Most people looking for yeast infection medication will ask for any suggestion from the pharmacist or others who had yeast infection before. The most prescribed and recommended of the over-the-counter antifungal is Monistat.
Monistat is a miconazole nitrate that does not only relieve symptoms of yeast infection but actually cures it four times faster than leading antifungal prescription medicines. It impedes the rapid growth of Candida yeast that causes the infection.
Formulation
There are many options for effective treatment with Monistat.
- Ovule therapy which includes one ovule to cure the yeast infections together with a flexible applicator
- Suppositories that are fast melting for fast relief
- Slim and disposable prefilled applicators for vaginal cream
Dosage
This drug comes in three treatment cycles, Monistat 1, Monistat 3 and Monistat 7. To illustrate this:
- If you have been prescribed Monistat 1 Vaginal Ovules, the package contains 1 soft, gelatin ovules filled with a suspension of miconazole nitrate of 1200 mg. This is a one-dose daily sufficient for 1-day course of therapy. The package includes one vaginal applicator and a consumer information leaflet, too.
- If Monistat 3 vaginal suppositories are given, it is to be administered one suppository intra-vaginally daily at bedtime for 3 consecutive days. However, if the patient’s yeast infection symptoms remain, the course of therapy may be repeated after laboratory tests prove that infecting organism is still Miconazole susceptible Candida yeast.
- Monistat 7 Cream are administered once in a 5 gram using an applicator. It is applied intra-vaginally once daily at bedtime for 7 consecutive days.
Side Effects
Using Monistat 1, 3 or 7 usually manifests some side effects such as:
- headache
- mild vaginal burning, irritation or itching
- stomach cramps
If you are taking some medications or under some conditions that might interfere with your yeast infection treatment, you need to talk it over with your doctor if you don’t want to experience any of these serious side effects:
- severe allergic reaction resulting to rash, hives, difficulty in breathing, tightness of the chest, swelling of the mouth, face , lips or tongue
- fever or chills
- nausea and vomitting
- foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- severe vaginal burning, irritation or itching
- swelling
Special Precautions
Care should be taken when using this drug for yeast infection. Before taking Monistat, tell your pharmacist or doctor what your allergy is, or if you are allergic to antifungals like clotrimazole, econazole, or ketoconazole. Some inactive ingredients may react to your body during medication.
Discuss with your doctor your medical history and also if you are pregnant, planning to be pregnant or is breast-feeding your infant. Although there has no clinical tests to confirm that miconazole is secreted in the milk, it is still best to be cautious.