Description
Fluconazole belongs to a group of medications known as antifungals. It is most commonly used to treat fungal infections of the mouth (thrush), esophagus (the tube that takes food from the throat to the stomach), lungs, urinary tract, and vagina (yeast infection). It works by preventing the fungi that are causing infection from reproducing and the infection from continuing. The fungi then die off, causing the infection to clear.
It is also used to treat cryptococcal meningitis and prevent the recurrence of cryptococcal meningitis for people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and to decrease the risk of candidiasis infection for people undergoing bone marrow transplants who are treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
To treat thrush (yeast infection of the mouth and throat), the recommended adult dose is 100 mg taken by mouth once daily for at least 2 weeks.
To treat esophageal candidiasis (yeast infection of the tube leading to the stomach), the recommended adult dose ranges from 100 mg to 200 mg taken daily for at least 3 weeks. Fluconazole must be taken for at least 2 weeks after the symptoms of the infection resolve to prevent the infection from returning.
To treat yeast infection that has spread throughout the body (disseminated yeast infection), the recommended adult dose of fluconazole is 200 mg to 400 mg once daily, for at least 4 weeks. Again, this medication must be taken for at least 2 weeks after the symptoms of the infection resolve to prevent the infection from returning.
To treat cryptococcal meningitis, the recommended dose of fluconazole is 200 mg to 400 mg once daily. Fluconazole should be taken for at least 10 weeks when treating this condition. To prevent cryptococcal meningitis, 200 mg taken once daily is recommended.
Children’s doses are based on the child’s body weight and will be calculated by the prescriber. A child’s dose should not be more than 12 mg per kilogram of body weight.
The recommended adult dose to prevent candidiasis associated with bone marrow transplant is 400 mg taken once daily.
Doses greater than 600 mg daily are not recommended for adults or children.
