Flagyl

What is Flagyl?

Flagyl is a treatment for bacterial vaginosis that contains the active ingredient metronidazole. It’s an antibiotic, so it’s also an effective treatment against many different bacterial infections that target other areas of your body.

Flagyl destroys the ‘bad’ bacteria causing the infection, which allows your own immune system to fight back. For bacterial vaginosis, you’ll usually take it as a tablet.

How does Flagyl work?

The metronidazole in Flagyl works by killing off the cells causing the infection. When you have bacterial vaginosis, there’s an overgrowth of ‘bad’ organisms that change the pH of your vagina and cause the strange smells and discharge.

Flagyl enters these bad organisms and breaks down their DNA, destroying them. This limits the bacterial infection and stops it from spreading. Your immune system can then kill off any remaining infection. ^[1]

What doses of Flagyl are there?

For bacterial vaginosis, Flagyl comes as 400mg tablets. The dose you take will depend on the stage of your infection and your own needs. But often you’ll be advised to take one 400mg dose twice daily for five to seven days.^[2]

Only take the amount you’re advised to. Your clinician will recommend the dose they think will work best for managing your infection.

How to take Flagyl

You should always take Flagyl as your clinician tells you.

• Swallow the tablets whole, don’t crush or chew.
• Take them with water, so they’re easier to swallow.
• Take the tablets with food, or just afterwards. Flagyl will still work if you take it with food, but it will be more likely to upset your stomach.
• Like every antibiotic, it’s important to finish the whole course of Flagyl. You should do this even if you’re feeling better. ^[1]

How long does it take Flagyl to work?

Flagyl starts working almost immediately, reaching peak concentration in your blood between 20 minutes and three hours. ^[1] But it will take time to completely get rid of your bacterial vaginosis. Your clinician will tell you exactly how long you need to take Flagyl for.

Usually, treatment of bacterial vaginosis with Flagyl takes five to seven days. ^[2] Remember that you need to finish the course even if your symptoms seem to have cleared up. You shouldn’t stop taking Flagyl early, even if you think you’re fine.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Flagyl?

If you forget to take Flagyl, take your dose as soon as you remember. If it’s almost time for your next dose, just skip it instead. Don’t take a double dose if you’ve missed a tablet. You can always set an alarm to remember when you need to eat and take your Flagyl.

If you take too much Flagyl, seek medical attention right away. It helps if you can bring the packaging with you so you can show the clinicians what you’ve taken.