For patients using the cream, gel, or lotion form of this medicine:

• Keep this medicine away from the eyes.
• Apply enough ciclopirox to cover the affected and surrounding skin or scalp areas and rub in gently.

For patients using the topical solution form of this medicine:

• Keep this medicine away from the eyes and mucous membranes
• This medicine comes with a patient instruction sheet. Read this sheet carefully and follow the directions. If you have any questions on how to use this medicine, be sure to ask your health care professional.
• In addition to daily application of this medicine, you will need to trim your nails as directed, and visit your healthcare professional at regular intervals to have the unattached infected nails removed.
• Do not use nail polish or other nail cosmetic products on the treated nails.
• Do not use near heat or open flame.

When ciclopirox is used to treat certain types of fungus infections of the skin, an occlusive dressing (airtight covering, such as kitchen plastic wrap) should not be applied over the medicine. To do so may irritate the skin. Do not apply an airtight covering over this medicine unless you have been directed to do so by your doctor.

To help clear up your infection completely, it is very important that you keep using ciclopirox for the full time of treatment , even if your symptoms begin to clear up after a few days. Since fungus infections may be very slow to clear up, you may have to continue using this medicine every day for several weeks or more. If you stop using this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return. Do not miss any doses .

Dosing

The dose of topical ciclopirox will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of topical ciclopirox. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

• For topical cream and lotion dosage forms:
  • Fungus infections (treatment):
    • Adults and children 10 years of age and over Apply two times a day, morning and evening.
    • Children up to 10 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  For topical gel dosage form:
  • Fungus infections (treatment) or seborrheic dermatitis (treatment):
    • Adults and children 16 years of age and over Apply two times a day, morning and evening.
    • Children up to 16 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  For topical solution dosage form:
  • Fungus infections (treatment):
    • Adults Apply once daily, preferably at bedtime or eight hours before washing.
    • Children up to 18 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, apply it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Store the topical solution in the carton to protect from light.
• Store the topical solution away from heat and flame.
• Keep the medicine from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For ciclopirox, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to ciclopirox. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as preservatives or dyes.

Pregnancy Ciclopirox has not been studied in pregnant women. However, this medication has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding It is not known whether ciclopirox passes into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are using this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Children Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of ciclopirox in children under the age of 10 with use in other age groups.

Older adults Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of ciclopirox in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are using any other topical prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine that is to be applied to the same area of the skin.