A fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails is known as onychomycosis. Your doctor may prescribe an anti-fungal medicine to treat this. Taken by mouth, these medications enter the nail through the bloodstream. These nail fungus infections can be very difficult to treat, and can return after treatment is finished. A combination of both oral and topical medication may sometimes be prescribed for a faster clearing of the infection.

Your doctor must first decide which type of fungus you have and prescribe the proper medication to treat it. Treatment will usually last for three months. Nails grow slowly, and it can take up to 18 months for a healthy toenail to completely grow out. Medicine alone will not cure your fungus and you will need to keep your feet clean and dry to aid in the process.

Prescription nail fungus medication your doctor may prescribe can be one of the following:

· Fulvicin-UF (generic name griseofulvin)
· Sporanox (itraconazole)
· Lamisil (terbinafine)
· Diflucan (fluconazole)
· Nizoral (ketoconazole) – although effective, it is not widely used due to hepatotoxicity risk.
· Penlac (ciclopirox) – topical nail polish treatment. This drug has about a 5% cure rate but may be worth a try for people with heart or liver problems.

Of these, Lamisil and Sporanox appear to be the most effective. They may cure 70 to 80 percent of infections with one course of treatment. These drugs are very hard on your system and have a long list of side effects. They also have the potential for some serious drug-drug interactions, which can also include over-the-counter medications.

Three common side effects of oral anti-fungal medicine to watch for are severe stomachaches, headaches and occasionally a rash. Consumers who have heart conditions or liver problems should not use Lamisil or Sporanox. Your doctor should do a complete blood count (CBC) and a liver function test before starting treatment.

The Food and Drug Authority requests that you report any of the following symptoms to them:

· Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice)
· Vomiting
· Change in urine color (dark urine)
· Pale stool color
· Ongoing nausea or dizziness
· Pain in the upper right abdominal region (liver)

Along with the risky side effects of these prescription anti-fungal drugs, one must also take into account the pricey nature of them. If you have insurance it may not be too bad, otherwise, you could be paying