# Normal family doctor or podiatrist for Lamisil **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028 "2015-05-14T13:21:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A.James](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@A.James](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.James)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/1 "2015-05-14T13:21:09Z")
Which do I choose? I’ve made an appointment to see my family doctor, but now I’m thinking I shouldn’t bother him with that and maybe go to a podiatrist first. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/2 "2015-05-14T14:20:13Z")
Any primary care physician can certainly diagnose and treat fungal nails. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/3 "2015-05-14T15:43:50Z")
On the other hand, I had what I thought was a fungal nail, but it actually turned out to be something else. So all of the fungal nail treatments were completely ineffective. So I guess my vote is “podiatrist”. J. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/4 "2015-05-14T16:50:53Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > On the other hand, I had what I thought was a fungal nail, but it actually turned out to be something else. So all of the fungal nail treatments were completely ineffective. > > So I guess my vote is “podiatrist”. > > J. Most primary care docs can also recognize that it’s not a fungal nail, too. This is not rocket surgery we’re talking about here, man. QtM, who has yanked out more toenails with a clamp than some people have had hot dinners. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/5 "2015-05-14T17:09:19Z")
Medical advice is best suited to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/6 "2015-05-14T17:20:54Z")
I guess the question here is whether a podiatrist would provide any advantage over a family doctor for the problem in question. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/7 "2015-05-14T18:23:38Z")
Another point in favor of seeing a primary care doc: If it is fungal and Lamisil is prescribed, and the drug messes up your liver (as Lamisil can do), your primary doc can take care of that liver problem better than your podiatrist. He may also know enough about your particular liver to begin with to know that Lamisil might not be a good idea, if your liver enzymes are funky. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/8 "2015-05-14T18:39:22Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > QtM, who has yanked out more toenails with a clamp than some people have had hot dinners. But the OP is referring to a benevolent doctor, not a sadistic bastard. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/9 "2015-05-15T13:38:45Z")
I had Tinea Corporis (Ringworm) on my feet and the Doctor prescribed Clotrimazole. It worked and the rash cleared up in a few weeks. Won’t work for toenail fungus though. (Which I also have). I know, TMI. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/10 "2015-05-16T20:34:01Z")
The general rule, and the one that your insurance will expect you to follow, is that you go to your primary care physician first. They can then tell you if you need to go to a specialist–and make an official referral so your insurance will pay. You’d think it’d be cheaper to just let them go to the specialist, but that’s not how it’s worked for any of the people that I am close enough with that we discuss insurance stuff. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-family-doctor-or-podiatrist-for-lamisil/720028/11 "2015-05-16T21:36:53Z")
I had six toenails removed on May 11th and I’ll be starting a topical Lamisil treatment soon. The right big toe is still a bit too gooey and oozy to put the cream on though so we’re waiting till it heals up a bit more. I had both big toes, both little toes and a middle toe on each foot done.