Best treatments for onychomycosis
3 products may treat onychomycosis, spanning FDA drug classes such as allylamine antifungal. Ranked below by our independent recall-safety rating (rated where FDA data exists) — not medical advice; always consult a professional.
Quick answer: Of the 3 drugs we list for onychomycosis, 2 are available as lower-cost generics, spanning classes such as allylamine antifungal. They’re ranked by each drug’s FDA recall-safety record — not clinical effectiveness for onychomycosis — so confirm the right choice with your prescriber.
Understanding onychomycosis
Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail. MedlinePlus (NLM) explains that "fungi can live on the dead tissues of the hair, nails, and outer skin layers", and lists diabetes, vascular disease, nerve damage and nail injury among the things that make an infection more likely, along with prolonged exposure to moisture. The nail changes it describes are brittleness, a change in nail shape, crumbling of the outside edges, debris trapped under the nail, loosening or lifting of the nail, and thickening. Appearance alone is not the diagnosis: MedlinePlus says a provider examines the nails and confirms with scrapings looked at under a microscope or sent for culture, which can take four to six weeks to come back. Two facts set expectations honestly, and both come from MedlinePlus: prescription antifungal medicines taken by mouth clear the infection in about half of the people who use them, and "even when treatment works, the fungus may return". The American Academy of Dermatology adds the part patients most often misread as failure — "while the fungal infection will go away in 6 to 12 weeks, it will take a year or longer for your nail to completely grow out". General information, not medical advice.
First-line treatment
The American Academy of Dermatology describes oral terbinafine as the mainstay: taken for 6 weeks for fingernails and 12 weeks for toenails, with liver-function testing before starting and repeated 6 weeks after starting. Itraconazole is the oral alternative it describes — daily for 12 weeks for toenails, or, for fingernails, daily for one week, three weeks off, then another week. For prescription topical treatment the AAD lists efinaconazole and tavaborole, each applied once daily for 48 weeks, and ciclopirox nail lacquer applied once daily. MedlinePlus notes liver function is monitored during oral treatment. AAD frames the goals as clearing the fungus and restoring the nail where possible; the choice between oral and topical, and whether to treat at all, is made with a clinician, and no dose here should be read as a prescription.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Class | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Solution | — | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Over-the-counter | Spray/Inhaler | Allylamine Antifungal | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Topical | — | Generic | $0 | View → |
Full ranking · 3 treatments
jublia
PrescriptionFDA-sourced
Jublia (Efinaconazole) is a medication used to treat Onychomycosis.
Price varies
lamisil at
Over-the-counterFDA-sourced
Lamisil at (Terbinafine Hydrochloride) is an allylamine antifungal used to treat Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis, Tinea Capitis, Tinea Pedis, Onychomycosis.
Pharmacy pays
From ~$0.14· 2 forms
loprox
PrescriptionFDA-sourced
Loprox (Ciclopirox) is a medication used to treat Cutaneous Candidiasis, Tinea Pedis, Onychomycosis, Tinea Versicolor.
Pharmacy pays
From ~$0.18· 6 formsFrequently asked
- What treats onychomycosis?
- Our catalog lists 3 products that may treat onychomycosis, based on NIH RxClass (MED-RT “may treat”) drug-classification data — not the verbatim FDA label. They're rated where FDA recall-safety data exists.
- What is the best-rated treatment for onychomycosis?
- Ratings appear as FDA recall-safety data accumulates for the products that may treat onychomycosis.
- How are these treatments ranked?
- By our independent score, currently based on FDA regulatory recall-safety data (the methodology blends additional sources as they come online). See the How we rate page.
- What types of drugs treat onychomycosis?
- Treatments for onychomycosis span FDA drug classes including allylamine antifungal. Compare every option side by side, ranked by independent rating, above.
Treatment associations are derived from NIH RxClass (MED-RT “may treat”) drug-classification data — not the verbatim FDA label. This is general reference, not medical advice — always consult a licensed professional.
Sources
The clinical overview above is written from these authoritative public-health and medical-society sources, independently reviewed against each.