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Terbinafine for Onychomycosis, Toenail User Reviews (Page 4)

Brand names: Lamisil, Terbinex

Terbinafine has an average rating of 6.6 out of 10 from a total of 363 reviews for the treatment of Onychomycosis, Toenail. 57% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 31% reported a negative experience.

Reviews for Terbinafine

  • Sarahh...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 20, 2014

"Got my first toenail fungus when I was 9 years old due to a public swimming pool. It started off as athlete's foot and later developed to toenail fungus. Throughout the years, they spread to all 5 toes on one foot. Tried every topical treatment, and for the past 2 years, I did 5 laser toenail treatments, and nothing worked! I was tired of not being able to wear open-toe shoes, and being a 27-year-old female living in California, this was tough! I was very concerned with all the side effects, but I never got any serious reactions. I felt like I lost some of my appetite and had some discomfort in my stomach the first month. I am now one week away from finishing my 3-month dose, and I honestly can't believe it, my nails are practically all clear! Totally worth it."

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  • Jenner
  • September 29, 2017

Lamisil (terbinafine) "It is so important to get rid of all of your shoes and socks at about the 3-month mark of taking the prescription, when you are starting to see healthy toenail growth, or it will keep coming back. Definitely worth the sacrifice!!"

9 / 10
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  • fungal
  • August 30, 2019

"30yo F, generally healthy: My experience with terbinafine has been excellent. I'm usually pretty sensitive to meds, so I was honestly terrified to take this drug because of the reported side effects. But, after almost a full year of trying to topically cure my horrific toenails that I had neglected for about 15 years (they were so bad before I started treating them, I wish I could include photos), I finally went to the podiatrist for real treatment options. He said oral terbinafine for 12 weeks is truly the gold standard for toenail infections and that he rarely sees side effects in his patients. Cut to today; I haven't had any negative side effects after 9 weeks of treatment. I do feel a little jittery when I drink coffee, so I stopped drinking it. But that's it! Not bad, friends. Initial and repeat LFTs were totally normal. My toenails are now growing in normally for the first time in probably 5 years. My heels are smooth! TLDR: If you need it, give it a try. Good luck, I wish you the best."

9 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Vio
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • March 3, 2014

Lamisil (terbinafine) "I was on this medication for 5 months straight with no results. No bad side effects, but it caused very fast weight loss. I lost about 15 lbs without trying, so I discontinued treatment in fear of losing too much weight. It slowed the yellowing of my big toenail, but did not help eliminate it. Will have to see the doctor for other treatment."

1 / 10
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  • Givei...
  • September 26, 2015

Lamisil (terbinafine) "You won't see results for about 2 months after you start taking it, but be patient, it works. You might have to refill 1-3 times and go about six months between them, but it does work. It takes time. The first time it killed about 30%, then the second time about 30%, now on the third round, almost gone."

10 / 10
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Are you taking this medicine?

  • Jay
  • July 20, 2013

Lamisil (terbinafine) "This pill works wonders. It's been a couple of weeks, and I can definitely see significant improvement in the overall health of my nails! I would recommend this, given that liver functions are normal before taking this."

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • September 14, 2011

Lamisil (terbinafine) "I took these pills twice. The first time they did not work at all. The second time, I had my toenails removed and took Lamisil for three months, and it worked great. I recommend this pill. Just stay away from alcohol so you will not harm your liver or kidneys. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."

10 / 10
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More FAQ

  • Punkie
  • November 8, 2014

Lamisil (terbinafine) "I started in July, it's been 3 months. I have had the foot issue for years, so I suspect it will take some time to heal. I do see proper coloring showing up at the bottom of the nail, so I am hopeful. The new clear part looks good. It's too bad that it is probably going to take a year for the entire nail to show up correctly. I have had no side effects, and if I had a loss of appetite or taste, I would be incredibly happy that the medicine would solve two problems at once. Cost-wise, I think that the entire bottle will last the full time."

10 / 10
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  • 777St...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 3, 2014

"I'd suffered from toenail fungus for over ten years. I'd tried every possible topical treatment, but nothing worked. All ten of my nails were infected. I also had very dry, rough skin on my feet. Doctors just told me this was dry skin and couldn't be treated. I researched Lamisil for my nail fungus, but the side effects scared me. Eventually, my feet were affecting my life, so I decided I had to try it. It's amazing! I literally saw results within 2 weeks. In the past, I'd trim and file my nails to remove the fungus, and after that, they'd look slightly better, but within days the fungus would reappear. Not anymore! And my rough, dry skin stopped too. 7 weeks in, and they're looking great: smooth skin and no side effects."

10 / 10
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  • JHano
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • August 9, 2019

"After reading a lot of reviews on here, I was so anxious about taking this drug that I'm surprised I did. But after living with toenail fungus for 25+ years, and then I got it on one finger, I had to give it a try. I'm very glad I did. I had no side effects from the medication. The worst part was the anxiety about potential side effects! I just finished it 2 weeks ago, but so far my fingernail looks vastly improved and I see healthy regrowth on my toes. I was really scared to take this medication, so I wanted to tell my story here. My practitioner and the pharmacist both said one glass of wine per day was fine with this medication. I had liver tests before starting treatment, mid-way through, and at the end. All were fine, no change."

9 / 10
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  • WW-NJ
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • July 21, 2017

Lamisil (terbinafine) "Part 2) Still frustrated by toenail fungus. In June 2017, I asked a foot doctor to prescribe generic Lamisil. Less than a week after I started taking it, I started getting fevers and chills, my urine turned dark, I had a loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, and felt itchy all over. I felt terrible but hoped I could get through it by taking Advil for the fevers/chills and Benadryl for the itching. Then I got a rash on my upper body again. None of the other side effects were going away. I discontinued use. Lab work showed my liver count was high. After a few days off terbinafine, all negative side effects have stopped. I will go back for lab work again next week and expect it to show my liver function to be normal. Use caution with this drug!"

1 / 10
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  • Mano
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • June 29, 2018

Lamisil (terbinafine) "Lamisil cured me of an issue I have had since childhood. I was one of the lucky ones to get my toenail infected when I was just a small child, and I have lived with this embarrassing condition for 20 years, with no treatments working. My nail was completely infected and raised from the nail bed. I decided to finally try this treatment, although with little hope (I wouldn't believe my nail would start growing clear). A year later, and I have a beautiful toenail as if it was never infected. The only side effects I had were a mild allergic reaction at the beginning of the treatment. There is hope, and I couldn't be happier!"

10 / 10
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  • Oosally
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 11, 2016

"I've been on terbinafine for about 4 weeks now. It's a miracle worker. All 10 of my toes are infected and have been for about 10 years. Finally worked up the courage to take it after reading all these bad reviews and being sketchy about it, I decided to give it a try. Within 4 weeks, both of my big toenails are halfway cleared up, and 2 others are on their way as well! Moving along fairly quickly. I didn't have any side effects really besides a change in my urine/BM smell, but that's to be expected. It's the best thing I've done. Looking forward to this summer and showing off my FEET finally! Don't let the other reviews scare you off, everyone takes differently. Good luck! - female, 24"

10 / 10
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  • Pretty...
  • February 2, 2014

"Took daily for 3 months. Worked like a charm! Tips: 1) Hang a calendar in the bathroom as a reminder to take the pill. 2) Buy a multipack of cheap nail files. File the top nail surface as low as you can get it. Repeat often with a new file. 3) Keep them trimmed as short as you can. Clean clippers with alcohol between uses. 4) Use a secondary treatment for the nail surface. I tried a liquid that you brush on, cream, or use coconut oil/tea tree mixture 2x a day. 5) Soak feet 2x a month in vinegar/Listerine to remove dead skin & kill fungus. Using this method, my nails have no sign of fungus 1 year later. No more pain or itch. I continue the coconut/tea tree daily and soaks 2x a month."

10 / 10
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  • Cheni...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • November 12, 2015

Lamisil (terbinafine) "I took the generic form for 3 months last January-March. Of four badly infected toes (the others had it too, but it wasn't super obvious), one cleared up right away during treatment, and the big toe has taken forever but is growing in normally. There is still 1/8 inch yucky nail at the top of the big toenail, but the new part looks good. This is almost a year later! My two little toenails still looked pretty bad until about a month ago, when I realized they were about 75% improved and still continue to improve. I had no side effects at all. My doctor told me to apply topical Lamisil EVERY DAY for the rest of my life to keep this from coming back and to throw out ALL footwear and replace it during treatment, so I did."

9 / 10
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  • Pink
  • April 8, 2016

"If this can help one person get the courage to get on this medication, then it is worth it. I suffered from this for over 5 years. It killed my self-esteem and gave me anxiety. I was scared to take medicine because of all the side effects I read about online. When I first started medication (September), I had a slight metallic taste in my mouth and general dizziness at times. The taste went away after a few weeks. I didn't drink any alcohol for 3 months, and I stayed fairly active at the gym. (No alcohol was hard, but I was scared to risk liver damage.) It is now April, and my nails are normal. It is so amazing to not have to worry about such a gross problem. Don't be scared of reviews online. Everyone is different."

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  • LindaH
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 24, 2018

Lamisil (terbinafine) "Tried the newest approach to getting rid of fungus after 10 years of doing the OTC method, which didn’t work, and fungus spread to 4 other nails. I followed my doctor’s instructions to take Lamisil for 7 days straight, then stop and take again for 7 days (every other month). At the same time, I am doing laser nail treatment (Lunula Laser) once a month and applying Jublia daily. What can I say? FINALLY... I am so happy it is going away after 6 months of treatment, and I am finally seeing results."

9 / 10
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  • ChrisLM
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • March 3, 2017

Lamisil (terbinafine) "Took this for 2 1/2 months (generic version). Fungus improved somewhat, however, the side effects of weight gain, water retention, diarrhea, and stomach pain were not worth it. The side effects increased the longer I was on the medication. I take nothing else, and there were no other changes or health issues, so I know 100% this medication was the culprit."

4 / 10
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  • Marinoz
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 24, 2016

Lamisil (terbinafine) "Took the medication for 35 days, was onto my second script when I got loss of taste, my mouth tasted like sour milk 24/7. When eating sweet food, I couldn't taste the sweet, and anything sweet made the sour milk taste in my mouth worse. Also, eating dairy gave the same effect. Eating salted food was tasteless. Great diet pill, as everything tastes so foul, including water. Went to the doctor, says stop taking it, and the foul taste could last for several weeks. Return if still no good in six weeks. My toenail was starting to look better, but needed to complete the course. Will have to revert to natural method, tea tree oil. Also got headaches with this medication, although that could be due to lack of water as drinking water tastes sour."

2 / 10
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  • Toenail...
  • February 24, 2011

Lamisil (terbinafine) "I can tolerate most medicine side effects, but after 2-3 weeks, everything had no taste or tasted metallic. I stopped after 5 weeks; I needed to eat. Taste came back fairly fast. I tried to stick it out but couldn't. The weird loss of taste was too much."

3 / 10
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  • rick
  • September 6, 2016

Lamisil (terbinafine) "Took for 3 months. Painless. Absolutely no side effects. At the end, the fungus appeared maybe 15-20% better. The dermatologist said the toenail had to grow out and would not renew the prescription. Will check with my family practice doctor to see if another 30-60 days is possible. Very sorry to hear the experiences of others. Completely fine for me."

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  • Furgie
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 16, 2019

"I am so sorry I ever took terbinafine. I have a fungus on one of my toenails, and my doctor prescribed this. Immediately, I lost all sense of taste and smell, with the exception of a metallic taste in my mouth. I was determined to push through this, but after a few days, I started vomiting every time I took this pill. I have many rare side effects from a variety of drugs, but this is the worst. I have had nausea consistently after beginning this. After 4 weeks, side effects were so bad I stopped it. I am using an anti-nausea medication, which is helping with that. The worst of all is that my liver enzymes have gone up, and I am awaiting a scan of my liver."

1 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • October 17, 2009

Lamisil (terbinafine) "I have been using it for 5 months. My doctor advises one more month of use. I had fungus on 2 nails, and my big toenail, which was 80% infected, has improved to about 15% remaining. The improvement in the nails was very slow for the first 3-4 months, but with this last month, you can see the improvement every day. Thankfully, there were no side effects other than stomach cramps for the first few days. Monthly blood draws to check liver enzymes are normal."

8 / 10
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  • starf...
  • January 12, 2016

Lamisil (terbinafine) "Have had toenail fungus for 10 years. It got so bad that the yellow nails grew upward at a depth of 1/8 inch. Pretty disgusting. Over the course of those years, I had tried every cream and topical that any doctor would give me, any store-bought method, and any old wives' tale I could find. NONE of them worked. They would never give me Lamisil in pill form, quoting all the ill side effects. Finally, a doctor who thought that was crazy, given the extent of the fungus. I am on my second month (of three) with the pills, and I file the top down with a Dremel every time I get a chance. I am seeing improvement in the rate of the growth. It has slowed down tremendously. I am very hopeful that this method will extinguish this horrid fungus."

8 / 10
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  • mycel...
  • October 14, 2014

"I have had an infection on all 10 toenails since I was in my early teens - either through poor hygiene or a communal swimming area. I am now 38, and in the last 5 or so years, I became fed up with hiding my feet, so I began to use topical treatments to little avail. I then went for laser treatment and wasted a lot of money. As a last resort, I went to the doctor, he prescribed me terbinafine, and within a couple of weeks, I noticed clean and clear nails growing from the bed. Almost 6 months in, and my nails are practically clear of the infection. If only I had started taking this years ago rather than wasting money on over-the-counter treatments. I'm now looking forward to my next holiday, where I will finally be able to wear whatever footwear I want."

10 / 10
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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.