# Athlete's foot, help

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 18, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113 "2021-08-18T19:42:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113/42 "2021-08-29T02:27:37Z")

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Griseofulvin is not only still on the market, but it’s also on the WHO’s list of 200 essential medications.

> **[Griseofulvin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griseofulvin)**
>
> Pages for logged out editors learn more
> 
> Griseofulvin is an antifungal medication used to treat a number of types of dermatophytoses (ringworm). This includes fungal infections of the nails and scalp, as well as the skin when antifungal creams have not worked. It is taken by mouth.
> Common side effects include allergic reactions, nausea, diarrhea, headache, trouble sleeping, and feeling tired. It is not recommended in people with liver failure or porphyria. Use during or in the months be...

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113/43 "2021-08-29T02:29:01Z")

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Recurrent fungal infections, anywhere in the body, are a sign of possible immune deficiency, so what your doctor said makes sense.

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113/44 "2021-08-29T05:42:13Z")

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> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> Griseofulvin is not only still on the market, but it’s also on the WHO’s list of 200 essential medications.
> 
> [Griseofulvin - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griseofulvin)

Went back to check my country – and it is available here. It went off the market in Australia (lost approval) after it went out of patent, but the local division of Aspen (South Africa) has sponsored a formulation.

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**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113/45 "2021-08-30T18:18:50Z")

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> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> Recurrent fungal infections, anywhere in the body, are a sign of possible immune deficiency, so what your doctor said makes sense.

But this was before I started methotrexate and about three years before I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113/46 "2021-08-30T18:44:40Z")

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> [@SciFiSam](#):
>
> But this was before I started methotrexate and about three years before I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis

Autoimmune and immune mediated diseases are tricky. I have Polymyalgia Rheumatica, which is an immune mediated disease. Looking back on my previous medical history, I have evidence for IBD, which _may_ be immune mediated (indeed mine improves when my PR is being treated) as well as vitiligo, which appears to be an autoimmune disease.

It appears people with autoimmune/immune mediated disease are more likely to have _other_ similar diseases.

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**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113/47 "2021-08-30T18:57:45Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> It appears people with autoimmune/immune mediated disease are more likely to have _other_ similar diseases.

Agreed - and I have asthma, although apparently they’re unconnected. My doctor was saying this as the truth for everyone, though. He wasn’t saying that because I had asthma, I had this, and obviously he wasn’t connecting it to RA because I didn’t have that yet.

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**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-foot-help/949113/48 "2021-09-12T23:22:01Z")

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So, I have been treating my feet with the cream my Dr. gave me with mixed results for the first few weeks. To cut a long story short, I am now pretty sure I have contact dermatitis caused by the off brand pine sol (Pinalen) I was washing me floors and socks with. (I began using it only after I thought I had athlete’s foot, so this wasn’t the start of it.)

I have since washed my socks twice without the Pinalen, and my floors once without it. I still have a minor tingle from time to time, worse when waring socks sometimes. The thing that really tells me it’s the Pinalen is that my feet will fine until I walk barefoot on my floor for a few minuets. I can feel the burning starting. I guess I need to wash the floors a few more times to get the residue off of them.

I’m still treating for the athlete’s foot, but also using hydrocortisone cream.

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