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Fucidin H Cream
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About Fucidin H Cream
Fucidin H Cream is formulated to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis where the skin has become broken and infected.
Broken skin is vulnerable to infection, which can make skin conditions much worse — infected skin can appear golden and crusty, or ooze with pus. Fucidin H works by stopping the infection first then reducing the swelling and irritation. It contains a combination of an antibiotic (fusidic acid) and a steroid (hydrocortisone) to achieve both of these things in just one application. Once the infections have been treated and the inflammation has been lowered, the affected skin can begin to heal.
You can buy Fucidin H Cream here from The Independent Pharmacy. All you have to do is complete our free online consultation with our UK-based medical team and they’ll be able to advise if this is the right treatment for you. If it’s the best option, our in-house pharmacy will prepare it for same-day dispatch to any UK address.
You can also see our extensive guide for more information on Fucidin H uses.
- Suitable for age:18 Years +
- Maximum per order:2
- Consultation required?YesThis treatment requires an online consultation for review by our medical team. The decision to supply the specific treatment and quantity requested will be based on whether our medical team are satisfied that it will be safe, appropriate, and effective.
Type of medicine | Combination of Antibiotic and Steroid |
Works by | Killing infectious bacteria and reducing inflammation |
Active ingredient | Fusidic acid and Hydrocortisone |
Effective within | 1-2 weeks |
Pack size | 30g or 60g Tube |
Strength | Fusidic acid 2% w/w and Hydrocortisone 1% w/w |
Common side effects | Application site reaction, (incl. pruritus, burning and irritation) |
Manufacturer | LEO Laboratories |
Generic | No |
Use with alcohol | No known effect |
Fucidin H Cream Information
Fucidin H is a double-action treatment
Treating infected eczema (or any infected skin condition) is complicated. You’re not just trying to clear up one issue, you’re trying to eliminate two at the same time. Rather than juggling multiple treatments, you need an option that hits all the requirements in one solution.
Fucidin H was created to do just that, containing two active ingredients, each with a different function. The first is fusidic acid, an antibiotic that prevents infections from growing. The second is hydrocortisone, an anti-inflammatory that effectively brings down swelling.
By attacking the problem on two fronts, Fucidin H works quickly to clear up the infected skin and eliminate your discomfort so you can get back to full health as soon as possible.
How Fucidin H works
Fucidin H was created to do just that, containing two active ingredients, each with a different function. The first is fusidic acid, an antibiotic that damages bacteria and prevents them from multiplying. It doesn’t actively kill them, but when they can’t spread, they die off or get killed by the immune system, so any infections present clear up over time.
The second is hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid, which means it works to stop the skin from becoming inflamed through reducing the dilation of blood vessels. In short, it reduces the chemical release that leads to swelling, allowing the affected skin to heal.
By attacking the problem on two fronts, Fucidin H works quickly to clear up the infected skin and eliminate your discomfort so you can get back to full health as soon as possible.
Avoiding skin infections
The easiest way to deal with a skin infection is to avoid getting it in the first place, and there are steps you can take to do this when you suffer a flare up of a skin condition:
- Treat the affected area as soon as you can, keeping it moisturised and using steroid creams when recommended by your doctor.
- Stay away from known irritants that might make the problem worse.
- Resist the urge to itch the affected skin; scratching could make it split, leaving it open to infection.
You should also try to avoid any factors that might cause further flare ups, such as:
- Stress
- Injury
- Hormonal changes
- Binge drinking
- Smoking
- Using particular medicines (consult your doctor)
While Fucidin H is a great option for dealing with infected skin, avoidance is always the best option, especially because this cream should only be used for up to two weeks. Extended use yields diminishing returns and makes side effects more likely.
If you suffer from a chronic skin condition such as eczema, dermatitis, or psoriasis, you should regularly moisturise the affected areas (normally around four times daily) to help keep the skin healthy and prevent outbreaks. Moisturisers like Diprobase or Dermol are good options.
When is Fucidin H not a good option?
You should absolutely not use Fucidin H in any of the following scenarios:
- You are allergic to any of its listed ingredients
- You’re trying to treat rosacea (a condition causing redness of the face and cheeks)
- You’re trying to treat spots around your chin or mouth
- You’re trying to treat skin infections that cover a large area
- You’re trying to treat acne
- You’re trying to treat eczema or dermatitis that is not infected
Conditions such as acne and rosacea need special treatments, and this cream will not prove an effective remedy.
Visit our acne treatments and our rosacea treatments to see some better options. If you have an inflamed skin condition (such as eczema or dermatitis) with no signs of infection, a corticosteroid treatment like Eumovate or Betnovate would be a cheaper and more effective option.
Non-prescription treatment options
If you’ve developed infected eczema or dermatitis but you’re unable or unwilling to use a prescription treatment, there are things you can try, including:
- Moisturisers and emollients: they’ll lessen the pain and help prevent skin cracking
- Bath and shower gels: disinfectant cleaning products can help fight skin infections
- Cotton gloves: wearing gloves lessens the damage you can cause by scratching
- Antihistamine tablets: these will lower the itchiness, helping you leave the skin alone
If no non-prescription treatment options work, let us know. You can upload a photo of the affected skin and we’ll give you a free recommendation. Regardless of the doctor or pharmacy you consult, you should definitely seek a professional medical opinion if you have an infected skin condition.
Click here to find out more about Fucidin H Cream uses.
Fucidin H Cream Reviews
The best way to know if a treatment is right for you is to read real users reviews first. The below reviews will help in your research when trying to understand what to expect from this treatment, how it works and how effective it will be to treat your condition.
You can view the Fucidin H Cream Patient Information Leaflet here: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.5511.pdf
Remember: this medicine is prescription-only, meaning it cannot be sold over the counter. If you want to use it, you’ll first need to get a medical consultation to confirm that it’s safe and recommended in your case.
Fucidin H Cream directions
To apply Fucidin H, follow this process:
- Consult the Patient Information Leaflet included in the tube to see how much you need for the affected part of your body.
- Wash your hands.
- Spread a thin layer onto the inflamed skin before gently rubbing it in.
- Wash your hands after, unless your hands require treatment.
Adults should do this for every affected area on a twice-daily basis, leaving 12 hours between applications if possible. Anyone under the age of 18 must get a doctor’s opinion first.
Symptoms should begin to clear within a couple of days, and the treatment can be used for up to two weeks. If there’s no improvement after a week, stop applying it and see your doctor. Extended use could leave the bacteria resistant, making Fucidin H less effective in the future.
Fucidin H Cream ingredients
The active ingredients contained in Fucidin H are:
- Fusidic acid (antibiotic)
- Hydrocortisone acetate (corticosteroid)
It also contains the following inactive ingredients to make up the complete product:
- Butylhydroxyanisole (E320)
- Cetyl alcohol
- Glycerol
- Liquid paraffin
- Potassium sorbate
- Polysorbate 60
- All-rac-a-tocopherol
- Water
- White soft paraffin
Fucidin H Cream side effects
Some ingredients of Fucidin H (butyl hydroxyanisole, cetyl alcohol, and potassium sorbate) can cause allergic reactions in some people. Before applying the cream thoroughly, test it on a small patch of skin to see how you react.
All other side effects are much more uncommon. They can include:
- An itchy rash and skin inflammation in the treated area
- Worsening of your eczema
- A further skin rash
Realistically, the worst you can expect is an itching or burning sensation on the affected area, but if anything makes you concerned, discuss it with your doctor.
Fucidin H Cream warnings
This medicine is unsuitable for you if you are allergic to any of the listed ingredients.
In addition, Fucidin H should not be used on any of the following conditions:
- Acne
- Perioral dermatitis (a rash around the mouth)
- Viral infections (e.g. cold sores, herpes, chicken pox)
- Bacterial infections which are unrelated to dermatitis
- Fungal infections (e.g. thrush, athlete’s foot)
- Rosacea (a flushing of the skin around the nose)
- Perioral dermatitis (a rash around the mouth/chin)
- Conditions caused by syphilis or tuberculosis
- Open wounds
- Broken veins
Take extra care when using this cream on large areas of skin or anywhere on the face, especially near the eyes. In addition, keep it away from sensitive areas of skin (e.g. the lips, the genitals) unless you’ve been directly told otherwise by your doctor.
Fucidin H Cream reviews
Fucidin H Cream FAQs
Fucidin H is a version of Fucidin Cream with the addition of a mild steroid called hydrocortisone, making it stronger with a more potent anti-inflammatory effect.
Regular Fucidin is more suitable for use on skin that is severely cracked or broken, or that simply isn’t particularly inflamed.
Fucibet is stronger than Fucidin H, containing the same fusidic acid but alongside betamethasone, a more powerful steroid. Betnovate, meanwhile, contains betamethasone, but without the fusidic acid.
Fucibet should be used where there is an infection present but also significant inflammation or redness. Betnovate is more suitable when there is significant irritation, redness, or inflammation but no infection.
As long as they don’t contain steroids or antibiotics, yes. Standard emollients will help keep your skin hydrated and prevent further irritation from drying and cracking.
Because this is a prescription-strength treatment, we must limit our supply to meet national guidelines and protect the safety of our patients. Since this cream is not typically used for more than 7-10 days, two tubes are more than enough to completely treat a large area.
Absolutely — our treatments come from the same UK-based wholesalers that supply the large high-street pharmacies. As an NHS & private Online Pharmacy with headquarters in Bristol, we have all the required expertise and certifications to safely provide convenient access to important prescription treatments.
Fucidin H is well tolerated, meaning it has no known negative interactions with other medications, but you should definitely not use it with any other creams that contain fusidic acid or other steroids such as betamethasone, hydrocortisone or clobetasone. If you experience any undesired effects when taking this medication with another, please let us know and we’ll make sure the appropriate medical bodies are informed.
It isn’t advisable while pregnant, because animal studies have shown that the active corticosteroid (hydrocortisone) can cause harm to unborn babies, but it is safe enough to use while breastfeeding as long as it isn’t applied to the breast.
Either way, discuss the matter with your doctor first, because every case is different.
Once you’ve finished your round of treatment, the infection should have cleared, and the skin should be getting better. To avoid the issue returning, you should take care to moisturise the skin regularly — but be careful to only use moisturisers that don’t cause irritation.
Look out for medical moisturisers (emollients) such as Dermol or Doublebase, because they’re perfectly safe to use on damaged skin. They tend to be colourless and scent-free, and they’re available as ointments, creams, lotions, and bath additives.
For further information on the types of emollients available, how they differ, and when it’s best to use them, visit our dedicated section on eczema treatments.
If you leave your eczema untreated, you can suffer complications such as neurodermatitis, eye problems, or further skin infections. As such, it isn’t advisable to just leave eczema alone if it isn’t getting better without treatment.
No, it has no antifungal properties, so it shouldn’t be used to treat a fungal infection. To read more about how fungal issues can be treated, take a look at our section on athlete’s foot.
Aside from treating infected skin, Fucidin H can be effective for treating insect bites because it contains a mild steroid, but it isn’t ever prescribed for anything other than bacterial skin infections. It cannot effectively treat any of the following, and should not be applied for them:
- Acne
- Burns
- Thrush
- Cold Sores
- Haemorrhoids
If you have a primary bacterial skin infection other than eczema, such as impetigo, raise the issue with your doctor. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction. If you have any other type of condition, do not use Fucidin H — find a treatment that fits the issue.
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Authored by
Andy is a co-founder and the Superintendent Pharmacist and Director at The Independent Pharmacy.
Reviewed by
Dan is an experienced pharmacist having spent time working in both primary and secondary care. He currently supports our clinical team by providing robust clinical governance review of our internal processes and information.
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