feet, then your groin. You can transfer the fungus between your feet and groin easily creating a never ending cycle of Althetes Foot and Jock Itch. And since the climate of Thailand is very hot and humid, it is easy to keep getting a new infection.

You can get a creme or a powder at Tesco Lotus' pharmacy. Although, the creme seemed to work better for me, I prefer the powder because I don't like that oily feeling all day. With the powder, I felt dry.

ZeaSORB powder has two active ingredients, Aluminium dihydroxyaliantoinate and Chloroxylenal BPC. One is for keeping dry and the other is an antifungal formula, so it is good to cure an infection as well as a preventative measure. Using this powder on your feet or groin is like using an antiperspirant.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

canestan works well, and is also used for thrush.

Multi purpose stuff huh ?

[john b good]

The only real problem is that whilst one might be able to manage (treat) the condition once you have had it is with you for life.

Are you sure about that? Athlete's foot, or tinea pedis, is just a fungal infection. Once the fungus is erradicated, it is gone. It does not mean that you cannot get it again though, especially if the fungus is in your shoes.

One problem that can arrise is after showering toweling off your feet, then your groin. You can transfer the fungus between your feet and groin easily creating a never ending cycle of Althetes Foot and Jock Itch. And since the climate of Thailand is very hot and humid, it is easy to keep getting a new infection.

You can get a creme or a powder at Tesco Lotus' pharmacy. Although, the creme seemed to work better for me, I prefer the powder because I don't like that oily feeling all day. With the powder, I felt dry.

ZeaSORB powder has two active ingredients, Aluminium dihydroxyaliantoinate and Chloroxylenal BPC. One is for keeping dry and the other is an antifungal formula, so it is good to cure an infection as well as a preventative measure. Using this powder on your feet or groin is like using an antiperspirant.

Only going by what my doc told me (I mean a real doctor. No offence dr PP)

My doctor had contracted the ailment (Athletes Foot / Tinea) whilst serving during the 2nd WW due to always having soaking wet boots and socks.

He said that it cannot be eradicated but merely controlled. Same as gout and herpes simplex etc.

I had a recurrence about a month back and I had to go through the "almost impossible to walk" phase (at least without limping along like "long john silver" before I killed it off.

That is until the next time.

p.s. I have had it occur / re-ocurr for some 40 years now. Thats why I dry my feet 100% after showering, and even then it still creeps back up on me from time to time.

[penzman]

free alternative would be to urinate on your feet every day for 1 week - yes it works!

I remember Madonna mentioning this on Letterman. Wonder which medical school she went to???

[KevinN]

I always used Absorbine Jr and have found it here in Thailand at some major drug stores. At least you can 'feel' it working rather than trust a non stinging cream is doing the job.

That is what I have used all my life.well since I was about 10 years old and living in the bunkhouse with the rest of the haying crew on a cattle ranch in eastern Oregon. Had it real bad and there were cracks between my toes,a guy had a bottle of Absorbine jr. and he said "hold on now and I will fix you right up" he poured it on and just as the got to my other foot,I was ready to leave,but he put it on anyway. It cleared up more every day and we put it on every day,I used it periodically every week or so for years as your feet are always a little damp and showering where other people shower,you will get it at times, But now for years I have never had it again as the weekly treatment kept it under control. I haven't had it in 60 years.

But what some GIs came home from the war in the pacific with was not true A.F. but a form of jungle fungus,I was told by a doctor in a public health service hospital anyway, but A.Jr. kept in under control.

But if you get a bottle of it and use it at least once a week for awhile,I can guarantee that you will get rid of it and never have it again after you kill all of the fungus that you have in your shoes and on the floors,but running around barefoot as the Thai do,you will pobly be picking up the spores on a regular basis.So the weekly rub down of your feet will keep it under control and also make your feet feel good.

[Nat]

free alternative would be to urinate on your feet every day for 1 week - yes it works!

I remember Madonna mentioning this on Letterman. Wonder which medical school she went to???

Actually Madge isn't taking the urine - this particular excretion is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral (and a heap of other antis that I can't remember ). Our bodies contain some interesting defence mechanisms

[Thaiquila]

I recently read a scientific article about this.

The reason people get it again and again and again is because the treatments are meant to be used religiously for very long periods of time (several weeks) and people almost always just use them until the symptoms have quited. Also, what was said about groin transfer (and armpits) keeps it going. Plus, shoes also reinfect. Best to toss out suspect shoes.

In tropical Thailand, fungus can get quite nasty, quite fast.

No word on the urine treatment. Interesting.

[DogNo1]

I have been bothered with foot fungus and tinea versicolor for some time. Travogen Cream, which is available at Thai pharmacies, controls the tinea on the upper parts of my body, but the fungus between my toes has been pretty stubborn to defeat. I had been alternating two American OTC fungal treatments, Tinactin and Mycatin. One day I decided to try using both of them and they really knocked the fungus out in one day. It comes back, but spraying it with both of these medicines at the same time really knocks it out for a while!

[piet pompies]

You can use any anti fungal as Lamisil ( or any anti mycotic, mycostatin etc) daily.

1. Wash your feet in the morning with Nystatin Shampoo( this is an antifungal) and then apply Lamisil.this is somewhat conventional treatment Below is an alternative which works. BELOW are alternatives. which work.

2.Before you go to bed wash with Nystatin Shampoo and then dip toes in 70% alcohol, ( will sting)Blue bottle from pharmacy)this will dry the area. Use athelete foots powder afterwards. If you are on holiday and can wear sandals then do this daily , am and pm. The creams are all oily.

3 If the proplem spreads to toenails see a dermatologist who may prescribe Sporanox. This is also used for severe athelete foot, taken by mouth for at leat 2 weeks. Still keep feet dry with alcohol regimen.

If you want natural therapy, Tea Tree oil is an antifungal. apply daily

Generally athletes foot is not cnsidered curable. The pH of your body will influence the result. Homeopaths believe that if you change the body pH form acid to alcaline,cure chances are better. So, no booze is better!

[eyespan]

I remembered trekking in Kanchanaburi during the rainy season for a month and had lots of rashes because the skin was continuosly wet. Our feet stunk to the heavens and one of my buddies went out of action when the skin of his feet cracked and bled. Doctor said was fungal, though we had the habit of powdering ourselves with talc, it just doesn't cut it.

2nd year we went armed with a small bottle of Daktarin each.(miconazol). No stink, no blood, so it works.... supposed for atheletes foot too.

The part about the fungus being in the shoe is true. I've been applying this powder to my shoe as well as feet. Don't have a smell problem for more than a year now,

In this climate you got to work harder in concerns to personal hygiene.

[piet pompies]

The shampoo you can use as mentioned in my previous post to wash with is Nizoral( ketoconazole) available at Boots

[Davidcharles]

I find Tiger Balm works well!

[eyespan]

Tiger Balm!

[Padkapow Guy]

After spending a month in the malaysianjungle I had a serious case of jungle rot on my feet . I used absorbine jr and it work but keep getting it back evry month. Then when I got back state side the doc gave me some lamisil and it's been gone for @ 17 years.

Lamisil gets my vote.

[Padkapow Guy]

Tiger Balm!

In the school days we would put tiger balm in peoples jock straps. I think that how break dancing was invented.

[eyespan]

If we put Tiger Balm on those feet with cracked soles you would see some excellent moonwalking!!!

[Pepe']

Lotramin Or Tinactin are the main remedies here in the states. Sorry I don't know the Thai equivalents.

Definitely do not take the oral form it is very nasty stuff especially to the liver.