I enjoyed the pearl about using an alcohol sanitizer for yeast in skinfolds [Advisor Forum, October 2016]. If the area is red, Selsun blue as a body wash will not sting, and drying with a hair dryer works well.—Susan Smith, PhD, FNP, Albuquerque, N. Mex. (217-1)
I also encounter many patients who get yeast infections in skinfolds. I have the patients apply a solid antiperspirant/deodorant in the skinfold, once the skin is healed from the yeast rash. It works very well in preventing further yeast infections.—Ursula Fuller, FNP, BC, Osceola, Mo. (217-2)
When treating tinea pedis, I often prescribe econazole cream (or any generic azole cream); apply BID until clear, may repeat as needed, dispense 80 grams or 160 grams (if the patient has large feet), and it may be refilled 11 times. Patients with a chronic disease for which we have no cure do better if you give them enough treatment so they do not keep running out. A-15 gram tube of clotrimazole cream is barely enough to cover 2 large feet for more than a week.
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Also, once the tinea pedis on the soles is clear, I recommend that patients spray some type of antifungal spray BID or at least daily to their 10 toes/between the webspaces. The spray helps to keep the webspaces dry and reduces the maceration/breakdown that often occurs. If the soles of the feet are getting itchy/scaly and it looks like the tinea pedis has recurred, then start up again with the econazole cream BID until clear.—Christy Flory, RN, MS, NP, Annapolis, Md. (217-3)
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