Fucidin Cream Uses: What Is This Treatment Used For?

If you suffer from a skin condition or skin infection and you’re looking at treatments, then you may have already heard of Fucidin cream as a treatment option. But what is Fucidin cream used for, specifically, and is it suitable for you?

Although Fucidin is used to treat eczema — particularly infected eczema — it isn’t just used for this purpose. In fact, there are multiple Fucidin cream uses and this effective antibiotic cream can be used to treat all sorts of skin issues.

In this guide, we’ll be taking a closer look at Fucidin cream so that you know whether it’s suitable for you, including exactly what to expect should you decide to use this treatment. We’ve also created an FAQs section so that you can learn more about what Fucidin cream is used for and how it treats certain skin conditions or infections. Read on to find out more.

What is Fucidin cream?

Fucidin cream is a prescription-only topical medication that is used to treat infected eczema, dermatitis and other inflammatory, infected skin conditions.

Fucidin cream contains fusidic acid, which is a type of antibiotic. This means it is very effective at treating bacterial infections.

Fucidin cream is only available on prescription, which means you cannot buy it over the counter in the UK. You will need your GP or pharmacist to prescribe it for you — they will only be able to do this after a medical consultation.

You can buy Fucidin cream here at The Independent Pharmacy. Starting your free online consultation with us is quick and easy — you’ll just need to answer a few questions, and you can receive your medication the next day once it’s been approved by our medical team.

Fucidin CreamFucidin cream can be purchased online to treat a number of different types of skin infection (including skin infections caused by eczema or dermatitis) that have been previously diagnosed and treated by your doctor.

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What is Fucidin cream used for?

Fucidin cream can be used to treat a number of bacterial infections.

It is primarily used to treat infected areas of eczema, but it can be used for the treatment of a number of other conditions, such as dermatitis.

Fucidin cream is suitable for treating conditions including:

• Infected eczema, dermatitis, or psoriasis
• Impetigo
• Infected hair follicles
• Infected wounds
• Infection around the nails

Fucidin cream should only be used to treat infected skin conditions caused by bacteria.

It should not be used to treat:

• Spots
• Acne
• Warts & Verrucas
• Boils
• Cysts
• Viral infections like cold sores
• Fungal infections like thrush or athlete’s foot

We’ll go into different Fucidin cream uses below in more detail.

Fucidin cream vs Fucidin H cream: what’s the difference?

If you’re looking for a treatment option for infected eczema, then you may have noticed that there are two very similar-sounding treatments available: Fucidin cream and Fucidin H cream. But what is the difference?

As we’ve mentioned above, Fucidin cream is an effective, prescription-only antibiotic cream containing fusidic acid 2%.

Fucidin H cream is a version of Fucidin cream with the added ingredient hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone is a mild steroid. This makes Fucidin H cream a stronger treatment option with a more potent anti-inflammatory effect, which is suitable if you have a more serious infection. You can find out more about Fucidin H cream uses here.

Regular Fucidin is more suitable for mild eczema or skin infections, on skin that is severely cracked or broken, or on eczema that isn’t particularly inflamed.

Another treatment option is Fucibet cream — a prescription-only medicine containing two active ingredients: fusidic acid and betamethasone. Read more about what Fucibet cream is used for in our Fucibet cream uses guide.

If you aren’t sure which is the best treatment for you, you can speak to your GP or one of our team of qualified pharmacists, who will be more than happy to help.

Fucidin Cream FAQs

Sometimes it can be difficult to find out exactly what medication is used for, and what it can be used to treat.

There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about Fucidin cream uses, so if you just want to ask “what is Fucidin cream used for?”, it’s not always easy to find an exact answer.

In this section, we’ll be looking at Fucidin cream uses more closely — listing the different conditions and infections that Fucidin can be used for, as well as the conditions that Fucidin cannot be used to treat.

Can Fucidin cream be used for infected eczema?

Yes — one of the main uses of Fucidin cream is for treating infected eczema or dermatitis.

Eczema (also known as atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis) is a common skin condition that affects lots of people. It causes patches of itchy, dry and red skin, and can become a recurring issue if it isn’t treated properly — and can become more serious if it gets infected.

When the skin gets very dry and cracked, it can become infected. The surrounding skin will become red, the area will be hot to the touch and tender. You may notice that skin is ‘sticky’ or there is pus coming from the area, or the area may develop a crust as it dries.

Luckily, there are lots of different topical treatments you can use if you suffer from infected eczema, one of the most popular being Fucidin.

To use Fucidin cream for infected skin conditions, apply it topically to the affected area, usually three to four times a day during your course of treatment. Fucidin cream usually treats eczema infections within seven to ten days.

Fucidin cream contains the antibiotic and antibacterial medicine, fusidic acid, which prevents the bacteria infecting your eczema from replicating. This stops the infection from spreading, allowing the immune system to kill the existing bacteria and helping your infected eczema to clear up.

Can Fucidin cream be used for impetigo?

Impetigo is a skin infection that is highly contagious but not usually serious. It is caused by bacteria and can cause red sores or blisters that burst and leave weepy, gold-brown crusty patches. It can be itchy, painful and easily spread to other parts of your body. Anyone can get it, but it's very common in young children.

Impetigo is treated with antibiotics and often gets better in seven to ten days once you start treatment. Fucidin cream is one such treatment — as a topical antibiotic, it is an effective treatment when used for impetigo.

The antibiotic fusidic acid in Fucidin cream treats the bacterial infection which causes impetigo. You should apply it to the affected areas as instructed. Your condition should start to improve after a few days. However, it is very important to use the cream for as long as your doctor has recommended to ensure that the infection has completely gone.

Can Fucidin cream treat yeast infections (such as thrush)?

Vaginal thrush (commonly known as thrush) is a common yeast infection that will affect most women in their lifetime. It is more common in women in their twenties and thirties.

The use of Fucidin cream for thrush or yeast infections is not generally recommended. This is because thrush is a type of yeast or fungal infection — thrush is caused by the yeast-like fungus candida albicans.

For thrush, a short course of anti-fungal treatment is usually the best option. These can be purchased over the counter without the need for a prescription. Here at The Independent Pharmacy, we stock a range of suitable anti-fungal thrush medications — head to our dedicated thrush treatments page to find out more.

Can you use Fucidin cream for fungal infections?

Fucidin cream should only be used to treat infected skin conditions caused by bacteria. It should not be used to treat fungal infections. If you have a fungal infection, your doctor or pharmacist will be able to suggest a suitable treatment option.

Is Fucidin cream good for spots and acne?

Fucidin cream should not be used to treat spots or acne. There are, however, plenty of topical and oral antibiotics that can be used to treat acne, these are listed on our acne page.

Can you use Fucidin cream for cold sores?

Fucidin cream cannot be used for cold sores.

This is because cold sores are a viral infection, caused by a virus called herpes simplex (HSV-1).

Fucidin cream should only be used to treat infected skin conditions caused by bacteria. It should not be used to treat viral infections like cold sores.

If you want to find a suitable treatment for cold sores, visit our main cold sores treatment page.

Can I use Fucidin cream for boils?

Yes, you can use Fucidin cream for boils. Fucidin treats skin infections, and boils are caused by skin bacteria infecting hair follicles. By preventing those bacteria from growing, Fucidin cream can help to treat severe boils that won’t clear up without medical assistance.

Can you use Fusidic acid on broken skin?

Yes, it is fine to use Fucidin cream or Fusidic acid on broken skin. Fusidic acid-based creams help to treat infection and kill bacteria in cuts, grazes, open wounds, or any other condition (such as impetigo) where the skin is broken.

Can Fucidin cream be used for insect bites?

Creams or ointments which contain fusidic acid such as Fucidin cream can sometimes be used to treat insect bites. If you have an infected insect bite, speak to your GP for further guidance on the best treatment to use.

Fucidin cream during pregnancy

If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant and you’re thinking about using this treatment, you may be wondering — is Fucidin cream safe during pregnancy?

The answer is yes — using Fucidin cream during pregnancy is generally considered safe. The same goes for using other fusidic acid-based treatments such as creams, ointments or eye drops while pregnant.

There is no clear evidence that using this medical cream will be harmful to your baby or adversely affect your pregnancy. This is because Fucidin cream is only applied topically to affected areas, so it will only have an impact on these localised areas. It isn’t really absorbed by the body, therefore it wouldn’t cause any negative effects during pregnancy or the unborn baby.

Fucidin cream is also considered suitable for breastfeeding women for the same reasons.

However, if you are pregnant, planning to have a baby or are breastfeeding, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before using this medicine. It’s always a good idea to discuss any treatment options with your GP or pharmacist to choose the lowest-risk medicine possible to treat any condition during pregnancy.

Summary

Fucidin cream is an effective topical medication that is used to treat infected eczema and a range of other skin conditions, including impetigo.

Fucidin cream is an antibiotic treatment, containing the active ingredient fusidic acid, and should only be used to treat infected skin conditions caused by bacteria. The main Fucidin cream used is for infected eczema, but it can treat other bacterial infections too.

It should not be used to treat viral infections (such as cold sores), or fungal infections (such as thrush or athlete’s foot).

Fusidic acid — the active ingredient in Fucidin cream — works by stopping infection-causing bacteria from growing and increasing in number, causing the bacteria to die and allowing the immune system to kill the remaining bacteria.

If you’re suffering from infected eczema or another skin condition and you’ve been diagnosed by a doctor, you can buy Fucidin cream from The Independent Pharmacy.

To receive your treatment, you’ll just need to complete a free online consultation. This lets us check that this is the right treatment for you. Starting your online consultation is quick, free and easy — you just need to answer a few questions before your order is reviewed by our team of qualified prescribers. Once this is done, you will receive your medication the very next day when ordered before 3 pm.

Sources

• Fucidin Cream Patient Information Leaflet: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.5510.pdf
• https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fusidic-acid/
• https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/skin-hair/a7866/Fucidin-cream-and-ointment-fusidic-acid/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/impetigo/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atopic-eczema/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-eczema
• https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/psoriasis-or-eczema