Daktarin Gold 2% Cream 15g
What is Daktarin Gold 2% Cream?
Daktarin Gold 2% Cream is a medicine which is used to treat skin infections which may appear on the feet (Athlete’s Foot), in the groin area (Dhobie itch/tinea cruris) or between skin folds (Sweat Rash infected with a yeast infection ‘thrush’).
The cream rapidly relieves the itching which these fungal infections cause. It also provides long lasting protection from Athlete’s Foot, as it will continue to work even after you have stopped using it. The cream contains the active substance, ketoconazole, which works by destroying the fungi and yeasts that cause the infection.
If you have Athlete’s Foot, the skin between your toes will be red and itchy. Your skin may flake and crack and often the infection causes an unpleasant ‘cheesy’ smell. It is encouraged by moist, warm conditions and can be recognised by redness, irritation and itchiness between the toes.
Tinea cruris or Dhobie Itch is a fungal infection that occurs in the groin area and causes intense itching and inflammation (redness and soreness). In men, the skin of the scrotum is often affected.
Candidal intertrigo or sweat rash which has been infected with a yeast infection (‘thrush’) is usually found under the breasts and where fleshy areas around the waist or under the armpits become damp with sweat between the deep folds of skin. The skin area becomes red and sore, and it often looks like moisture is coming from the surface.
How do you catch Athlete’s Foot?
It’s extremely infectious so anyone can pick it up, especially people sharing communal changing rooms and showers.
Once the fungal spores have been transferred onto the feet, they thrive in the warm, moist areas between the toes. The skin soon becomes inflamed and itchy with flaking or cracking occurring.
The infected flakes of skin are then shed onto the floor or into the socks and shoes by walking or friction.
Someone else will be easily infected if they step on these flakes, or if they share towels or footwear with someone who has already got Athlete’s Foot.
What is more, even if you’ve already got rid of your Athlete’s Foot, it’s very easy to re-infect yourself. The spores can live on or in your shoes or socks and if you don’t change them regularly, or treat them with antifungal powders or spray powders, the Athlete’s Foot soon returns.
How to prevent re-infection
If you want to avoid the vicious circle of re-infection, here are a few helpful hints.
- Spray inside your shoes and socks with fungicidal powder before putting them on.
- Don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day. This helps reduce the build-up of sweat which provides the moisture on which the fungus thrives.
- Avoid synthetic footwear. Choose cotton socks and leather shoes which allow your feet to breathe.
- Avoid sharing towels or footwear.
- Avoid walking barefoot in changing rooms.
- Dry thoroughly between your toes and keep toenails short as this reduces the number of places fungi can grow.
How to use Daktarin Gold 2% Cream
- Each tube of cream is sealed – unscrew the cap and use the cap to pierce the seal.
- For topical use only, which means it is applied directly to the affected area of skin.
- Do not use more often than the stated dose shown in the table.
How to apply Daktarin Gold 2% Cream
- Wash the infected area and dry it well. As many skin conditions are contagious, you should keep a towel and flannel for your own use and not share it so that you do not infect anyone else.
- Apply the cream onto the infected area and surrounding skin.
- Wash your hands carefully after applying the cream to avoid spreading the infection to other parts of the body or to other people. Similarly, clothing which comes into contact with the infected areas, such as socks, should be washed and changed frequently.
For skin infections of the trunk, groin, feet and hands, apply Daktarin Gold 2% Cream to the affected and immediate surrounding area once or twice a day.
Your doctor will tell you how often to use it and for how long. Depending on the type of infection, treatment may last 2 to 6 weeks.
For Athlete’s foot (infections between the toes)
Adults: Rub the cream gently between the toes and surrounding area once or twice a day (morning and night) for 4 to 6 weeks. Treatment may be necessary for up to 6 weeks.
- Continue to apply the cream to the affected areas for a few days after signs of infection have cleared to prevent them coming back.
- If symptoms have not improved within 4 weeks talk to your doctor.
For Dhobie itch and Sweat Rash (Candidal Intertrigo)
Adults: Rub the cream into the affected and surrounding area once or twice daily.
- Continue treatment for a few days after signs of infection have cleared. Treatment may be necessary for up to 4 weeks. You may feel relief from symptoms quickly but it is important that you continue to use the cream as described to prevent them from coming back.
- If symptoms have not improved within 4 weeks talk to your doctor.
What does Daktarin Gold 2% Cream contain
The active ingredient in 1 g of Daktarin Gold 2% Cream is: Ketoconazole 20 mg.
Other ingredients are: Propylene glycol, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, sorbitan stearate, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, isopropyl myristate, sodium sulphite (E221) and purified water.
