Positive overnight results

[Morgan]

Hello again,

I've been laying low due to not having any new or positive news for a while. That is until last night!!

I had been looking into systemic dermatopyte infections and leishmaniasis and came up with terbinafine as a possible treatment.

The brand name is Lamisil and this is marketed as an antifungal. Well last night I used an over the counter cream sold less expensive as a store brand and put it on my hands & feet with overnight results.

I've been taking Albendazole for months now with SOME results but I was becoming frustrated and impatient with the dry crusty hands and feet.
Well, IT WORKS. I knew if I hit on something good medicationwise it would be significant and immediate due to the depth of my infection. Oh and yes it works on the private areas immediately as well.

First good night sleep in a while. phew.

Me and my husband are going to order the oral version of this but wanted to try the cream first on small portions of the body due to this medication having a loooooooooong laundry list of potential side effects.

I will try it first to see results then him. If anyone out there in Morgland has tried this I would love to hear from you with your experience taking this.

This drug is given as an alternative to Grisefulvin.

I'm cautiously hopeful for the new year.

Here is a Pubmed study done in April 2008 citing using stronger doses for shorter periods without negative liver results.

Terbinafine cream introduced in 2007:
Drug treatments for skin disease introduced in 200...[Skin Therapy Lett. 2008] - PubMed Result
---------------------------------------------------
Treatment of dermatophyte onychomycosis with three...[Mycoses. 2008] - PubMed Result

Treatment of dermatophyte onychomycosis with three pulses of terbinafine (500 mg day(-1) for a week).Takahata Y, Hiruma M, Shiraki Y, Tokuhisa Y, Sugita T, Muto M.
Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Juntendo University Nerima Hospital, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

We assessed the safety and efficacy of pulse therapy with terbinafine tablets in 55 patients with dermatophytic onychomycosis. One pulse consisted of oral terbinafine tablets (500 mg day(-1)) given for 1 week usually followed by a 3-week interval. This regimen was repeated twice. Topical 1% terbinafine cream was applied daily. Efficacy was assessed based on both clinical and mycological examinations 1 year after treatment initiation. We observed a complete cure in 41 patients (74.5%), marked improved in three patients (5.6%), slight improvement in three patients (5.6%) and drop out in six patients (10.7%). Two patients (3.6%) discontinued terbinafine because of gastrointestinal disturbance (one patient) and drug-induced eruption (one patient). No patient had abnormal laboratory findings, including liver function tests. In summary, a regimen of three pulses of terbinafine therapy given daily for 1 week in combination with topical application of terbinafine cream appears to be safe and effective in treating dermatophytic onychomycosis and offers advantages in convenience and cost-effectiveness compared with continuous dosing.
------------------------------------
http://aac.asm.org/cgi/reprint/40/12/2785.pdf

Naturally Azole resistant Leishmaniasis rendered susceptable in presence of terbinafine.

------------------------------------

Laundry list of potential drug interations or contraindications:

Terbinafine consumer information from Drugs.com


Morgan

[tcmgpt13]

Hi Morgan,

You have posted an interesting connection to leishmaniasis and some types of superficial cutaneous fungal infections. I was unsure what dermatophyte infections were so looked it up and found this reference which is pretty thorough (lists the types of infections these encompass) and easy to read. Also a couple of good pictures of how this infection looks.

Here is a short sentence from the article "A characteristic feature of dermatophyte infections is an inflammatory pattern at the edge of the skin lesion, noted by redness and scaling or, occasionally, blister formation."

It is interesting to note that the location of the lesions themselves can differentiate between these types of cutaneous fungal infections and those which are candidal: "The location of the lesions also can help identify the pathogen. A dermatophytosis can most likely be ruled out if a patient has mucosal involvement with an adjacent red, scaly skin rash. In this situation, the more probable diagnosis is a candidal infection such as perlèche (if single or multiple fissures are present in the corners of the mouth) or vulvovaginitis or balanitis (if lesions are present in the genital mucosa). From :

Dermatophyte Infections - January 1, 2003 - American Family Physician

Doctors ought to test our lesions for underlying infections, but from what I read here and in my own experiences they seldom take this extra step. I believe in my own case that the underlying infection could be viral, but who is to say it is not something more without testing. Lesions in the cracks of the mouth could be either a herpes virus or candidal infection. It is amazing how so many of us have doctors who treat the infections we have without really testing to see exactly what the infection is in an area. It looks like it could vary a great deal just by location.

For those who may not have seen this link about leishmaniasis I am reposting this link:

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Recognition and Treatment - March 15, 2004 - American Family Physician

I think it is important to read all about this as Morgan has made an important connection here in the type of treatment which might help some of us. It is interesting to see a possible fungal/leishmaniasis connection mentioned just by the fact that there is a drug which can work on both types of infections. Thanks for the information Morgan. Hope to hear it works when you take the drug itself.

Originally Posted by Morgan

Hello again,

I've been laying low due to not having any new or positive news for a while. That is until last night!!

I had been looking into systemic dermatopyte infections and leishmaniasis and came up with terbinafine as a possible treatment.

The brand name is Lamisil and this is marketed as an antifungal. Well last night I used an over the counter cream sold less expensive as a store brand and put it on my hands & feet with overnight results.

I've been taking Albendazole for months now with SOME results but I was becoming frustrated and impatient with the dry crusty hands and feet.
Well, IT WORKS. I knew if I hit on something good medicationwise it would be significant and immediate due to the depth of my infection. Oh and yes it works on the private areas immediately as well.

First good night sleep in a while. phew.

Me and my husband are going to order the oral version of this but wanted to try the cream first on small portions of the body due to this medication having a loooooooooong laundry list of potential side effects.

I will try it first to see results then him. If anyone out there in Morgland has tried this I would love to hear from you with your experience taking this.

This drug is given as an alternative to Grisefulvin.

I'm cautiously hopeful for the new year.

Here is a Pubmed study done in April 2008 citing using stronger doses for shorter periods without negative liver results.

Terbinafine cream introduced in 2007:
Drug treatments for skin disease introduced in 200...[Skin Therapy Lett. 2008] - PubMed Result
---------------------------------------------------
Treatment of dermatophyte onychomycosis with three...[Mycoses. 2008] - PubMed Result

Treatment of dermatophyte onychomycosis with three pulses of terbinafine (500 mg day(-1) for a week).Takahata Y, Hiruma M, Shiraki Y, Tokuhisa Y, Sugita T, Muto M.
Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Juntendo University Nerima Hospital, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

We assessed the safety and efficacy of pulse therapy with terbinafine tablets in 55 patients with dermatophytic onychomycosis. One pulse consisted of oral terbinafine tablets (500 mg day(-1)) given for 1 week usually followed by a 3-week interval. This regimen was repeated twice. Topical 1% terbinafine cream was applied daily. Efficacy was assessed based on both clinical and mycological examinations 1 year after treatment initiation. We observed a complete cure in 41 patients (74.5%), marked improved in three patients (5.6%), slight improvement in three patients (5.6%) and drop out in six patients (10.7%). Two patients (3.6%) discontinued terbinafine because of gastrointestinal disturbance (one patient) and drug-induced eruption (one patient). No patient had abnormal laboratory findings, including liver function tests. In summary, a regimen of three pulses of terbinafine therapy given daily for 1 week in combination with topical application of terbinafine cream appears to be safe and effective in treating dermatophytic onychomycosis and offers advantages in convenience and cost-effectiveness compared with continuous dosing.
------------------------------------
http://aac.asm.org/cgi/reprint/40/12/2785.pdf

Naturally Azole resistant Leishmaniasis rendered susceptable in presence of terbinafine.

------------------------------------

Laundry list of potential drug interations or contraindications:

Terbinafine consumer information from Drugs.com


Morgan

[Morgan]

Thanks for the links tcm.

Yes it would be nice to receive a KOH test at the very least from a physician.

One thing that bothers me is when they write that a dermatophyte infection is a "superfical" infection of the skin. Even ringworm can be quite extensive and serious if left untreated. I used to think it was just a superficial infection that left a little ring on a persons arm, etc and would clear up with ointment. Even one google hit on "ringworm" and images if a freak show in itself. It can be horrendously difiguring.

I currently have bright red fibers coming out of places I care not mention.
I've used micronazole topically in the past on hands and feet, etc but have only seen blue ones come out so this is a new twist.

On a lighter note here is an article about a tribe of women who purposely dip their hair into the soil to get a fungal infection to look more attractive....OMG!!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess...

infectious hair disease - black piedra and white piedra

Black Piedra & White Piedra

It has been suggested that for some native populations, black piedra may have cosmetic importance. There are records of women on some South Pacific islands sleeping with their hair buried in soil to actually encourage infection and development of black piedra. The nodular concretions of the fungal infection were regarded by some a quite attractive.

-------------------------------------

Morgan

[paddel]

The cracks on the side of your mouth is most likely from a candida infection.
Garlic is an excellent antifungal and you can put this on your skin too. Just slice it and tape it. Its very effective against dermatophytes.

Paul

[kmar]

Excellent information on this thread.

[Morgan]

Hello again,

I started taking my terbinafine aka/lamisil yesterday. The first noticable results were my eyes started expelling granules and I felt my vision improve.
Today there were NO noticable white fiber filaments coming out of my knuckles after showering. They were getting as long as 4 inches.
The itching improved as well all over including scalp. Fingers crossed.



Morgan

[tcmgpt13]

Good news Morgan. Maybe an early Xmas present for you. Xfingers for you too.
Here is a study I could find on this drug from 1996 as used for leishmaniasis:

Naturally azole-resistant Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes are rendered susceptible in the presence of terbinafine: comparative study with azole-susceptible Leishmania mexicana promastigotes.

International Journal of Dermatology - Abstract: Volume 36(1) January 1997 p 59-60 Terbinafine in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis: a pilot study.

General discussion of drugs used for leishmaniasis:

Infectious Disease News - Treatment options outlined for cutaneous leishmaniasis

According to this article this is how the systemic use of fungal medications for cutaneous leishmaniasis fares in comparison to other drugs, and which seems to show why those antifungals no longer work that well in treating leishmaniais lesions:

"Two azole antifungal agents, itraconazole and ketoconazole, have been used to treat cutaneous disease. Ketoconazole has the broadest spectrum, but it is, unfortunately, very poorly tolerated. Therapy-limiting adverse events include gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting) as well as hepatotoxicity. Itraconazole, although better tolerated than ketoconazole, is associated with more treatment failures than the other azole compound. Use of both of these agents is limited by the fact that they demonstrate a slower activity against a limited number of strains."

From this same article there is a discussion of an interesting simple heat treatment for these cutaneous lesions:

"Topical therapies to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis include both pharmacologic and non-drug modalities. The simplest of these treatments is the local application of heat. As Leishmania species are heat labile, this topical therapy has been proven effective in placebo-controlled studies. There is an FDA-approved device (ThermoMed, Thermosurgery Technologies) that treats cutaneous disease. This radio-frequency heat generator can be used either as a single treatment or as part of a multiple treatment course."

Some other topical treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis, same article:

"Localized immune modulation has also been considered as adjunctive therapy to systemic treatments. A recent report of topical imiquimod (Aldara, 3M) administered with a systemic antimonial compound was able to reduce scar formation in patients with cutaneous disease. The activity of this immune modulator in leishmaniasis appears to be derived from its ability to stimulate nitric oxide production by macrophages. It is important to note that trials of imiquimod without systemic antimony therapy were unsuccessful.

Other topical creams that produce nitric oxide may also be beneficial for cutaneous leishmaniasis. These include SNAP (S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine), ascorbic acid, salicylic acid and nitrite creams. Studies with each of these agents have had variable results. It does appear that the vehicle plays an important role in the effectiveness of topical treatments. Further studies are needed to determine their exact role in therapy.

Given the limited treatment options for cutaneous leishmaniasis, it is important for clinicians to understand the available agents to treat this disease. The selection of therapeutic agent depends on the potential benefit of treatment vs. the significant toxicities of many of these therapies."

Just adding this about the terbafine from Wikipedia--and it does sound so promising for what we have as this is what the drug does:

Terbinafine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Terbinafine hydrochloride (Lamisil in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Romania, United Kingdom, and United States, also sold under the name Terbisil) is a synthetic allylamine antifungal. It is highly lipophilic in nature and tends to accumulate in skin, nails, and fatty tissues. As a generic it is sold under the name Zabel in Australia. It is now also available as a generic in the United States."

I have read that some members say this is in the nails and of course the skin. It sounds so specific for the areas morgellons effects and sounds very promising as a possible treatment.

Here is one paragraph which does give me pause though, since there is at least one member who posted that the medication for skin lupus (plaquenil) worked for her (CD3girls). Her lesion was tested and evidently her doctor decided on plaquenil. Last we heard it was working well for her.

"It has been found that terbinafine hydrochloride may induce or exacerbate subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Persons with lupus erythematosus should first discuss possible risks with their doctor before initiation of therapy. [1]"

Good luck to you with the trial of terbinafine. Thanks for sharing your news so far.

tcm xxx

[Morgan]

Well folks,

I'm on day 10 of my lamisil treatment. I stopped all Albendazole and anti-helmentic treatments up until yesterday.

It took about seven days before I was shedding like an angora sweater after showering. Not sure if that means better or worsening. I'm betting on expulsion being better. I have add my DEC/Diethylcarbamazine back into my regimine for now due to the itching. Benadryl tends to bind me digestively.

Doing a fiber colon cleanse sure does help before, and during any of these treatments to keep things moving.....whatever is involved....fungus....larvae.

I have enough lamisil for 30 days if I'm good by day 20 and REALLY seeing good results then I will go for the three month treatment that I've read is necessary for poetential systemic mycosis.

Until now I've always used the two pronged parasite/anti-fungal approach.
Antibiotics seemed to make this worse on my scalp.

Best to all. Keep on keepin on.

I think Tom Daschle is going to be our new Health and Human Services Administrator.

Daschle to join Obama's Cabinet - Los Angeles Times
He will be our man when seeking help in the new cabinet.

Have a great night.

Morgan

[posey]

I was so frustrated one day that I bought one of the spray anti fungals and thought I could spray all over my body. The sprays come as powder or liquid, I got the latter.

To my dismay, it says not to use between toes or on scalp. I had especially wanted to put on scalp. I went back to the store toread the other OTC anti fungals and they all say the same thing.

Then I bought Miconazole 3 Dse Treatment for yeast infection. This has not done anything. I am hoping to try a "hit and miss" approach with prescripted anti fungals via a Dr. I see who does believe in Morgellons. I would like to try Ivermectin first. However, I am not optimistic about the anti fungals. These things seem indestructible without God's help.

I am so sick of these feelings. My head tickling, the picky feelings n my face as well as tickling.

posey

[Jo]

Hi Posey,

Welcome to MDR!

I know how you feel. The following makes a difference for me.....A strong brew of green tea, sprayed on face and massaged in hair. Also peppermint, citronella or teatree in shampoo, finished with massage of vinegar and rinse.

I put one of those essential oils in my moisturiser to wear on skin during the day and in my hair serum (again massaged into scalp).

Jo xx