Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, warnings, and more.
Key takeaways
Terbinafine tablets and clotrimazole lozenges are both antifungal medications, but they treat different types of infections. Terbinafine is used to treat fungal infections of the fingernails and toenails and is taken as a once-daily tablet for several weeks. In contrast, clotrimazole (former brand name: Mycelex) is used to treat and prevent oral thrush and comes as a lozenge that you dissolve in your mouth multiple times a day. Terbinafine can cause side effects like headache, rash, and upset stomach, and it may interact with other medications. Clotrimazole has fewer side effects, mainly causing nausea and an unpleasant feeling in the mouth. Terbinafine is not recommended for people with liver problems, while clotrimazole lozenges should be used with caution in those with liver issues. Both medications require a prescription for oral forms, but both also have over-the-counter topical forms available.
Terbinafine
Clotrimazole lozenge
Terbinafine
Clotrimazole lozenge
Summary of Lamisil vs. Mycelex
Summary for Antifungal
Prescription only
Terbinafine is used to treat fingernail and toenail fungus in adults. It's a type of antifungal that helps get rid of the fungus. Terbinafine is a tablet you take once a day, but treatment can take many weeks to finish. Common side effects include headache, rash, and diarrhea. Terbinafine can interact with other medications, including certain antidepressants and beta blockers.
Summary for Antifungal
Prescription only
Clotrimazole lozenge is an antifungal that treats and prevents yeast infection in the mouth and throat known as oral thrush. Clotrimazole lozenge is a troche, or a throat lozenge, that's slowly dissolved in the mouth, and it must be used several times a day. This medication is approved for use in people over the age of 3, but it should be used with caution in people with liver problems. Side effects can include nausea and an unpleasant feeling in the mouth. It isn't available over the counter, so you must have a prescription from your provider.