Oxistat Cream: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Oxistat Cream contains oxiconazole nitrate, a prescription topical antifungal medicine belonging to the azole class. It is applied to the skin to treat common fungal skin infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm, jock itch, and tinea versicolor. It works by stopping susceptible fungi from growing and surviving on the skin.

What is Oxistat Cream

Oxistat cream contains oxiconazole nitrate, a prescription antifungal medicine applied to the skin. It belongs to a group of medicines called azole antifungals and is used to treat common fungal skin infections.

Oxistat Cream uses

• Treats tinea pedis (athlete's foot).
• Treats tinea corporis (ringworm of the body).
• Treats tinea cruris (jock itch).
• Treats tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor).
• Helps eliminate susceptible dermatophyte infections.

Benefits of Oxistat Cream

• Provides antifungal activity against susceptible fungi.
• Helps control common superficial fungal infections.
• May relieve itching and skin irritation.
• Helps reduce fungal-related scaling.
• Offers convenient once- or twice-daily application.

How Oxistat Cream works

Oxistat is an antifungal that stops fungi from growing by blocking them from building a key part of their protective outer covering, which stops them from growing or surviving.

Oxistat Cream dosage

Use this medicine on the skin only. Clean and dry the affected area thoroughly before applying. Apply enough cream to cover the affected area and some of the surrounding skin. Wash your hands after applying.

Do not use it more often than your doctor prescribed; using it more will not work faster and may increase side effects. Do not wrap, cover, or bandage the treated area unless your doctor tells you to. Do not apply it in or near the eyes, nose, mouth, or vagina.

Use it at the same time each day for the best results. Keep using it for the full length of time your doctor prescribed, even if your symptoms go away early, so the infection does not come back. Tell your doctor if your condition has not improved after several weeks of treatment or if it gets worse.

If you miss a dose, apply it as soon as you remember; if it is close to your next dose, skip the missed one and go back to your normal schedule. Do not apply a double amount to make up for a missed dose.

Available forms and strengths

• 1% topical cream
• 1% topical lotion

Side effects of Oxistat Cream

Common

• Itching
• Burning or stinging
• Skin redness or irritation
• Dryness, scaling, or small pimple-like bumps

Serious

• Severe blistering, oozing, or open sores
• Marked swelling, severe peeling, or skin inflammation (contact dermatitis)
• Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as rash, hives, swelling of the face/lips/mouth/tongue/throat, trouble breathing or swallowing, wheezing, racing heart, fever, dizziness, or fainting

Warnings and precautions

• Use this medicine on the skin only. Never put it in your eyes, nose, mouth, or vagina, as this can cause pain and irritation.
• Do not bandage, wrap, or otherwise seal the treated area unless your health care provider has told you to.
• Finish the entire prescribed course of treatment even if your symptoms clear up early, to prevent the infection from coming back.
• Do not share this medicine with other people, even if they have a similar condition, because it may harm them.
• It is not known if or how this medicine could affect pregnancy or harm an unborn baby. Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• This medicine passes into breast milk. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed; they can let you know if it's okay to use while nursing.
• No routine renal dosage adjustment is established. Systemic absorption following appropriate topical application is generally limited.
• No established hepatic-specific dosage adjustment is available. Patients with significant liver disease should receive individualized assessment.
• It isn't known if alcohol affects this medicine, but heavy drinking can slow your immune response and make it harder for your body to fight the infection.
• Oxistat Cream is not generally associated with sedation or impaired alertness.

Storage

• Store at room temperature, between 68 F and 77 F (20 C and 25 C).
• It can be exposed to temperatures between 59 F and 86 F (15 C and 30 C) for shorter periods, such as when traveling.
• Store in a cool, dry place.
• Keep all medications away from children and pets.
• Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so.
• Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed; consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.

When to see a doctor

• Stop using this medicine and get help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as breathing problems or wheezing, a racing heart, fever, swollen lymph nodes, swelling of the face/lips/mouth/tongue/throat, trouble swallowing, hives, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, stomach cramps, or joint pain.
• Tell your health care provider if skin irritation at the application site is getting worse, or if you notice blistering, swelling, or oozing, as these may be signs of a different, more serious skin condition.
• If you or someone else has used too much of this medicine, get medical help right away or contact a poison control center.
• Let your doctor know if your condition has not improved after 2 to 4 weeks of treatment or if it gets worse at any time.

Alternatives

• Ketoconazole Cream
• Miconazole Cream
• Clotrimazole Cream