My Drugs & SymptomsDrugsDrugs By ConditionTreatments
 User Reviews |  Add Review |  Search Reviews Drug Search

Diflucan (fluconazole)

Side Effect Search
Underlined words or phrases provide helpful links to information in wikipedia.org

Generic Name : fluconazole
Pronounced : floo KOE na zole

What is fluconazole?

Fluconazole is an antifungal antibiotic.

Fluconazole is used to treat infections caused by fungus, which can invade any part of the body including the mouth, throat, esophagus, lungs, bladder, genital area, and the blood.

Fluconazole is also used to prevent fungal infection in people with weak immune systems caused by cancer treatment, bone marrow transplant, or diseases such as AIDS.

Fluconazole may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about fluconazole?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to fluconazole, or similar drugs such as clotrimazole (Lotrimin), econazole (Spectazole), ketoconazole (Nizoral), miconazole (Monistat), sertaconazole (Ertaczo), sulconazole (Exelderm), terconazole (Terazol), tioconazole (Vagistat-1), or voriconazole (Vfend). Do not use fluconazole if you are also taking cisapride (Propulsid) or terfenadine (Seldane). Before taking fluconazole, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, kidney disease, a heart rhythm disorder, or a history of "Long QT syndrome."

Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Fluconazole will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking fluconazole?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to fluconazole, or similar drugs such as clotrimazole (Lotrimin), econazole (Spectazole), ketoconazole (Nizoral), miconazole (Monistat), sertaconazole (Ertaczo), sulconazole (Exelderm), terconazole (Terazol), tioconazole (Vagistat-1), or voriconazole (Vfend). Do not use fluconazole if you are also taking cisapride (Propulsid) or terfenadine (Seldane). FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Fluconazole can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take fluconazole?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your dose will depend on the infection you are treating. Vaginal infections are often treated with only one pill. For other infections, your first dose may be a double dose. Carefully follow your doctor's instructions. Tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

Take this medicine with a full glass of water. Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. To be sure you get the correct dose, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one. Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Fluconazole will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Store the tablets at room temperature away from moisture and heat. You may store liquid fluconazole in a refrigerator, but do not allow it to freeze. Throw away any leftover liquid medicine that is more than 2 weeks old.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a fluconazole overdose may include confusion or unusual thoughts or behavior.

What should I avoid while taking fluconazole?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity while you are using fluconazole.

What are the possible side effects of fluconazole?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects: Less serious side effects may include:

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect fluconazole?

Before taking fluconazole, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

  • astemizole (Hismanal).

  • a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);

  • cyclosporine (Gengraf, Sandimmune, Neoral);

  • an oral diabetes medicine such as glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase, Glynase), tolbutamide (Orinase), tolazamide (Tolinase), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), and others;

  • rifabutin (Mycobutin) or rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane);

  • a sedative such as diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), alprazolam (Xanax), or midazolam (Versed);

  • seizure medication such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or valproic acid (Depakene);

  • tacrolimus ((Prograf); or

  • theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theolair, Theochron, Elixophyllin, Slo-Phyllin, others).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with fluconazole. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about fluconazole.


Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Multum version: 154.0 (Jun 16, 2010)
Add a User Review 

To add a User Review fill out the fields below. A drug name is required to post. You will be asked to enter the dosage, which is listed on the bottle/container, along with units such as mg, ounces, etc; as well as how often you take the drug. When you enter a possible side effect, you will be asked about its severity. In the comment field, please describe your experiences or any comment that you will think help other users understand what they can expect from their drug treatment. We also welcome comments and suggestions about our site through feedback.

* Enter drug name- enter one drug at a time, by typing at least 3 letters of the drug name and select the appropriate drug from the list, then proceed to entering the next drug. Google
* Enter condition name - the "condition" is the reason you are taking the drug, which could be a disease such as "diabetes" or a symptom such as "joint aches". Enter a condition and select from the list shown, then enter the next condition if you are experiencing more than one.
   
     
 
 
 
     
* Enter side effects - these are any undesirable effects you might be experiencing from the drug(s). Enter your side effect and select from the list shown, then enter the next side effect if you are experiencing more than one. If you are not experiencing any side effects check the box below, No Side Effects.
OR

Enter comments - tell the community about your experiences and any information you may have about taking these drugs.

Age   Gender:

 
Thank you for adding your review.
 
Return to Current Page
 
To help protect against automated posting, please enter the words that appear in the box below (more info).
Words should be separated by space.

Unable to see the image? (get another image)


* Required fields

NOTE: Just because a drug or combination of drugs can cause a symptom does not mean it is actually causing your symptom. Symptoms can be caused by medical conditions as well. Make sure that your physician is aware of any symptoms you are experiencing so he/she can work with you to determine the cause. Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the information DoubleCheckMD.com provides is intended to help individuals to work with their medical professionals and is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical or healthcare advice and serves to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of a healthcare professional. In all cases individuals should consult with a physician before taking any action based on DoubleCheckMD feedback including, but not limited to ceasing taking any drug, changing diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. The information provided by DoubleCheckMD.com is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that the use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective.


     
 
 
     
 
 
Close CLOSE WINDOW

HOLDER
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
Close CLOSE WINDOW
HOLDER
 
 
   
 
     
 
 
     
     
 
 
     
 
My Saved Evaluations Close
 
 
  Date       Name       Delete  
  You have no saved evaluations.   
 
     
 
 
Username
Password
 
Forgot Password Log into DoubleCheckMD
 
 
 
Email Address
 
 
 
 
 
 
We'll keep Your Personal Information Private

Registration helps ensure the privacy of your personal health information. It's easy to register. Just enter a username and password. This is information you will use to login so you may want to write it down.
Username*
Password*
Password* (verify)
First Name (optional)
Last Name (optional)
Email Address (optional)
I have read and agree to abide by the DoubleCheckMD Terms of Use and DoubleCheckMD Privacy Policy.
I am a medical professional
 
Register
 
 
First name
Last name
Email Address
Comments*
 
 
 
First name
Last name
Email Address
Comments*