Oakland Park, Florida
A 23-year-old female asked:
Is it good to take selenium tablets for tinea versicolor?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Martin Raffanswered
Infectious Disease 57 years experience
Selenium: Selenium has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect cells from damage. There is some evidence that selenium supplements may reduce the odds of prostate cancer, but does not seem to affect the risk of colorectal or lung cancer. But beware: selenium also seems to increase the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. Would not use this for tinea versicolor except topically as a lotion.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Gurmukh Singhanswered
Pathology 50 years experience
No: It will not do you any good.
3.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. J. Lawrence Dohan commented
Dermatology 58 years experience
Selenium sulfide shampoo can be applied to the skin for this. There are other, better treatments. Selenium tablets are not useful for anything.
Sep 30, 2014
Similar questions
A 45-year-old member asked:
What are good pills for tinea versicolor?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Kristi Woodsanswered
Pediatrics 24 years experience
Topical treatment: I would recommend topical therapy first, such as selenium sulfide lotion (prescription.) while there are pills available that have an indication to treat fungal skin infections (ketoconazole, itraconazole are examples) there are significant risks associated with them, such as liver toxicity.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Apr 26, 2016
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