Generics: Cheaper Drugs With The Same Active Ingredients

Generic Lamisil is a cheaper version of Lamisil, a very effective and trusted antifungal medicine. Generic and brand name Lamisil have identical active ingredient Terbinafine, and Terbinafine will produce the same therapeutic effect as the brand name drug. Generic medications can usually be purchased for a fraction of the cost of their branded counterparts. Because generic medications are often much cheaper than their branded counterparts, many people choose buying generic medications online, and many insurance companies actually require that they be used. The combination of generic substitutions and reference pricing would give patients an incentive to choose the cheapest product, while helping them avoid unnecessary costs.

Lamisil tablets contain the active ingredient terbinafine hydrochloride, which is an antifungal medicine used to treat infections caused by fungi. ( In addition to terbinafine tablets, FDA also approved an application for a generic version of Lamisil (terbinafine hydrochloride) to treat athlete's foot, a skin disease caused by a fungus that usually occurs between the toes.

Active Ingredient of Lamisil
250mg

Therapeutic indications

Fungal infections of the skin and nails caused by Trichophyton, Microsporum canis and Epidermophyton floccosum. Oral Lamisil is indicated in the treatment of ringworm (tinea corporis, tinea cruris and tinea pedis) where oral therapy is considered appropriate due to the site, severity or extent of the infection. Terbinafine tablets are also indicated in the treatment of onychomycosis.

Posology and administration

The duration of treatment for most patients is between 6 weeks and 3 months. Treatment periods of less than 3 months can be anticipated in patients with fingernail infection, toenail infection other than of the big toe, or patients of younger age. In the treatment of toenail infections, 3 months is usually sufficient although a few patients may require treatment of 6 months or longer. Poor nail outgrowth during the first weeks of treatment may enable identification of those patients in whom longer therapy is required.

Special warnings

Lamisil tablets are not recommended for patients with chronic or active liver disease. Before prescribing Lamisil tablets, any pre-existing liver disease should be assessed. Patients prescribed Lamisil tablets should be instructed to report immediately any signs or symptoms suggestive of liver dysfunction such as pruritus, unexplained persistent nausea, anorexia or tiredness, or jaundice, vomiting, fatigue, abdominal pain or dark urine, or pale stools. Patients with these symptoms should discontinue taking oral terbinafine and the patient's liver function should be immediately evaluated. Lamisil should be used with caution in patients with psoriasis, as very rare cases of exacerbation of psoriasis have been reported.

Interaction with other medicinal products

The antibiotic rifampicin may increase the breakdown of terbinafine by the body and so may decrease the blood level of terbinafine. If you are taking both medicines together your doctor may need to prescribe a larger than normal dose of terbinafine to treat your infection. Some cases of menstrual disturbance (breakthrough bleeding and irregular cycle) have been reported in patients taking Lamisil concomitantly with oral contraceptives. Terbinaine may increase the effect or plasma concentration of Caffeine. Rare cases of changes in INR and prothrombin time have been reported in patients receiving terbinafine concomitantly with warfarin.