Pharmacist Tips to Take Fluconazole Medicine
Fluconazole is a popular antifungal medicine that doctors prescribe to treat various fungal infections.
This medicine provides you quick relief from fungal infections which different parts of your body including
- Genitals
- Mouth
- Abdomen
- Throat
- Blood
- Esophagus
- Lungs
Fluconazole is a prescription medicine and can be used to treat fungal infections in patients who have weak immune systems.
Moreover, Fluconazole also works effectively in treating certain types of meningitis.
Now how you take this medication and for how long, is going to depend upon what you are treating.
You might be wondering how long Fluconazole takes to clear the infection from your body.
Well, you will know how Fluconazole can be taken, what about missed dosage, and how to deal with side effects.
What do you mean by Fluconazole?
As an antifungal medicine, Fluconazole works by slowing down the growth of fungus that is responsible for causing infection.
You can find Fluconazole in different forms such as a tablet, oral liquid, and injection that is given into a vein.
Depending upon the type of infection that needs to be treated, a dose of this medicine will differ. Fluconazole might prevent or treat different fungal infections like infections which are caused by Cryptococcus and Candida.
Candida is a fungus that belongs to the yeast family. This medicine is effective in treating the following Candida infections:
- Thrush in the mouth or esophagus
- Vaginal yeast infections
- Blood infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Pneumonia
- Peritonitis
- Liver and spleen infections
How Fluconazole work for treating infection?
Fluconazole is an antifungal medicine that works by slowing the growth of funguses that cause infection.
In this blog, you will now read important tips given by pharmacists for Fluconazole medication.
How long does Fluconazole take to work in the body?
This is going to depend upon what you are taking it for. For treating vaginal yeast infections, one dose is needed.
You will notice that just one dose of Fluconazole will provide you quick relief and symptoms will improve within 24 hours.
If you notice no improvement in your symptoms within 3 days then consult a doctor. You might require another dosage.
For other infections like oral thrush, Fluconazole can take several days to make you feel better.
While for other severe infections like blood or liver infections, Fluconazole can take more time to treat the problem.
Even if you feel better, it is better to continue intake of this medication unless your full prescription is complete.
Stopping fluconazole too early can prevent infection from being treated well. This can cause infection to return.
What happens if you miss a dose of Fluconazole?
In case, you have missed the Fluconazole dosage then take it immediately when you remember.
But if it’s time for your next dosage then you must skip the dose that you have missed.
Make sure you take the next dose at the regular scheduled time as suggested by the doctor.
When fluconazole is taken for several days then it is necessary to remember your daily dosage.
Missing doses often make it difficult for this medicine to treat infection and delay your recovery time.
Nevertheless, two doses must not be taken together just to make up a missed dose of Fluconazole.
Doubling up on doses can increase your chance of experiencing serious side effects.
What time of day is best for taking Fluconazole?
Generally, Fluconazole is taken only once a day at a time when your doctor has prescribed it.
But if you are taking more than one dose of this medication then take it at the same time every day.
This will help you to remember to take Fluconazole and reduce the chances of missing a dose.
It will also ensure that the right amount of Fluconazole is present in the body to effectively treat fungal infections.
Is it safe to take Fluconazole with food? Do you need to separate it from other medicines?
You can take this medication with or without food exactly in the same way as directed by a doctor.
It is noticed in a study that almost 7% of people experienced nausea when they took a single dose of Fluconazole.
When Fluconazole is taken with food, the chance of experiencing nausea is reduced.
There is no need to separate fluconazole from other medicines. Drug interactions with Fluconazole can happen.
Here is a list of a few medicines that interact with Fluconazole including:
- Citalopram
- Warfarin
- Phenytoin
- Sulfonylureas such as glipizide and glyburide
- Amiodarone
- Clopidogrel
- Statins such as atorvastatin and simvastatin
There are also several other medicines that cause interaction when taken with Fluconazole.
Make sure to discuss with doctor about all prescription drugs, herbal supplements, and over-the-counter medicines you take.
This will make it easy for a doctor to check for potential drug interactions with Fluconazole.
What you can do if side effects from Fluconazole is experienced?
Like other medicines, Fluconazole can also cause some possible side effects to patients.
However, most side effects of this medicine are mild and can be managed easily.
You might experience some side effects of this medicine, but it is not necessary that every patient will experience all of them.
Below-stated are some possible side effects that can happen with Fluconazole:
Headache
This side effect is common when a single dose of Fluconazole is used for treating vaginal yeast infections.
To relieve headaches, drink more water, avoid alcohol, and get proper rest throughout the day.
Stomach pain
Fluconazole tablets can sometimes make you suffer from stomach pain. Though it can be managed easily.
To relieve stomach pain, drink small amounts of water and eat smaller food portions as well.
Upset stomach or nausea
Try taking a fluconazole tablet with food to relieve your nausea condition. Try having a BRAT diet.
BRAT diet foods are easy to digest and less likely to cause an upset stomach. If this is not helping then talk to a doctor.
Thus, Fluconazole is mainly taken once a day at the same time every day without skipping any doses.
