Fluconazole

Common Brand Names

Denk Flucona, Flucon, Flucaz, Kozole, Flucoran, Flugal, Flu-Oxy, Fludoc, Canzel, Canesten Thrush Oral Capsule

Overview

Fluconazole is an antifungal medicine. It's used to treat infections caused by different kinds of fungus. It can also be used to stop you getting a candida infection. It works by killing the fungus (or yeast) that's causing the infection.

The most common cause of fungal infections is a yeast called candida.

Fluconazole is used to treat many infections caused by candida including:

• thrush in men and women, such as vaginal thrush, skin irritation or inflammation on the head of the penis (balanitis), and thrush in the mouth (oral thrush)
• infections in your blood or elsewhere in your body

It's also used to treat a brain infection called cryptococcal meningitis. This is caused by a fungus called cryptococcus.

Fluconazole can also be used to prevent a fungal infection developing. It's only prescribed if you're likely to get this sort of infection. This includes people who:

• keep getting vaginal thrush
• have a weakened immune system
• have had a bone marrow transplant
• have HIV
• are at risk of getting cryptococcal meningitis

Fluconazole is available on prescription in some countries.

Important Facts

• You'll usually take fluconazole once a day.
• Your dose and how long you take it for depends on the kind of infection you have.
• If you have vaginal thrush, balanitis or oral thrush your symptoms should be better within 7 days. If you have a serious fungal infection, fluconazole can take 1 to 2 weeks to work fully.
• The most common side effects of fluconazole are feeling sick (nausea) and diarrhoea.

• It's important to finish your course of fluconazole to prevent the infection coming back.