Drug Database: Fluconazole

What is fluconazole?

• Treat mucocutaneous candidiasis, including esophageal candidiasis (infection of the esophagus), oropharyngeal candidiasis (infection of part of the throat), and vulvovaginal candidiasis
• Prevent candidiasis in people undergoing bone marrow transplantation who are receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation
• Treat cryptococcal meningitis

Mucocutaneous candidiasis and cryptococcal meningitis can be opportunistic infections (OIs) of HIV. An OI is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as people with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems. To learn more about OIs, read the HIVinfo What is an Opportunistic Infection? fact sheet.

How is fluconazole used in people with HIV?

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV include recommendations on the uses of fluconazole to:

• Treat:
  • Cryptococcosis, including cryptococcal meningitis
  • Mucocutaneous candidiasis, including esophageal candidiasis, oropharyngeal candidiasis, and vulvovaginal candidiasis
  • Coccidioidomycosis
  • Histoplasmosis
• Prevent:
  • Cryptococcal meningitis and disseminated cryptococcosis from recurring
  • Coccidioidomycosis from occurring the first time and from recurring
  • Histoplasmosis from recurring
  • Talaromycosis from occurring the first time
  • Mucocutaneous candidiasis, including esophageal candidiasis, oropharyngeal candidiasis, and vulvovaginal candidiasis, from recurring

The recommended uses may not always be consistent with FDA-approved uses of fluconazole. See the Adult and Pediatric Opportunistic Infection Guidelines for complete information on recommended uses of fluconazole in adults and children with HIV. Fluconazole may have other recommended uses not listed above.

What should I tell my health care provider before using fluconazole?

Before using fluconazole, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to fluconazole or any other medicines.
• About any medical conditions you have or have had, including:
  • Kidney or liver problems
  • Heart problems
  • Electrolyte imbalances
  • Cancer
  • Genetic disorders that affect your body’s ability to absorb or breakdown sugars, including hereditary fructose intolerance, glucose/galactose malabsorption, or sucrase-isomaltase deficiency.
• About anything that could affect your ability to take medicines, such as difficulty swallowing tablets, difficulty remembering to take tablets, or any health conditions that may prevent your use of intravenous medicines.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Fluconazole should be avoided during pregnancy, except in situations where the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of using fluconazole during pregnancy. The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV may include other recommendations on the use of fluconazole during pregnancy. Please refer to these guidelines for additional information.
• If you are breast/chestfeeding or plan to breast/chestfeed. For people with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. People with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Fluconazole may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how fluconazole works. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between fluconazole and the other medicines you take.

Ask your health care provider about possible side effects from fluconazole. Your health care provider will tell you what to do if you have side effects.

How should I use fluconazole?

Use fluconazole according to your health care provider’s instructions. Your health care provider will tell you how much fluconazole to use and when to use it. Before you start fluconazole and each time you get a refill, read any printed information that comes with your medicine.

How should fluconazole be stored?

• Store fluconazole tablets below 86°F (30°C).
• Store fluconazole powder for oral suspension below 86°F (30°C).
• Store reconstituted fluconazole suspension between 41°F and 86°F (5°C to 30°C) and throw away the unused portion after 2 weeks. Protect from freezing.
• Store plastic containers of fluconazole for intravenous infusion between 41°F and 77°F (5°C to 25°C). Protect from freezing and avoid excessive heat.
• Keep fluconazole in the container that it came in and keep the container tightly closed.
• Do not use fluconazole if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away fluconazole that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine.
• Keep fluconazole and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about fluconazole?

• Recommendations on the HIV-related uses of fluconazole, from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Injection (solution); Tablet, powder (for suspension). The Patient Package Insert includes information for people taking fluconazole.
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for fluconazole injection and fluconazole available from MedlinePlus.
• Fluconazole-related research studies, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests. To learn more about the ClinicalTrials.gov search features, please see How to Search.)