Lotriderm cream (betamethasone, clotrimazole)
|Main use||Active ingredient||Manufacturer|
|Fungal infections of the skin||Betamethasone diproprionate, clotrimazole||Teva UK|
How does it work?
Lotriderm cream contains two active ingredients, betamethasone diproprionate and clotrimazole.
Betamethasone diproprionate is a type of medicine called a topical corticosteroid.
Corticosteroids are medicines used for reducing inflammation. Inflammation of the skin happens as a result of allergy or irritation of the skin, and is caused by the release of various substances that are important in the immune system. These substances cause blood vessels to widen and result in the irritated area becoming red, swollen, itchy and painful, such as is seen in dermatitis or eczema.
When betamethasone is applied to the skin it works by acting inside the cells to decrease the release of these inflammatory substances. This reduces swelling, redness and itch. Betamethasone is a potent corticosteroid.
Clotrimazole is an antifungal medicine that kills fungi and yeasts by interfering with their cell membranes. It works by stopping the fungi from producing a substance called ergosterol, which is an essential component of fungal cell membranes. The disruption in production of ergosterol causes holes to appear in the fungal cell membrane. This kills the fungi and treats the infection.
Clotrimazole cream is used to treat a wide range of skin infections caused by fungi. These include infections with dermatophytes such as tinea, eg ringworm (tinea corporis), athlete's foot (tinea pedis), and jock itch (tinea cruris) and infections with yeasts such as candida, eg sweat rash.
The combination of medicines in Lotriderm cream is used to treat fungal skin infections where symptoms of inflammation, such as itching, require rapid relief.
What is it used for?
How do I use it?
- Lotriderm cream should be applied thinly and evenly to the affected area(s) of skin twice a day. Click here to see how much to use.
- Wash your hands after applying the cream, unless the hands are the area being treated.
- The cream should be used for two weeks to treat ringworm or candida infections and for four weeks to treat athlete's foot.
- If you are using Lotriderm cream to treat athlete's foot you should make sure you wash and dry the feet, especially between the toes, before applying the cream. You may also want to use an antifungal powder inside your socks and shoes to help treat the infection and prevent it coming back.
- Do not cover the area being treated with airtight dressings such as bandages or other dressings, as these will enhance the absorption of the medicine into the body and may increase the risk of side effects.
- Make sure you keep using the cream for the length of time prescribed by your doctor. If you stop using it too early because the symptoms have cleared up the infection may come back.
- If your skin seems to be getting more irritated, or an infection has not cleared up after the course of treatment has finished, you should consult your doctor.
- Lotriderm is for external use on the affected areas of skin only.
- You should never use Lotriderm as a moisturiser.
- Avoid getting the cream in the eyes or inside the nose or mouth. Rinse with cold water if accidental contact occurs.
- If corticosteroids are used long-term, on large areas of skin, raw skin, skin folds, or under airtight dressings (including children's nappies) they are absorbed into the body more. This increases the risk of local side effects such as skin thinning, and those on other parts of the body, such as a decrease in the production of natural steroid hormones by the adrenal glands. For this reason, continuous, long-term use of this medicine should be avoided wherever possible, particularly in children, on the face and on large areas of skin.
- This medicine should not be used for longer than five days on the face or in children.
- Don't use this medicine more often or for longer than advised by your doctor.
Use with caution in
- Children (see above). Lotriderm cream is not licensed for children under 12 years of age.
- Psoriasis. If you have been prescribed this medicine to treat areas of skin affected by psoriasis you should have regular check-ups with your doctor. This is because although corticosteroids may be useful for psoriasis in the short-term, they can sometimes make psoriasis worse, and may cause the condition to relapse into generalised pustular psoriasis after the treatment is stopped.
Not to be used in
- Viral skin infections, such as chickenpox, shingles, cold sores, herpes simplex, warts or verrucas.
- Bacterial skin infections, such as impetigo.
- Chronic inflammatory disorder of the facial skin (acne rosacea).
- Inflammatory rash around the mouth (perioral dermatitis).
- Nappy rash.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- This medicine should not be used during pregnancy unless considered essential by your doctor. If it is prescribed by your doctor it should not be used on large areas of skin, underneath airtight dressings, or for prolonged periods of time. Consult your doctor for further information.
- This medicine should not be used during breastfeeding unless considered essential by your doctor. If it is prescribed by your doctor it should not be used on large areas of skin, underneath airtight dressings or for prolonged periods of time. If it is applied to the breasts it should be washed off carefully before breastfeeding and then reapplied afterwards.
- This medication is to be spread thinly and sparingly on the skin.
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Skin irritation, eg redness, rash, itching, stinging or burning on application, or allergic inflammation of the skin (contact dermatitis). Stop using this medicine and consult your doctor if you think you have experienced a reaction or your skin condition appears to be getting worse.
- Secondary infections.
- Reduced skin pigmentation.
- Stretch marks (striae).
- Thinning of the skin.
- Inflammation of the hair follicles (folliculitis).
- Excessive hair growth (hypertrichosis).
- Prolonged use of this medicine on extensive areas of skin, broken or raw skin, skin folds or underneath airtight dressings may on very rare occasions result in enough corticosteroid being absorbed to have side effects on other parts of the body, for example a decrease in the production of natural hormones by the adrenal glands, or symptoms of Cushing's syndrome - see warning section above.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How can this medicine affect other medicines?
This medicine is not known to affect other medicines. However, as with all medicines, it is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already using, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any new medicines while using this one, to make sure that the combination is safe.
If you are using other topical medicines or moisturisers on the same area of skin it is recommended that you leave at least 30 minutes between applying each product. This is to allow each product time to be absorbed and avoid them mixing on the skin.
If you apply moisturisers shortly before or after applying this medicine these can dilute the medicine and potentially make it less effective. Try to apply your moisturisers at a different time of day, or at least 30 minutes before or after this one.
Other medicines containing the same active ingredients
There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain both betamethasone diproprionate and clotrimazole as the active ingredients. However, these medicines are available separately.