Where can I find this? I looked in Watson’s but I couldn’t really find anything. Plus I dont read Chinese. Any help?
All the pharmacies carry Clotrisone. The Chinese is le4 li4 kang1 樂利康. It’s about 200NT/tube. The package is salmon/flesh color with stripes at the ends in orange, and S-shapes in the center in turquoise and yellow.
Just point at your feet or crotch and make an itching motion and they’ll get it. (When I first came here I did that and it worked!)
You can probably also find tolnaftate oinment or powder.
EDIT: Thanks to other posters for the steroids warning. It turns out the above ointment is a locally made equiv. of Lotrisone, so it does have a high-potency steroid in it, Betamethasone Diproprionate.
A bit of Googling shows that this combo is more expensive and less effective than a pure anti-fungal, and shouldn’t be used on kids. I’ll do some more research and try to come up with the Chinese and English names of the steroid-free creams available in Taiwan. I don’t want to go spending thousands on vitamin drips and specialists if there’s a cheap OTC cure. More soon.
Oh, and dermatologists prescribe the above combo far less than GP’s, and probably know better, so if you see a doc, try the dermatologists first.
I’ve always showed them(pharmacists) my rashes. Although the one I had near my crotch extended further down my legs. The message was received loud and clear.
They have books full of horribly graphic pictures of all body parts with all kinds of infections. The stuff of nightmares. If you’re too shy to flash them, and don’t think seeing these pics will haunt your dreams for weeks, you can flip through and point to the one most closely resembling yours.
Beware, many anti-fungal cream contains stereoids, which feed the fungus. Make sure you only take the “pure” stuff.
I.e. containing Clotrimazole, Ketaconazole or other *azoles.
We discussed this in the “persistant skin fungus thread”.
Yes, my doc mentioned that too. Thanks for that!
I made the experience. First, they seem to kill the fungus so quickly. But then it comes back, and it is larger, stronger, more red, more nasty, more itchy…
brrrrrrrr.
Thanks again to other posters for the steroids warning.
To make it easier for others to tell whether or not a lotion contains steroids, I’ve compiled the following:
‘athlete’s foot’ is 香港腳 xiang1gang2jiao3.
‘jock itch’ is 胯下癢 kua4xia4yang3.
‘ointment’ is 藥膏 yao4gao1
‘medicated powder’ is 藥粉 yao4fen3.
order: I want treat [what illness]-de [med type]:
e.g., wo3 yao4 zhi4 xiang1gang2jiao3de yao4gao1.
The word for ‘steroid’ in Chinese is 類固醇 lei4gu4chun2.
“I want one without steroids” is 我要不含類固醇的 wo3 yao4 bu4han2 lei4gu4chun2de.
Then, when the moron hands you a tube containing Betamethasone Diproprionate (a steroid), you know it’s time to switch pharmacists. There’s a HUGE difference in quality of pharmacists here. Some actually don’t know the difference between antihistamine and decongestant – I ran into one just a few weeks ago.
Today I went to a particularly well-run pharmacy on Minsheng E. Rd, Sec.4, #117. Between Dunhua and Guangfu, on the north side, next to a small park. The pharmacist was happy to patiently explain the whole antifungal and steroids issue, pointed out which meds were more effective, and which were most cost effective too. Probably the bestest and most helpfulest pharmacist I’ve met. She doesn’t speak English, but has an assistant, Mindy, who does (Mindy works afternoons).
Anyway, some of the antifungals that don’t contain steroids include
1)Terfine (terbinafine HCl), $250 for 10mg strength, 20-gm size tube.
2)Lamisil (same) $380 / 10 gms, i.e. 3x the price (due to heavy advertising)
3)and any saying just “iconazole nitrate”, often around $200+/tube.
The steroid ones include:
4)Vacort (Iconazole Nitrate plus steroid)
5)Nysco U.U. 悠悠 ointment, 15 gm
6)益可膚
Then I mentioned why folks wanted to avoid the steroids, which cause the fungus to grow, and she corrected this misperception.
She said the steroids are useful for short-term application if the itching and/or inflammation are particularly severe, and that they don’t “feed the fungus”, but that what happens is longer-term use of the steroid causes the skin to become thinner and the resistance of the skin to re-infection (e.g., from bedsheets, slippers) decreases, which can then lead to re-infection. She recommends using only the non-steroid versions if you can tolerate the itching. But if you’re really going nuts, this is what she recommended:
- Buy the hot-soak version (a powder to be added to hot water for a 20-minute foot soak) and use that first, as the hot water causes your pores to open, allowing the medication to penetrate the skin more deeply.
- Then, after drying the feet well with a towel and hair dryer, use a steroid version ointment, then clean socks. DO all the laundry and floor cleaning mentioned further above.
- As soon as the itching stops, often in just a day or two, switch to using the non-steroid version ointments, and continue applying twice daily, for 4 weeks (yes, 4 weeks).
i suggest using tea tree oil as an alternative. you can either apply it straight on, or, if you have time, put it in hot water and soak your feet in it.
I finally followed my doctor’s advice and took (at the body part in question) cold showers, several during the day and even at night a few. Besides keeping it totally dry, this helped a lot. Took the medicine as well of course.
it actually went away without any medication, just tried to keep it cool and dry. put a bit of vaseline and baby powder and a bit of diaper rash creme.
I read somewhere on the forum that some “sour crop” problems are due to a fungal problem and that an anti fungal treatment could cure or help. I mentioned this to my vet and he said that he didn’t really recommend anti fungals because they could be dangerous for the bird, could kill it. Does anyone know any different? I have used live yoghurt to help with the good bacteria.
What worked for me is SAVLON antiseptic liquid. . Wash your clothes with some added to it as well. Its a qreat fungus killer. Rub a small amount directly on your affected parts and wait a few mins and then shower off. Twice a day. Always worked for me.
Good point. Tea tree, vinegar, whiskey, vodka will kill the fungus. Might sting a bit but pharmaceuticals are usually designed to make you sick and dependent. Pissing on your feet is good too, but make sure you scrub your bathroom floor before and after.
Not knowing anything about drugs really I’ll let you lot decipher the ingredients. This stuff is great and I was told it tackles the root cause of the problem better than the others which simply tackle the side effects such as itching etc.
QUADRUPLE Cream “ROOT” 賜連乳膏
Betamethasone…0.6mg
(eq. to Betemethasone…0.5mg)
Tolnaftate…10mg
Gentamicin (as sulfate)…10mg
Iodochlorhydroxyquin (Clioquinol)…10mg
Fresf Lys…1mg
It’s produced in Taichung and the above info appears exactly as it does on the tube. I rarely have to use it as it seems to be so effective in tackling the problem. I now need it again after the last dose which was about four months ago. I was told to use it twice a day and for a while after the symptoms disappear, the advice worked a treat.
Some skin problems can also be due to the pool in Taiwan. They have poor maintenance, the pools are very crowded and some peoples also urinate in the water, I am not joking.