Terbinafine

Information about Terbinafine

Terbinafine Uses

Terbinafine is used in the treatment of fungal infections.

How Terbinafine works

Terbinafine is an antifungal medication. It kills and stops the growth of the fungi by destroying its cell membrane, thereby treating your skin infection.

Common side effects of Terbinafine

Headache, Diarrhea, Rash, Itching, Nausea, Abdominal pain, Decreased appetite, Joint pain, Muscle pain, Urticaria, Dyspepsia, Skin exfoliation
CONTENT DETAILS
Written By
Dr. Love Sharma
PhD (Pharmacology), PGDPRA
Reviewed By
Dr. Shilpa Garcha
MD (Pharmacology), MBBS
Last updated
13 Jun 2023 | 11:29 AM (UTC)

We provide you with authentic, trustworthy and revelant information

Want to know more

Available Medicine for Terbinafine

TerbinaforceMankind Pharma Ltd
₹58 to ₹1844 variant(s)
SebifinSun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
₹110 to ₹4745 variant(s)
TyzaAbbottt
₹88 to ₹2487 variant(s)
TerbestSystopic Laboratories Pvt Ltd
₹63 to ₹1625 variant(s)
Gris ODTDr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd
₹78 to ₹2212 variant(s)
TrfyHegde and Hegde Pharmaceutical LLP
₹88 to ₹2944 variant(s)
TebinaIntas Pharmaceuticals Ltd
₹77 to ₹1996 variant(s)
ZimigGlaxo SmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd
₹3741 variant(s)
TerbicipCipla Ltd
₹58 to ₹4293 variant(s)
FintrixMicro Labs Ltd
₹81 to ₹1584 variant(s)

Expert advice for Terbinafine

  • Terbinafine helps treat fungal infections of the skin and nails.
  • Do not skip any doses and finish the full course of treatment even if you feel better.
  • Treatment may be needed for 2 to 6 weeks for skin infections and 6 weeks to 6 months for nail infections.
  • It can make your skin more sensitive to sun. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen and protective clothing when outdoors.
  • Your doctor may monitor your liver function regularly during treatment. Inform your doctor if you notice yellowing of eyes or skin, dark urine, or stomach pain.
  • Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to conceive or breastfeeding.

Frequently asked questions for Terbinafine

Terbinafine

Q. Can Terbinafine be safe for use in patients with liver cirrhosis?

Oral intake of Terbinafine is not recommended in patients with chronic or active liver disease. Your doctor may prescribe a liver function test to check whether the liver is functioning effectively or not. This is done because the medicine gets metabolized by liver enzymes and any inefficiency in liver function can lead to increased levels of the medication in the blood, resulting in increased side effects and toxicity. Therefore, it is important to inform your doctor if you have any liver disease or cirrhosis. Also, inform your doctor about the medicines you may be taking as taking Terbinafine with another medicine can lead to liver toxicity and Terbinafine by acting on the liver enzymes can change the levels of other drugs. Your doctor may suggest periodic monitoring (after 4-6 weeks of treatment) of liver function test and make dose adjustments accordingly.

Q. Can I drink tea or coffee while taking Terbinafine?

Caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee should be taken with caution while being on treatment with Terbinafine. Terbinafine decreases the rate of metabolism of caffeine by 19% which is an important constituent of coffee, thereby increasing the levels of caffeine in the blood. This increased levels of caffeine may lead to side effects such as jitteriness, headache, increased heartbeat and restlessness.

Q. How long do I need to take Terbinafine?

The usual duration of treatment for Tinea pedis (fungal infection in the foot), Tinea corporis (ringworms) and Tinea cruris (fungal infection in the groin) is about 2 to 4 weeks. However, the duration may sometimes be extended to 6 weeks. Usually, the duration of treatment for fungal infections of nails varies from 6 to 12 weeks. For fingernail fungal infections, it may take 6 weeks whereas toenail fungal infection may take about 12 weeks to recover. However, the exact duration of the therapy is decided by the doctor depending upon the type of infection, the site of infection, and the patient’s response to the therapy.

Q. Does Terbinafine cause any skin reactions?

Yes, sensitive individuals may develop skin reactions while using Terbinafine. However, there are rare reports of people developing serious skin/hypersensitivity reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis and other severe skin reactions with Terbinafine. Therefore, do not take this medication without consulting your physician. Immediately stop the medication and inform your doctor if you develop any type of skin reaction or rashes.

Q. Is Terbinafine effective?

Terbinafine is effective as an anti fungal medicine if used in the dose and duration advised by your doctor. Do not stop taking it even if you see improvement in your condition. If you stop taking this medicine too early, the fungus may continue to grow and the infection may return or worsen.

INDIA’S LARGEST HEALTHCARE PLATFORM

260m+
Visitors
31m+
Orders Delivered
1800+
Cities
Get the link to download App

Connect

  • Social Links
  • Want daily dose of health?
Download App
Reliable

All products displayed on Tata 1mg are procured from verified and licensed pharmacies. All labs listed on the platform are accredited

Secure

Tata 1mg uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 128-bit encryption and is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant

Affordable

Find affordable medicine substitutes, save up to 50% on health products, up to 80% off on lab tests and free doctor consultations.

LegitScript approved
India's only LegitScript and ISO/ IEC 27001:2022 certified online healthcare platform

Know more about Tata 1mgdownArrow

Access medical and health information

Tata 1mg provides you with medical information which is curated, written and verified by experts, accurate and trustworthy. Our experts create high-quality content about medicines, diseases, lab investigations, Over-The-Counter (OTC) health products, Ayurvedic herbs/ingredients, and alternative remedies.

Order medicines online

Get free medicine home delivery in over 1800 cities across India. You can also order Ayurvedic, Homeopathic and other Over-The-Counter (OTC) health products. Your safety is our top priority. All products displayed on Tata 1mg are procured from verified and licensed pharmacies.

Book lab tests

Book any lab tests and preventive health packages from certified labs and get tested from the comfort of your home. Enjoy free home sample collection, view reports online and consult a doctor online for free.

Consult a doctor online

Got a health query? Consult doctors online from the comfort of your home for free. Chat privately with our registered medical specialists to connect directly with verified doctors. Your privacy is guaranteed.

© 2025 Tata 1mg. All rights reserved. All medicines are dispensed in compliance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. We do not process requests for Schedule X and habit forming drugs.