You can cure a fungal skin infection with nystatin, the first antibiotic discovered with the power to kill fungal infections on skin and mucosal membranes. Scientists Elizabeth Hazen and Rachel Brown named the drug for the NY STATe Department of Health, their employer, and patented it 1957. The powdered form, available only by prescription, is best known for treating candida, a fungus commonly called yeast, and other fungi---even one that kills certain trees.
Babies
Mayo Clinic physicians prescribe nystatin powder for treatment of skin infections that irritate and chafe newborns and infants. Candida or other fungi can colonize skin under wet diapers and where snug sleepwear causes perspiration to accumulate overnight. Wash the effected area with mild soap, then dry completely before applying nystatin powder. Apply the powder two to three times a day, and cover only loosely. Do not use plastic pants, which can retain moisture, over the diaper while treating. When applying nystatin, protect your baby's eyes from the powder, which is a known eye irritant, and keep you or your baby from inhaling the powder, which can cause coughing, sneezing and airway irritation.
Feet
Pharmaceutical specialists at DailyMed cite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in describing the indications and uses of nystatin powder. Sprinkle the medication onto your feet and between your toes after thorough washing and drying. Also powder the inside of your socks and your shoes with nystatin. Repeat this two to three times a day for as long as your physician recommends. If your feet perspire, change your socks and retreat more frequently to avoid moisture accumulation, which can cause nystatin to become a skin irritant.
Genitourinary Tract
Researchers at Drugs.com describe a number of medications containing nystatin. The powerful anti-fungal should never be taken internally in the powdered form, though liquid and compounded forms are made for internal use. The female genitourinary tract is susceptible to candida infections, and internally applied forms of nystatin are available by prescription. The powder may be applied externally to neighboring skin areas if candida infection is also present. Candida albicans is the most common infecting agent, but other species of candida can also cause infections. C. albicans is not known to develop resistance to nystatin, but the other species do, and the resistance also renders them resistant to another useful anti-fungal agent called amphotericin. Do not assume all female genitourinary yeast infections are caused by C. albicans. Consult your doctor for a precise diagnosis.
Dutch Elm Disease
The New York scientists who discovered nystatin, Hazen and Brown, ultimately earned more than $13 million for the commercial success of their work. They donated all of their earnings to the non-profit Research Corporation to support further scientific study. An interesting later discovery documented that nystatin kills the fungus that has devastated elm trees across the United States, the agent causing Dutch Elm Disease.
