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Fact Sheets

Fluconazole (Diflucan)

Summary: Fluconazole is a drug used to treat or prevent fungal infections. The amount of fluconazole and the length of time it is taken will vary, depending on the type of fungal infection. The most common side effects include nausea, headache, skin rash, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

What is fluconazole?
Fluconazole (sold under the brand name Diflucan) is used to treat and prevent a variety of fungal infections. HIV positive people use fluconazole most often to treat candidiasis in the mouth (thrush), throat (esophageal candidiasis) or vagina (yeast infection).

How is fluconazole used?
Fluconazole is used both to treat fungal infections and to prevent them from coming back. It is available as a tablet and as an oral solution for those who can’t swallow tablets. A solution for intravenous (IV) injection is also available.

Treatment
The amount of fluconazole used and the length of time it is taken can vary, depending on the type and severity of the infection. As a rough guide,

      • thrush may be treated with 100 mg - 800 mg fluconazole taken daily for one to two weeks;
      • esophageal candidiasis may be treated with 200 mg - 800 mg fluconazole taken daily for two or three weeks;
      • vaginal yeast infections may be treated with 150 mg fluconazole daily for one to three days.
Prevention
Some HIV positive people with severely weakened immune systems and very low CD4+ counts cells may get thrush or yeast infections frequently. Some people choose to treat each episode, going off drugs when the infection has cleared up. Others prefer to take fluconazole regularly in order to keep the fungus under control.

For HIV positive women, taking 200 mg fluconazole once a week can reduce the number of yeast infections and episodes of thrush.

Candidiasis in the esophagus (the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach) is an AIDS-defining illness. It is a serious condition, but it can be effectively treated. After this infection has cleared up, many doctors recommend taking 100 mg—200 mg fluconazole, either every day or three times a week, to keep it from coming back.

Side effects
Fluconazole is very well tolerated but some people may experience side effects. The most common side effects include nausea, headache, skin rash, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Drug interactions
Fluconazole should not be taken with the antihistamines terfenadine (Seldane) and astemizole (Hismanal). Check with your doctor and pharmacist about possible interactions with other medications or supplements you take.

2001

Author(s): Maclean D

Reviewed by: Sharon Walmsley, MD, FRCPC

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Decisions about particular medical treatments should always be made in consultation with a qualified medical practitioner who is knowledgeable about HIV-related illness and the treatments in question. MORE

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