Ringworm...

Hi,
My daughter had ringworm and the peditrician told me to put Lamisil on it twice a day. He said to continue to use it for 5 days ater it had disappeared. I believe that Lamisil is used to treat athletes foot.Anyway, it worked!

We used Tinactin/Lotrimon (or some form of anti-fungal cream that you can buy for athlete's foot) on my son. It took 3 weeks of daily application, but it worked.

When I was young, my sister got ringworm. My grandfather put motor oil on the spots and they went away. Good Luck. :)T.

My brother had that and had to get an anti fungal cream for it. I cannot remember if it was OTC or not. You can always Google ringworm to get more info.

T. B-
Are you sure it's ringworm? Usually ringworm is localized and does not spread unless it is being scratched and then transmitted to another part of the body by touching without washing hands. I ask because it sounds like shingles to me. Shingles can look like ringworm. I would suggest going to a doctor either way because both are highly contagious and both require medication.

lotramin...thats what they prescribed to my son when he got it..you can purchase it over the counter. its like 15$

Not sure of a treatment, but she could try to go to the County she lives in - Health Department and a nurse practitioner can see her for free and treat her.

Dear T.-

I also had to deal with ringworm...and tinactin worked well...eventually! I also had to treat my cat as they can carry this nasty fungus!

I also wanted to say I was surprized to read a comment from a member here who indicated that your friend should see a doctor and pay for it as that is what 'happens' when you do not work.

Hmmm...

It seems to me, that in this day of job/benifit losses, foreclosures, financial bail out of institutions...a bit of compassion MIGHT be in order...PARTICULARLY in a support room...

In any case, I send good thoughts to your friend...And i send hope that with election time just around the corner, maybe the economic tide will turn for the better for all!

Have a good week!
Michele/catwalk

My children have experienced ringworm after going on campouts inthe past. The treatment that was prescribed to them was anti-fungal cream (Wal-mart sells a generic cream and the name is antifungal cream bt equate). In all actuality it is in the same family of disease as athlete's foot. So as long as the cream has at least 1% clotrimazole and it. Instructions for use is on the product. However, it will not work if the ringworm is on the scalp. If left untreated it will just continue to spread. I hope this helps.

Over the counter anti fungal cream works for us.

Tinactin... Worked wonders for my nephew!!! It's very common, but very contagious... We used the spray on him twice a day...

Unfortunately, if nothing works to get rid of them, she will need to seek medical attention. The easiest thing is to go to the ER...they do not require insurance and they will just bill you for the visit. Then, once you get the bill, you can call them and explain the situation about no insurance and no income. At least while she is there, she would be able to ask the physician if there are any at home remedies (what would DEFINITELY work) and they'd be able to possibly presciribe treatment that is really cheap (like walmart $4 drugs). Also, I worked in ER registration here where I live and they actually have someone employed by the hospital that helps you find medical help (insurance, etc). She might want to inquire about that as well. I, personally, am a 28 y/o full time student and a mother of a 2 1/2 year old and I can't work because my classes are very demanding (going to school to become a Physician's Assistant). I actually am eligible for the state of MD Medicade. Maybe your friend should go to the local Dept. of Social Services office and apply for that. It DEFINITELY helps out in times of need. If you need any more info or advice about this, please feel free to message me. :-) In the end, seeking treatment by a doctor may be the only way to do it if it keeps spreading unfortunately. Good luck.

T.,

Ringworm is a fungal infection that is very common, it can be treated with any OTC fungal cream such as miconazole, or even an athelets foot cream. If your friend has pets, she might want to check them to see if they have any, though cats that are indoor/outdoor can be carriers without having any signs of ringworm. If she has pets and finds that they too have ringworm, she can treat the animals with the same medication. If she has cats and thinks that is where she is getting the ringworm from she can find an anti-fungal shampoo and bathe them in it. This should help her out alot. If you have any more questions about this please feel free to contact me. I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician and come across ringworm all the time in peoples pets. Hope this helps your friend and others.

Blue star ointment works really good. You can get it at any pharmacy.

My pediatrician recommended Tinactin.

Firstly, ringworm is very very very contagious. Your friend needs to keep them clean and covered. As for an inexpensive way to heal them, try Lotriman. I had ringworm once when I was younger and Lotriman cleared it up in a few days. I had to keep re-appling and kept them covered, but it worked!! You can find Lotriman (not sure if I spelled it right) at any drug store.

Hi. ringworm is a fungus and not an issue for insurance. They sell Clotrimazole at any rite aid or walgreens. It does not matter if it says it is for athletes foot or ringworm, they are all related. Apply a layer on each spot morning and evening for 4 weeks. If it does not clear up by then, she will have to see a doctor.

M.

my daughter recently had ringworm and the doctor told us to use over-the-counter ointment: Lotrimin (its used for athlete's foot, a form of ringworm). I was skeptical but after a week, all the spots disappeared! The doctor told us to keep using it for a week after the spots went away, this way, they won't come back and sure enough, it didn't come back!
Good luck!

Where do you all live? Email me privately, I have something for her.

Ringworm is a fungus and is very contagious. Tell your friend to get a strong over the counter antifungal. Also tell her to watch other family members. It is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact so make sure she thoroughly washes her clothes and does not rewear anything before it's been washed while she is treating this. If it has progressed to where it is blistering she will need to find a free clinic (there are ones all over) to get antibiotics because a bacteria has become involoved.

Ringworm is just a fungal infection. My 7 m.o. son had it and the Dr. told us to buy Lotrimin AF. The package says for athlete's foot but it is for ringworm too. I think you are supposed to use it for a couple weeks. It healed right away on my son.

I thought my daughter had ring worm recently (due to the circle shaped patches on her legs and back) however it was just a flare up of eczema. My doc prescribed a 1% hydrocortizone cream and lots of moisture--such as Aquafor or vaseline applied to the spots shortly after bath. Try this...maybe she has eczema and didn't know it. My daughter's skin is flawless 90% of the year except when the weather changes. That's when I see the most skin irritation. Best of luck to her!

My stepson is a wrestler and when he got ringworm, we used something over the counter, like for athlete's foot.

My neighbor would use Blue star oinment whenever her kids would get one and that always worked for them. You can find it at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, or any other pharmacy.

Well I have had my share of experience with ring worm...I worked at a Learning Center for years; and I can tell you/your friend can get a handle on this without a doctor’s help. I also have a son who had a case of it,..that took 9 months to get rid of (because it was in the scalp and alittle harder to cure). Depending on where it is on the body...treatment may take longer. Mt suggestion is; to get you some Selsun Blue (Medicated) shampoo and rub it all over the affected area. Let it dry then shower or take a bath to wash it off. I would also suggest applying Blue Star Ointment. This method works! It may take a couple of weeks to completely disappear, may even take a month...but, it works! Good luck.

all you need is an antifungal cream go to a pharmacy. It does take a while for it to go away

She should visit her nearest free clinic/health department. Also, she she look into free health insurance for the children through her state. I know MD has it.

It's a fungus. Like athlete's foot. Use Tinactin or something similar. Is is highly contagious also. She should change/not re-wear her clothing and wash her sheets and towels often. It could take up to 4 weeks to heal.

My son has had a couple of bouts of what we believe to be ringworm on his lower legs. It takes forever to go away, but we've had luck using Lotrimin (the stuff for "jock itch"). We recently heard on the NPR program "The People's Pharmacy" to use Vagisil. We tried it with success, though it's not an overnight cure either.

Good luck!

Hi T., Ringworm can be so annoying and embarrassing! I have never had more than one sore at a time, but I did get it once or twice when I was a little kid. My dad diagnosed it right away since he'd had it before, and he knew just what to use-- an old product called "NP27". I'm not sure if they still sell it, since this was 20 years ago, but the following website will give you info on it and tell you the active ingredient so you might find something else that has the same efffect: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/np-27.html . With all the sores she has, I am not sure if simply treating each individual sore will work--it sounds fairly serious to me. But it's worth a try if she doesn't have any other choices. Much better to use something more agressive this point than nail polish remover!!! Good luck!

my kids got ringworm from the river... go get some generic antifungal cream, since ringworm is a fungus, load it up like 4 times a day, and keep it covered!! its sooo contagious! it should clear up in a few days... but they must be very very clean about it, and diligent about keeping it covered. a small tube costs about $3. GOOD LUCK to your friend!!

Hi T.,

I had a kitten years ago who carried the ring worm fungus (the rash is not from worms) from the hen yard where it was born. As I recall the doctor prescribed an anti-fungal cream, so maybe something like Tinactin or Lotramin which are both over the counter anti-fungal medications might help. Good luck!

Janet

I don't think there is an at-home remedy for this. Go to a doctor! If she has to pay for the treatment, then that's what happens when you don't work. Sounds harsh, but that's the reality of it. Besides, having ringworm all over like that needs a doctor's treatment.

K.

I had ringworm a few years ago and was in the same position with no insurance. I did go to the doctor, and told him I couldn't afford an expensive prescription. He told me to purchase Selsun Blue shampoo to control the itch and use a topical anti-fungal cream. I bought both and because it was hard to reach places like my back, I also bought the athletes foot spray. The spray has the same active ingredient as the cream. Just be sure she keeps using it even after the itch stops to be sure it really gone.
Also, she should wash all her sheets, and clothes in hot water to be sure she doesn't spread it.

Chesapeake has a free clinic, what city are you in?
Also, topicort will clear it up if you know someone who has some.

Ringworm is a fungus like athlete's foot and is treated with the same medication. Ringworm is normally a ring of red rough dry looking skin. The ring spreads by getting larger. If it is ringworm you can read the package for athlete's foot cream and see how long to treat the ringworm, it's usually 2 times a day for 2-4 weeks. Hope this helps.

Ringworm requires antibiotics. My middle daughter had ringworm a year ago - when I took her to the doctor for treatment he told me ringworm is caused by fungi and is a form of staph infection. Hers was on her forehead and he said what probably happened is- we had been repotting plants and working in the garden- so he thought she either had a scratch previously or scratched herself and some on the fungi from the soil got in and infected her. I asked if their was a home remedy and he said no - it would continue to spread until she received antibiotics - we were given a cream that was applied 3x's daily and it took about a week for it to diasppear completely.

Anti-fungal cream works; I had a ringworm and the doctor prescribed it. You can get it at any store (walmart, grocery store...). It would be in the foot section where you get the athlete foot spray and cream. It is the cream that you use on athletes foot. I thought it was weird at first but it cleared it up in 3 days. Good luck. Hope this was helpful.

L. K

T., ringworm is a fungus, and an excellent treatment for it is iodine compounds. If your friend can find Betadine, then that is a good treatment. I suggest that she talk to the local pharmacist and ask for his/her recommendation.

If I remember correctly, ringworm is really a fungal infection and you treat it with the same stuff people use for athletes' foot. Tinactin is a good over the counter cream for that, but any generic anti-fungal should work fine. According to Dr. Gott in the local paper Vick's Vapo-Rub also works on fungal infections, so if she can stand the smell, it may be the less expensive alternative to use, since it sounds like she will need a lot of it.

Hi T.,

Try Lamisil, you can get this over the counter. You may need more than bottle because your friend has so many, but this will definitely work. The ringworm takes about 6-8 weeks to go away, so be patient because it does take a long time.

Hi. I didn't read your other responses so this may be a repeat, but buy O.T.C. althlete's foot cream. When my daughter got it, ring worm, her Dr. told be to buy it. She said althete's foot is the same fungus. It worked fine on my daughter and she hasn't had it since. Good Luck.

Is she here in VA? I know of a FREE medical clinic she can go to called The Love of Jesus clinic. I have heard of one or two but not that many all over. She needs medicine and I usually like to take the natural route too.

Let me know how she does.

Take Care,
N. :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 12, 7 & 2 yrs old and married to my Mr. wonderful for almost 15yrs. We love to help other moms, who want to become SAHMs, reach that goal. If you know someone who wants to be a SAHM, please email me or have them email me at ____@____.com. Thanks!

Two cheap options for treatment to try:

GBMC has a community clinic based on income in Baltimore city.

We are also uninsured and have to get creative. We have tried the CVS minute-clinic. It costs $59. I'm sure they could treat ringworm. For children's insurance, Maryland Children's Health Program is awesome. MCHP.

Hello:

I had to deal with this (stray cat I adopted brought it into the house) and it will be a long road to get rid of it. Ringworm is actually a fungal infection. She will have to use an over the counter antifungal cream like lotrimin as per the application directions. It can take as long as 4 weeks to clear up the infections.
Then there are the other places such as her bed linens and the entire house where the spores will be (as she sheds skin cells she is also shedding fungal spores from the lesions). She should change her sheets and vacuum her bed immediately and probably every couple of days until she doesn't see any more new lesions popping up. She should also vacuum the house daily for at least a week and change the vacuum bag EACH TIME. (also, change it carefully so as to not spread more spores--maybe put it in a plastic bag and seal it before putting it the trash outside). The spores can get through a typical vacuum cleaner. If you know anyone with a Rainbow vacuum cleaner or other water trap vacuum cleaner borrow it--I credit that with my ability to get my house free of spores quickly. (The dirt gets trapped in the water and can't escape back into the air and your house.)
If she has pets, they will need to be treated also (pets are a likely source of ringworm). The vet can give them a pill that works well and quickly.

Good luck, it took me about 2 months to get rid of it. But, another woman I ran into at the veterinarian's said it took her a year, but she had a lot of pets.

B.

The doctor prescribed my husband athletes foot cream.

Your friend can buy "Lotriderm Cream" over the counter (i.e. CVS, Safeway, Giant) and apply that to the rash spots. It's an antifungal cream that I used for my son when he had ringworms on his face. You can find it in the foot care section.

I would advise that she apply the medicine and air out until she heals. Do not completely cover the spots since she is in the house to keep the medicine from absorbing on the bandage she want it to work on her skin. She should see a difference within 3 days even though it takes a few weeks to completely heal. If she does not see any results within 5 days than I would recommend that she finds a doctor quick or it will continue to spread.

Try Tinactin or Benadryl ointment. My son had ringworm before. It was only one spot, but we applied it twice a day. It took some weeks to go away, so tell your friend to be patient.

My husband had ringworm and the doctor told him it was the same fungus that caused athlete's foot, so he could use the stuff that cures that. It takes a very long time (months) and you have to use it twice a day, but it did take care of it. Hope this helps!

T.,
My 6 year old daughter has ringworm on her foot and we had her seen by our ped. and we were told to use an over the counter antifungal cream, the one we bought said to use twice a day but our ped. told us to apply it as many times as possible. She also told us that it takes awhile to get rid of. Good luck to your friend, hope this helps.

My daughter was just in the ER last month for ring worm. He told her to get a tube of cream for athlete's foot! No pills or anything. Unfortunately, I don't recall the brand she used, but it was just OTC medication for athlete's foot. It worked. Best of luck.

Athletes foot cream definately worked for me. I caught it on my neck and couldn't figure out how I got it. I could only figure that I contracted it from money. I work in retail and am a general manager, therefore come in contact with the public and money every day. Tea tree oil (melaleuca products) suprisingly did not work for me with this issue. Keep using for two weeks after spots are gone to complete the cycle break.
good luck

My husband gets ringworm all the time b/c he's a fighter. He says Lamisil is the best. It's over the counter & not too expensive.

Since ringworm is a fungus try an antifungal cream-athlete's foot treatment. Lamisil is one brand that comes to mind-my doctor prescribed lamisil when my son and I got ringworm several years ago-the over the counter versions and prescription versions have the same active ingredient.

Try Blue Star Ointment. It's an old remedy, but may help.

Has she tried an antifungal ointment like those used to treat athletes foot? One note about applying antifungal ointment to ringworms: To help prevent spreading apply the ointment in a circle outside of the infected area itself and then apply it to the ringworm in the middle (this is the way the pharmacist recommended). Do this at least twice each day. Also, tell your friend to use fresh towels after showering. Good luck.

Use tinactin or jock itch cream.

I feel her pain. I once had 8 consecutive ring worms. Selsun Blue with the red cap works for treating ringworm. Just have her use it at a shower gel daily. Also lotrimin works but not as well from personal experience. Hope this helps.