Fluconazole

What is Fluconazole?

Fluconazole is an antifungal medication that is used to treat a range of infections caused by yeasts like Candida, including thrush and infections of the blood. It can also be prescribed off-label as a once-a-day treatment for tinea versicolor, and can help clear your infection in two weeks.

Tinea versicolor, or pityriasis versicolor, is a common infection of the skin caused by an overgrowth of yeast (fungus). This fungus usually lives on people’s skin without causing any issues, but when too much of it grows and it spreads unnaturally, tinea versicolor can develop.^[1]

People tend to get fungal skin infections like tinea versicolor when they’re in warm and humid environments. How it develops isn’t always clear, but the infection doesn’t spread from person-to-person.

How does Fluconazole work?

Fluconazole belongs to a class of antifungals known as triazoles. Triazoles work by slowing the growth of infectious fungi when they grow out of control.

Tinea versicolor is caused by Malassezia yeasts, which are skin flora that occur naturally in around 90% of adults.^[2] Although these yeasts (fungi) don’t usually cause people problems, if too much of it is produced it can cause an infection to develop.

The condition causes patches of skin to change colour.^[1] For people with white skin, the patches can appear red or pink, and you might notice they don’t tan in the sun. On darker skin, the patches may seem paler than the skin surrounding them. They often pop up around the chest, upper back and arms, or sometimes your tummy or neck. Sometimes, the patches are scaly and you might feel the need to scratch them.

A clinician can determine whether changes to your skin are being caused by tinea versicolor infection. Fluconazole can destroy the yeast overgrowth, which should mean your symptoms bother you less as the infection clears.

What doses of Fluconazole are there?

As Fluconazole is used off-label to treat tinea versicolor, the dose you’re prescribed may vary depending on the severity of your infection. A clinician can advise you best about which dose they think will manage your condition, and you’ll often be asked to provide photographs of the affected areas.

For tinea versicolor, the recommended dose is 50mg (one capsule) a day, for two to four weeks. If your infection hasn’t cleared after a fortnight, get in touch with your clinician to discuss other options that might work more effectively.

How to take Fluconazole

Fluconazole capsules can be swallowed whole with a glass of water. It’s recommended you take them at the same time each day to avoid making any mistakes like overdosing, or forgetting to take them.

The capsules come in blister pockets that need to be handled the right way to make sure you don’t damage or break them. If you push the blister pocket in the centre, it can deform the capsule and impact how effective the medication is. To avoid this happening, carefully push the capsule pocket around the edges.

If you think one of the capsules may be damaged, or the blister pocket appears open before you have used it, speak to your pharmacist.

How long does Fluconazole take to work?

Fluconazole is used for a variety of fungal infections, and they all take varying lengths of time to clear.

We can’t guarantee how long it will take Fluconazole to work for your infection, but it’s usually prescribed as a once-a-week treatment that you take for two weeks. If you don’t see any signs of improvement during the two week course of treatment, let a clinician know and they can discuss some other options that might work better for you.

What should I do if I make a mistake while using Fluconazole?

Taking more Fluconazole than you need to can make you severely unwell, so should be avoided. Antifungal medications need to be taken exactly how they’ve been prescribed.

If you think you’ve taken more capsules than you need, you should get urgent medical assistance.

If you know you’ve forgotten to take a dose, you can take a capsule providing it’s not too close to when your next one is due. If you have any concerns or questions about making a mistake while you’re taking Fluconazole, get in touch with a clinician and let them know.