Ketoford Cream: Uses, Composition, Side Effects & FAQs

Ketoford Cream is a skin cream for fungal infections such as ringworm, jock itch, athlete's foot and yeast infections of the skin. It contains ketoconazole 2%, an antifungal that stops the fungus on your skin from growing. It is a prescription-only medicine in India, so use it only when a doctor has prescribed it for you.

Ketoford Cream is an antifungal cream for the skin. It has one active ingredient, ketoconazole, and comes in 15 g and 25 g tubes. The name has no suffix, and this article is about the plain cream.

Check the label on your tube, because Ketoford Plus looks almost the same but is not the same cream. Plus also contains beclomethasone dipropionate 0.025%, a steroid, and neomycin 0.5%, an antibiotic. A steroid cream is not the right treatment for ordinary ringworm.

Ketoford Cream works on the fungus itself, not on the itch. Ketoconazole blocks the step the fungus uses to build ergosterol, the fatty material that keeps its outer membrane firm. The membrane becomes leaky, the fungus cannot keep growing, and the infected skin clears over the following weeks.

Doctors usually prescribe Ketoford Cream for:

• Ringworm of the body (tinea corporis), an itchy patch with a scaly, raised edge
• Jock itch (tinea cruris), a rash in the groin and inner thighs
• Athlete's foot (tinea pedis), cracked, itchy skin between the toes
• Tinea versicolor, pale or brown patches on the chest, back, neck or arms
• Yeast infection of the skin (candidiasis), often in the folds of the skin
• Seborrheic dermatitis, flaky, itchy skin, usually on the face

It does not treat eczema, psoriasis, acne or a rash caused by bacteria. Using an antifungal on those problems does not help, and it delays the treatment you actually need.

A steroid cream on ringworm feels soothing for a few days, but the fungus keeps growing underneath, and the rash often flares again once the steroid is stopped.

1. Wash the area with plain water and pat it dry.
2. Squeeze out a thin layer, enough to cover the rash and about 2 cm of skin around it.
3. Rub it in gently until it disappears.
4. Wash your hands afterwards, unless your hands are the area being treated.
5. Keep it away from your eyes and mouth. If it gets into your eyes, rinse with plenty of water.
6. Use it at the same time each day and close the cap tightly.

Do not stop when the itching stops. The itch settles before the fungus is gone, so finish the course your doctor set.

Your doctor decides how much cream to use and for how long. For ketoconazole 2% cream in general, apply it once a day for most fungal infections of the skin.

Ringworm of the body or the groin usually needs two to four weeks, and Indian guidance is to keep going for about two more weeks after the skin looks clear. Athlete's foot needs the longest course: about six weeks, and longer if it keeps coming back. Seborrheic dermatitis is applied twice a day for four weeks, or until the skin clears. Ketoford's own pack does not print a course length, so follow the course your doctor sets.

Never increase the dose or apply the cream more often than you were told. More cream does not clear the fungus faster, but it does make burning, stinging and dryness more likely.

This cream has not been studied in children, so its safety and effectiveness at this age are not established. Use it on a child only if a doctor has prescribed it, and use the amount the doctor advises.

If someone swallows the cream, go to the nearest hospital emergency department straight away and carry the tube with you. For urgent help call 112, or 108 for an ambulance.

Apply the missed dose as soon as you remember. If your next dose is almost due, skip the missed one. Never apply a double layer to catch up.

Most people notice the itching and redness easing within the first few days, and the rash keeps fading over the full course. If the rash is no better by the end of the course your doctor set, or it looks worse at any point, go back to your doctor.

Keep the tube closed at room temperature, away from heat, sunlight and damp, and do not freeze it. Keep it out of reach of children and do not use it after the expiry date printed on the tube.

Most people use Ketoford Cream without any trouble. When side effects happen, they are usually mild and settle on their own.

Common and mild:

• Burning or stinging when you apply it
• Itching
• Redness
• Dry, flaky skin
• Mild irritation where you applied it

Rare but serious (stop the medicine and see a doctor right away):

• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or trouble breathing
• Hives or a rash that spreads
• Blistering, weeping or open skin
• Spreading redness, warmth, pain or pus
• Severe burning that does not settle

The burning and stinging come from the cream itself. They are more likely if you use it more often than prescribed, or on cracked skin.

• Anyone allergic to ketoconazole or to any ingredient in the cream
• Do not use it in your eyes or inside your mouth

Tell your doctor before using Ketoford Cream if you:

• Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
• Are breastfeeding
• Have asthma or a sulfite allergy (some ketoconazole creams contain sodium sulfite; check your tube)
• Have reacted to propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol or another cream ingredient before
• Have already used a steroid cream on the rash
• Have a large area of cracked or raw skin to treat
• Have a rash that has not been checked and may not be fungal
• Need to treat an infection inside the vagina; this cream is for the skin

Very little ketoconazole gets into your blood from the cream, so it rarely affects other medicines. What matters more is what else you put on the same skin.

Always tell your doctor about every medicine, supplement or home remedy you are using. Alcohol does not affect this cream, because almost none of it reaches your blood.

Ringworm usually clears with the right cream, but see your doctor quickly if:

• The rash spreads fast, or becomes hot, very painful or weepy with pus
• You have a fever along with the rash
• Your skin blisters, or your face or lips swell
• There is no improvement after the full course
• The ringworm is on your scalp, beard area or nails
• The infection keeps coming back after treatment

Ketoford Cream is a plain ketoconazole antifungal cream for ringworm, jock itch, athlete's foot and other fungal skin infections. Burning and stinging are the usual complaints and are generally mild. A spreading, painful or blistering rash needs a doctor rather than another tube of cream.