Anti-fungal soap

lemans23 · July 10th, 2007, 09:56 PM

Hey all. I've been swimming to keep up my cardio, but I got this damn fungal infection all over my skin now. Whether it's from the pool itself, or the locker room (I've been going to this gym and showering the exact same way for 6 years, and only within the 5 weeks of swimming did this occur....)is inconsequential, but what is important, is how to get rid of it. Are there any commonly used products for swimmers that get rid of this shit? It doesn't look bad, but it's dry and scaly. Just fuckin nasty. Help!!

**orientalkid** · July 10th, 2007, 10:17 PM

keep it dry, it will be gone after some time, apply talcum powder to it (if it can be covered by ur clothes). We were wearing thick heavy boots almost everyday when serving and everyone more or less get foot rot (fungal infection of some sort) and wat we do is always apply powder to our socks!

Btw how large is the patch, is it extensive, does it bleed? IF so, i recommend u visit the doc to get some really strong anti-biotic ( i forgot the name, we used to have it in our MC)

lemans23 · July 10th, 2007, 10:50 PM

No, it's not a patch, it started as 5 or 6 patches, now I have well over 30. The shit keeps spreading. The biggest one is about 1.25" x .75". The average spot though is about dime sized though.

**orientalkid** · July 10th, 2007, 11:07 PM

sounds like a serve fungal infection (what i mean is it may be affecting ur system and not just some skin irritation)

I strongly advise u to see the doc asap and to get some strong anti-biotics

**orientalkid** · July 10th, 2007, 11:13 PM

btw, do not touch or strach the affected area, i have a feeling it is not dry like u said, and u spread it to other parts of the body by touching unaffected part of ur body after u come in contact with the infected part. Try applying potassium managanate (or the doc will give it to u when u see him) to keep the patches dry (forget about the talcum powder, its more of a prevention).

And lastly, do not visit the gym during this period, th sweat and bateria on the bench and machines will make it worst.

lemans23 · July 11th, 2007, 10:45 AM

Yea, it keeps getting worse, but I'm 100% sure that it's not spreadable. Both my old man and my mother are physicians, so I showed it to them and they recognized it immediately as a classic gym infection. I'm going to the doctor next monday, as that's the earliest that he can see me (derm).

**pliny_2001** · July 11th, 2007, 04:16 PM

Agree w/ going to dermatologist. Don't take antibiotics for a fungus, though - they won't help it at all, and may only make it worse. I'd be inclined to try either hydrocortisone cream (for itching/swelling) or an anti-fungal -- the only ones I know off-hand would be tinactin or the like (for athlete's foot - yeeech).

I have no idea why you'd be getting it, though. I swam for years, and always thought the pool was the cleanest place in the gym - fungus lives where it's warm, dark, wet, and alot of surface area - so I've never seen a pool that has carpeting in the lockers, and they always blast them with chlorine. My advice: stay away from the gym till it clears up (it's just polite), toss the gym bag (it's probably living there, too), and bleach your gym towel. If you use the gym's towels, stop that immediately and just get your own.

Hope it clears up.

lemans23 · July 11th, 2007, 04:43 PM

Yep, I use gym towels, and I can't really toss my gym bag, as it's my dunlop tennis bag that I've had for 5 years and is signed by james blake and mark philippoussis.

**pliny_2001** · July 11th, 2007, 07:55 PM

Then mount it on the wall.

Once stuff gets fungus growing on it, it's tough to clean - we're talking scalding water, detergents, bleach, etc. If it's living in the gym bag, then you'll end up clearing up this episode with a topical cream, but it'll re-appear soon enough.

I'd guess that it's either from the gym towels (particularly if other people have it) or from having moisture (storing damp suit, goggles, whatever) in your gym bag (which is a great environment for fungus - there's a reason alot of swimmers just use a mesh bag).

The dermatologist could tell you that it's from something else and has no relationship to the gym, but if it is a classic gym infection (tinea?) and not from the towels, then I think you'll find that my advice is right: hot water cleaning, new bag, and future vigilance against having moisture in the bag.

**orientalkid** · July 11th, 2007, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Don't take antibiotics for a fungus, though - they won't help it at all, and may only make it worse

But i do remember the doc asking me to dispense a drug to a pt w/ serve foot root, it is only taken once though, maybe is not an anti-biotic, but i remember it was quite a serious case of foot rot (fungal infection)

lemans23 · July 11th, 2007, 10:09 PM

Hmm, that may be a good idea. However, I always bag my clothes when I'm done swimming or working out, so the only way that it would transfer is through my goggles, or after me touching my skin and touching the bag itself.