Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Ringworm

I adopted a kitten from the Humane Society and it had ringworm. Once I had the kitten treated, I found one on my jaw area. I put a dab of ACV on a cotton ball and pressed it on the area and attached it with a band aid. After a few minutes, I felt it burning. So I took it off, let it dry and did the same thing the next evening. The edges dried up and scabbed. but it looks like the ringworm is gone.

I'm a vet also and this made me laugh 😄😄. It's her medical mind at work but years of practice in a very remote area in the Philippines, all your medical knowledge will go kaput because no one can afford to buy all those expensive medicines anyway. So, we just make use of those local herbs and plants which actually works.

Vinegar, Acapulco leaves and garlic is as effective in treating fungal infections as those expensive medicines you buy at your local drugstore.
I'm glad you found a cure. Happy for u.

Sorry for your ex gf and the fungus.

We adopted a kitten a few weeks ago, and about 2-3 days ago I noticed ringworm on my arm. I had read about using ACV but also used Lotrimin. The only thing between the two that seems to be working and providing itch relief is ACV. Whenever I've treated the spots with the Lotrimin they just seem to swell and still itch. Cleaning with soap and then swabbing with ACV seems to dry out the spots immediately. I've heard Lotrimin can take up to 8 weeks to totally heal, which sounds miserable. Our kitten will be quarantined for a week (until the vet says she won't be contagious), I'm trying to disinfect our home using a clorox spray for furniture then doing laundry and vacuuming. No way to know if its working until none of us is ringworm free for a while. Any tips on home cleaning and prevention?

GUS,,,,,, suggest you consider that you have an internal fungus that is manifesting itself on your skin. To confirm this, you might want to do the candida spit test, or the mouth swab test.

My tractor driver gets a ringworm ever few years and solves her problem with a mixture of Oregano oil and DMSO. Suspect your ACV would also work better by either mixing or coating the spot with DMSO, a powerful carrier solvent.

Wish you well. ====ORH=====

ACV is clearing my ringworm, thank heavens. I started putting it on undiluted, using cotton balls, and sometimes soaking a thick doubled piece of toilet paper and placing it over the area for 30 seconds or so. I would both blot the cotton balls on the rash and surrounding areas, and also I would hold the soaked cotton ball on the itchy area for a few seconds until it stung a little. I had a failed attempt with the cream...the ringworm went away almost, but then came back worse even before the cream treatment was over.

Once I started the ACV 3-5 times a day, I could tell right away it was helping. At first, the ACV made the rash start to spread with new dots appearing in the vicinity, which freaked me out, but I just kept going...hitting the new spots hard with the ACV and being vigilant. It took 7 or 8 days to really feel certain I was probably on top of the situation. I cut back to 3 times a day or if I felt an itch, i'd hit it. My skin got fairly irritated and then rough and flaky, but I kept going. After the 10th day I noticed it was hardly ever itching anymore and slowly fading. It's been 12 days now and it's DEFINITELY faded a lot, though still discolored and rough feeling. It took a while, and it's still not gone...but I feel I see light at the end of the tunnel.

I've suffered with ringworm my whole life, fairly chronically the last 6 years when I'm active at all... feet and jockitch. ACV is clearing up my feet also, but my toenails are still a big work in progress. I've gotten 3 "ringworms" on other places (leg, arm, neck) in isolated incidents over the past 4 years...but this recent one on my neck was the worst ever, motivating me to attack it harder. Anyway... just wanted to add another positive review and method for ACV...it is really working, when the cream definitely didn't.

A couple of years ago my teenage daughter started getting round red weals on her upper thigh at first we thought it was an allergy but they kept spreading on the thigh and buttocks. So we went online and diagnosed as ringworm fungus. She looked up natural remedies on various sites including EarthClinic as we don't like conventional medicine with all its toxic pharmaceuticals. So we decided on Apple Cider Vinegar which we soaked cotton balls and napkins with, then dabbed on the affected areas and let air dry. It did sting a bit, because it's an acid and was killing the bacteria We did this 2-3 times a day, they started drying up in a few days. In a week they were all mostly drying up, dying, leaving, etc....By 2nd week they were mostly all gone. We kept it up for about 2-3 weeks till they were all gone, with practically no scarring. Best remedy ever! We love, love Apple Cider Vinegar and EarthClinic! Thanks so much!

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Apple cider vinegar works for ringworm. But I soaked it in cotton balls and taped it to my skin and left it over night. Do not do what I did. When I woke up my skin was scabby and had scarred later on. About 1 year I noticed that later most of my scars have faded without me even trying to fade them. I didn't use shea butter or anything so if you did what I did your scars will probably fade away too. But I do have just a few scars that are visible by not noticeable like they were b4. Also, it's possible that my scars faded sooner than a year cuz after some time I just forgot about them and didn't even realize that they were fading. The point is that apple cider vinegar works wonders, but do not leave on too long cuz it is very powerful.

Breast and stomach area? This sounds more like Pityriasis Rosea, which can be treated with a sunlamp.

I have ringworm on my chest. I'm using ACV, it's slowly working but it's so itchy. I'm also following an anti-Candida diet as this all flared up after really slacking on my diet sugar wise. I want this gone so no sugar, breads, yeasty foods plus acidophilus + oregano oil - hitting it from all angles! Very grateful for this forum as it's quite distressing having this yucky rash that's 'alive'.

I don't know, but I hear apple vinegar is the best medicine. Good luck.

I have never had ringworms. So, when I got home from my vacation in Hawaii I had no idea the "bit" or so I thought it was would spread all over my breast and stomach area. I have tried to use the antifungal creams and it started to clear the one on my neck but that was once they spread all over. I continued trying to use the creams and nothing happened. I read online about ACV and today is my first time trying. I rubbed it all over my body and almost cried because it burned so bad. But I am willing to suck it up to get rid of these dang things. I rubbed some on each one with a cotton ball. I am also going to drink some everyday. Twice a day should be sufficient right? I just want them to go away ASAP. Anyone have any thoughts on addition Apple Cider Vinegar cleansing?

Dilute definitely dilute! I had the bright idea of using a bandaid damp with Apple Cider Vinegar undiluted overnight to cure my ringworm faster. I let it breathe at work and put one on when I got home and changed it before I went to bed. After the second night, it started burning as I put the bandaid on. I dealt with the mild irritation for about 30 minutes and it only got worse. My ringworm is now half cured scaly, itchy, dry and full of scabs due to the acv. I love Apple Cider Vinegar to death and am all for home remedies, but next time I'm using a ringworm ointment.

While treating the ring worm you must also wash everything you have come in contact with, bedding, clothing ect. weekly until you are completely cured.

Use vitamin e oil to get rid of the circles and any scar you have. AWESOME stuff.

I have had several bouts with ringworm in the last six months. It took a while to figure out what it actually was because at first I thought it was poison ivy. After researching a bit I figured out that it was ringworm.

On this first episode I decided to attack it with tea tree oil. Although I could see that it was helping it was extremely slow and felt like a rather weak approach. Finally it went away after about six weeks of itchy agony. I thought that would be the end of that. Several months passed and I began to itch again in the very same location that I had ringworm before. The spot began to get bigger and then to my horror it moved to a new location. The spots began to grow to the size of a half dollar and were very red and itchy. The tea tree oil was helping at a snail's pace so I decided to look here for ideas.

Many people were suggesting apple cider vinegar with the "mother" for ringworm so since I already had it I decided to give it a try. To my delight the cider began to work immediately!

All I did was apply the vinegar to a tissue and press and hold it to the ringworm area for about five minutes right before I went to bed. There was a slight sting to the area after I removed it but it was minimal. The next morning I would apply it again in the same way. Even after the first 24 hours I could tell a great difference. Much more effective than the tea tree oil. I continued the same routine with noticeable results each day until it was gone in a total of six days.

Wanted to share for those considering it. At this time I want to prevent this from reoccurring again and so I am now looking for clear direction in that area. If anyone has suggestions that would be great.

I used the cream my doctor gave me and had used it for more than a year. Itch comes and goes...I'd think that it's cured already then the itch comes back again. So I tried to cure it myself (research online) and applied ACV daily. Within 2 weeks, my dilemma of 3 years ended.

But, I want to know what Aloe Vera you're referring to? Is it the actual Aloe Vera plant? If so, where do I find it? I just noticed the extremely darkened skin due to scratching from ring worm infection and it's an eye sore and makes it look like my arms are dirty. Thanks.

Devona (Ohio) ---

Devona, I have used turmeric powder exclusively for years for ring worm which is a fungus. Even dousing a cat while sitting in a box. It has always worked. Meds from the vets do not remove it.

You could also warm any kind of milk and boil half a teasp. turmeric for your skin. It works well.

There is also a recipe with lemons, turmeric, cayenne and ginger which I have posted here recently. It is an anti inflammatory treatment whenever using turmeric. I have lots of rescues.

Namaste, Om

I contracted ringworm from some Cats I took in from a pound last summer they have since been cured of it and I too was over the winter now that it is getting warm again I see a patch reappearing on my arm. Like you these do not look like the ones you find on the internet. I was doing unrelated research earlier on the correlation between low body temperature low blood pressure and low pulse and RH negative blood and after reading what you wrote I am thinking there is a link. I am not only A- but RH negative as well which is pretty rare, only 15% of people are RH negative. I am wondering if for some reason this allows ringworm to live in my blood stream longer. Right now I am scared to death I will reinfect my cats or my dog. I have 9 cats. I am about ready to just dump some bleach on my arm!

Thanks for your advice, I will try the castor oil. Best wishes.

Dear Chris,

I would use castor oil on the blemishes once or twice a day. You could make a mixture of half castor oil and half extra virgin coconut oil, if you want it to be less greasy. Both are healing for the skin.

~Mama to Many~

I tried the Doctor's creams for three weeks and they did nothing to remove the ringworm, they just stopped the fire of the itch. Anyway, after finding this site I applied the apple cider vinegar very vigourously until the area bled then I pated it dry. The itching stopped immediately and I am now applying a cream twice a day and the ringworm is clearing; the wound is scabing over. My question is that I am left with light red blemishes where the ringworm has been, can anyone advise of a good cream to get rid of the blemish and help my skin get back it's normal colour?

Many thanks for everyone's advise, this site is very helpful.

Dear Sandra,

You asked when to stop the treatment you are using...I would use it until it is cleared up and then maybe continue the Vinegar for another week.

If it reoccurs, though, you may want to look into Bill's Thompson's book, Candida: Killing So Sweetly. If you have ringworm all over, it could be a systemic fungal infection.

I would also wash sheets a couple of times a week and use a cup of white vinegar in your rinse cycle for all clothes, towels, and sheets. Use hot water in the wash for whatever is safe to do so.

I hope this is all behind you soon!

~Mama to Many~

HI U KIT, , , , , , cover the spot with tincture of walnut and the game is over. Read, read, read.

======ORH============

Hi Sandra, A nurse practitioner advised me Miconazole Nitrate Cream works too. Years ago our daughter had one appear after taking swimming lessons at the Y. Until I got a handle on problems with yeast, I had all these little tubes of the cream that I had saved. I purchased the generic brand at a dollar store because it was cheaper. Anyway, it worked great. In addition, just FYI, the NP advised me the cream was also used for athlete's foot...same fungus.

Hello Sandra;

Re the ringworm fungus... I had success with Lamisil anti fungal cream.

I have ringworms omg this is my first time and I'm freaking out. My doctor gave me terbinafine and my husband bought me an anti fungal cream but nothing is working!!! I literally was crying they have spread all over my body..... I found this site and I'm praying the ACV works I have 2 tbs in a glass of water at morning and again at night. I also rub on the affected area morning and again at night. They are scabbing but how do I know when to stop? It does burn when I apply the ACV but I don't care. I want these things gone! I follow the ACV with an anti fungal cream. Any advice you can give me would help. Thanks, Sandra

My husband is type A and he had ringworms and I never caught it and I am type O. My grandchildren I believe gave it to me finally. I don't know their type but my son is A.

If u do get scars use aloe vera ... it helps heal the scar and it is faster as well.

Re my son's ringworm in the arm pit with a huge lump infected lymph node. I read many of the posts on here. Thank you. I didnt know how crazy ring worm can be all over the body. Like is previously said, I am in school for Vedic Eastern Astrology, India. And I can see illness & rashes in a persons birth chart simple plain black n white. Meaning must aggressively internally purify the body and build the immune system up. Drinking extra filtered water, even squeezing one lemon in the morning & adding 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper- will detoxify the body & clean the Lymph nodes in the body, rid fungus & mold internally. Extea liquid Vitamin C each day to boost tge immune system. My uncle has cut hair for over 50 yrs and he has stated my entire life! To clean or say rinse our scalp and brushes & colms once a month (on a New Moon cycle) with Apple Cider Vinegar! This is why I see on here Many people stated that ACV is a miracle cure. We can also add to our bath water & shower with it onto our bodies. Is highly acid & I know it works. I soak my feet in ACV monthly for over a year now. I wish all peace and pure positive health! Determination & discipline to take the aggressive proper actions to be healthy inside & out :) I will post an update in a month to state my Sons progress & what worked for him... We are on a mission.... A fight again RingWorm :) Haaaaaa

I know this is a very old post but, I've found that there is an immense difference between the raw, organic, ACV such as Braggs and the pasteurized ACV. The pasteurized version does not have the same healing properties as the raw. I don't know which one you used but by the description, I'd guess it was pasteurized.

If you're having that much of a reaction to the ACV I would stop using it, or use it and then apply REAL honey right afterwards. (Real honey, aka organic honey, is expensive but if you have any left over you can use it for treating scars, healing wounds, or pulling out blackheads).

You should try slicing up garlic and taping it to the wound, and then apply organic honey or organic aloe vera gel.

Healing scars with organic honey- mix 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, 3 teaspoons of plain yogurt, 4 tablespoons of organic honey, and 1 egg white. Put that mixture in a container of some sort like a jar (store extra in the fridge). Then get some baking soda (about a tblspoon) and pour however much of the mixture you think you'll need that day onto it. Mix together into a paste and let that sit on your scars for at least 15 min, once a week. I did this for 15 min a day, 4 days a week for a month and all my acne scars are gone (and I had really bad acne)!! I'm also using it on deeper scars I've had since I was a kid about once a week, it's working slowly but surely.

You said in your post, "they said would not only kill ring worm but kill any eggs laying around." This strikes me as funny because any good doctor should know that ringwom is not caused by a worm at all. It's caused by yeast, which is a fungus.... not a worm.

Yeah, not so much... Tried the ACV & all it did was create HUGE infections on my body. So now, I have to fight ringworm & an infection... Stick with the proven method peeps - Anti-Fungal cream.

It should bleed. Then you know the Apple Cider Vinegar is going deep enough. You get the skin to bleed by continuosly rubbing it with ACV. What's happening is that the acidic nature of ACV is burning off the top layer of the skin. The skin will eventually scab over and it will heal. There will be no scar when it heals because the Apple Cider Vinegar only burned off the superficial layer of the skin.

Apple cider vinegar really works when all else fails because you are removing the outer most layer of the skin.

I had the most stuborn ringworm. I tried coconut oil, lavendar oil, tea tree oil, terbinafine, Lamisal, Lotrimin Utra, cloromitrizole. The also helped in making the ringworm dramaticlly subside but not entirely eliminiting it. I finally decided to use ACV but not just rubbing it on gently. I kept rubbing ACV on it with my finger until most of the outer layer of my skin had come off and it started to bleed. I really didn't care because it was on my let. After a few hours, it was very red and brown and as begining to scab over. ACV is very acidic and will eat through skin if you leave long enough. It actually doesn't hurt. Afterwards, I applied the over the counter antifungals and honey. Honey is great for helping wounds to heal. Within 4 days, the raised area and ring of the ringworm were completely gone and my skin was totally healed. The problem with these creams are tht they don't get deep enough under the skin and the ringworm just ends up hiding under that layer and come out when the weather gets very humid. On a side note, I also dramatically reduced my intake of sugar ate lots of yogurt and cocounut oil and garlic. That may have helped but I only saw major results after I thoroughly rubbed Apple Cider Vinegar on my skin.

My husband has had very large ringworm patches on his body for many years. He also has had very bad athlete's foot for decades. We have been married for over 20 years and I have never caught either from him and we have never restricted intercourse because of it. I did once catch ringworm on my face from a child I knew with it (before my husband had ringworm), but it resolved quickly with treatment. I think if you keep yourself healthy and your ph in a good range (check this site for lots of information on that) you will be less likely to catch it. BTW, we have tried a number of things for my husband's fungal issues, but he isn't really consistent with treatment or interested in anything that is much trouble.

My husband is also blood type - A and he has not caught this ringworm that I have all over my chest and neck. Would it be okay for us to have intercourse? Sorry. But I would like to know.

I have yet to try ACV. But will definitely give it a try because this infection is driving me insane! I've been awake all night because my infection itches and burns so much!

Hi all, I first want to THANK everyone that had posted on ACV and it's amazing ability to cure ringworm, and thank this site for creating the space for people to share their experiences. You all are god sent!!! I found your website when I searched natural cures for ringworm, and the posts about ACV were overwhelming. And they are ALL TRUE!!!! I started with what you all suggested: apple cider vinegar rubbed into the ringworm that was all over my back and arms. It burned and started to scab over, from that next day, it started to improve. It's been 6 days and I've seen a complete transformation. The ringworm seems to be gone and now it's the scabs are just flaking off. I've also used tea tree oil, tree tree ointment, and coconut oil. It's all working. I only have one question. Will the areas scar? How can I avoid scars? I researched that tea tree oil and coconut oil is good for scars so I'm just gonna continue my regimen for another week or so.

Thank you all again. What a blessing this site is!

I used Apple Cider Vinegar (but any vinegar will do) for athletes foot on my hands, and it worked very well. Ring worm is a from of athletes foot, so Apple Cider Vinegar should work on ring worm as well. I too have ring worm on my leg and have been applying apple cider vinegar to it (not daily) so I think it is my body mostly fighting off the infection and not the acv. But it seems it did work for everyone above. When I used it on my hands, there was some burning and the athletes foot began to flake away. I health site where I learned to use vinegar said that burning was normal.

Yes 99.9 % and applied morning and Night for 3 days. Be sure to mix in small batches as it made the glass bottle warm when I mixed it up. Dont know how long it will be gone. Should probley do it for a few days after its gone to make sure. Also I used raw organic apple cider Vinegar.

Hello, You said you used 1:1 ratio of DMSO and ACV. Was the DMSO 99.9%? And did you apply for all three days? Thanks

I had ringworm on my belly, chest, and both sides of my neck. I used bleach and it went away, but 2 weeks later it came back. The bleach caused my skin to itch, was not plesant.

This time I tried a mixture of DMSO and [organic] ACV. A mix of 1:1 ratio. On day two it started flacking and was gone in 3 days. PS don't mix a big batch as I only mixed about a teaspoon of each and it got warm when mixed. It mixed it in glass.

I had tried ACV for 3 days but was unable to keep it damp. So used DMSO to take it into the skin. Hope this works for good.

Years ago I had a ringworm on my hand, my mother told me to soak a penny for a day in Apple Cider Vinegar and then put the penny on my hand. Being younger and not wiser , I went to the doctor and got a ton of medicine, finally I tried my mother idea.... It Works!!!! Use a old copper penny and keep soaking with apple cider vinegar. Rub the penny on it about 3x day. Works on mine in 2 days.

Hi, About a year ago ringworm started on my face's left side cheek. It started as a little itchy thing which I scratched n didn't know what it was. I thought it would go away soon but it didn't instead it started to spread. I went to see the dorctor which prescribed me some cream to apply n a pink pill to take once a week. But the only thing it helped with was the itching. I went back n this time they prescribed me lasimil pills. Which I only was authorized to take for two weeks. Then I bought lamisil cream but none of that helped. The ringworm is visible now.

It wasn't till two days ago that I found this site and saw that apple cider vinegar can help. I been applying it for three days now but I'm not sure if it has helped or if it's going to help me. I scratched it hard till it bled and then applied it. It burnt and now it looks like a wound. I don't wanna repeat the proccess because I don't want an ugly scar in my face but I do wanna get rid of that sht. It's embarrasing. What should I do?? Should I just apply it gentle now since I already made it bleed once?? I'll be waiting for your replies. thank you.

I just used apple cider vinegar on ring worm on my arm. I wet a cloth and tied it to my arm for about 40 minutes. When I removed it, there were lots of tiny white raised bumps all over the area that was infected by ringworm. Has anyone else experienced this? I dont think I have an allergy to the apple cider vinegar, because the white bumps are specifically only where the ring worm is. Please let me know if this is normal... I'm a little nervous right now.

I'm an 0- blood type as I'm also married to someone with A and he has yet to catch my ring worm after several months of having it. The main one was even on my left leg and he sleeps on my left side and has yet to get it. We eat the same diet except he eats far more sugar than me and I'm putting peroxide, iodine and tea tree oil. I def. think diet is of utter most importance to make your blood as alkaline as possible. More greens absolutely no sugar. Caffeine and sugar free is the only way if you really wanna get rid of it you gotta clean yourself out and keep your blood alkaline- that's no meats, lots of veggies, raw salad, Vegie juice and apple cider vinegar everyday for the rest of your life! Add lemon and a drop of honey until you get used to it.

TF, my 2 cents. It appears your fungal issue could be fueled by something else or a continual fungus exposure. Antibiotics are notoriously spotlighted for causing fungal infections, but another common pharmaceutical also causes fungus ---the H2 antagonist like Tagamet, Zantac, Pepsid etc. Zantac caused my only ringworm infection. If memory serves me correctly, I used povidone iodine applied with q-tip successfully. Also your immune system may need some extra vit-C, Zinc/vit-A, and some Echinacea/Goldenseal.

I have had ringworm for a few weeks now on both arms. I have been using a topical perscription antifungal and have used it in the past with success. It was not working quickly this time, so I turned to ACV.

I only applied it to my left arm, which was far more severe than my right, though my left started weeks prior to my right. Strange enough my right has almost fully healed and my left, after having applied ACV topically 4 or 5 times in the last 5 days and drank orally the same amount (2 tablespoons), it looks like the ringworm on my left arm is spreading.

Could it be a mistake to vigorously spread the ACV (with a cotton ball) so much that it actually bleeds? Could that be spreading the pores and doing more harm than good?

Ringworm and vinegar!

My girlfriend is a vet and she was throwing Itraconazol at me (pill) and cetoconazol (pill) and metaconazol (creme) and cetoconazol (cream) and she thinks I am so dumb.

And one day I looked on the internet and saw vinegar and I tell you what my version of the ringworm hated it and by the next morning he was in retreat and by 3 days he is all but gone running like the coward he is!

The vinegar you just put pure and splash over your corpo whenever you remember to - 5, 6 times per day.

Done!

My girlfriend the vet her soluition was shampoos and all kinds of crap and she said I had to wait for 15 minutes with soap all over me... bla bla bla.

Trust in yourself.

Her solution R$200 serious side-effects like liver damage

My solution: R$1 (one liter of vinegar)

She is no longer my girlfriend!

Hi, Thanks for your reply. But I keep on getting new spots of the ringworm and after applying ACV, the lesion has become very dark and ugly. Will this leave a mark on my body amd What about Extra virgin Coconut oil, does it burn when applied on the skin or does it leave a mark?

To Bvshah from Mumbai, India:

Bvshah, although rinsing the areas with diluted ACV can be of some help, you can completely eliminate the problem with organic extra virgin coconut oil.

What you have is a fungus and coconut oil is antifungal as well as antiviral and antibacterial.

Use the coconut oil both topically on your skin wherever necessary and also eat some every day to help fight the fungus. Start with 1 tablespoon per day and work up to 3 tablespoons per day.

You should see some improvement fairly quickly but continue with the coconut oil for a few weeks beyond the end of obvious fungal irritation to be certain of complete success.

Hi, I am suffering from ringworm since past four months. Hate taken couple of antibiotic creams and medicine but no effect. One doctor gave me steroids and it worsened the case and now no medicines are suiting my skin. The infection is growing and from both the thigh and groain area now it has come on my hand as well. I was thinking of using ACV. Can anyone tell me as to how to use ACV for ringworm? I applied white vinegar yesterday on one of the lesions and itching went away but entire thing is inflamed and turned red. So is it safe to use ACV or this is how skin reacts once ACV is applied? How do I know whether ACV is suiting me or reacting adversely?

Thanks, Miss Shah

Hi my boyfriend is from Belo Horizonte and I recently found out I have ringworm when I told him he told me to drink coconut water because it takes it out of your blood. Have you tried this? Also I'm using apple cider vinegar and vicks vaporub. It seems to be working so far. Figured I'd share what's working for the both of us because he also caught it from us sharing our bed. Good luck!

You can catch staph from scratching it can cause a bacterial infection which can lead to staph. Many people have staph living dormant in the body but I do agree that the medicine did not cause the infection scratching did. I have ringworm and got otc topical and everyday after my shower I would apply it all over my upper thighs where the rash was. After a few days it did in fact go away no more itching. However 2 wks later it came back and with a vengeance! Ugh I now am rubbing Apple Cider Vinegar all over me 4 times a day which is unflattering cuz I smell like a salt and vinegar potato chip but... I also decided to drink coconut water. It has a natural anti fungal that cures whatever is in your blood and is also quite healthy for you. I hope this helps somebody. Mine is drying up. Also I suggest doing the Apple Cider Vinegar for at least a wk after the red rings have disappeared because they still are in your skin even if you can't see them.