Diflucan is the popular brand name of fluconazole, another yeast infection medication under the azole family of anti-fungal treatment. It is prescribed by many doctors in the treatment of vaginal yeast infection but it can also be used for treating infection of the mouth, throat, and esophagus caused by Candida yeast buildup in these areas, or other fungus causing infection of the blood, lungs or bladder. Diflucan is also administered to patients with weakened immunity system due to chemotherapy, autoimmune diseases, AIDS or HIV including those who underwent bone marrow transplant.
Formulation and Dosage
Diflucan (fluconazole) comes in three forms:
- DiflucanTablets contain 50, 100, 150, or 200 mg of fluconazole
- Oral Suspension contains 350 mg or 1400 mg of fluconazole . When reconstituted with 24 mL of distilled water or Purified Water (USP), each mL of reconstituted suspension contains 10 mg or 40 mg of fluconazole.
- Injection where each mL contains 2 mg of fluconazole and 9 mg of sodium chloride or 56 mg of dextrose, hydrous and comes in volumes of 100 mL and 200 mL packaged in glass and in plastic containers.
Diflucan for Vaginal Yeast Infection
When a woman complains of yeast infection, she would want to get a one-time treatment that can get rid of the infection right away. Of course, there is no miracle pill that will do that! However, there is a single-dose antifungal that is just what every woman needs. Diflucan is most preferred not only because of its efficacy but because it isn’t as messy as the cream or suppository yeast infection medications.
After a single dose of Diflucan, there will be a noticeable decrease in the symptoms of yeast infection in as short as 1 to 3 days. Diflucan works by deeply penetrating the vaginal tissues and the effect of a single dose lasts for 3 days.
Side Effects
Single-dose Diflucan is so potent in fighting yeast infection. Some patients may experience mild side effects such as:
- itching
- dizziness
- headache
- unpleasant taste in your mouth
- upset stomach
- mild nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- skin rash
For people with allergic reaction to fluconazole may manifest serious side effects like:
- body aches
- severe blistering
- yellowing of the skin or eyes
- low fever
- flu symptoms and chills
- dark urine
- easy bruising or bleeding
- unusual weakness
- red skin rash
- loss of appetite
- stomach pain,
- seizure
- clay-colored stools
Special Precautions
To avoid any serious side effects, before taking Diflucan, consult your doctor and tell your doctor your medical history including allergies and medications you are taking for other illnesses. Diflucan may have adverse reactions or contraindications to other medicines when taken in combination with theophylline, rifabutin, diazepam, clopidogrel, lorazepam, seizure medications, oral diabetes medicine, rifampin, blood thinners, alprazolam, tacrolimus, cyclosporine or midazolam .
Take utmost care with any oral medications. Remember that you are treating your yeast infection because you want to be healthy, so take all precautions and be aware of symptoms of side effects and report them immediately to your doctor.