Drug Database: Terconazole

What is terconazole?

Terconazole is an antifungal prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis can be an opportunistic infection (OI) 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 terconazole used in people with HIV?

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV include recommendations on the use of terconazole to treat uncomplicated vulvovaginal candidiasis and severe or recurrent episodes of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

The recommended uses may not always be consistent with FDA-approved uses of terconazole. See the Guidelines for complete information on recommended uses of terconazole in adults and adolescents with HIV. Terconazole may have other recommended uses not listed above. 

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

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

Before using terconazole, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to terconazole or any other medicines.
• About any medical conditions you have or have had, for example, diabetes or yeast infections.
• About anything that could affect your ability to use terconazole, such as difficulty with inserting a vaginal suppository or applying a cream to the affected area or trouble remembering a scheduled dose.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Terconazole should not be used in the first trimester of pregnancy unless it is essential for your health. Terconazole may be used during the second and third trimester if the potential benefit outweighs the possible risks to the fetus. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of using terconazole 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 terconazole 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. Terconazole may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how terconazole works. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between terconazole and the other medicines you take.

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

How should I use terconazole?

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

How should terconazole be stored?

• Store terconazole vaginal cream (0.8%) and vaginal suppositories at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Do not use terconazole if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away terconazole that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine.
• Keep terconazole and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about terconazole?

• Recommendations on the HIV-related use of terconazole, from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Vaginal suppository; Vaginal cream (0.8%). The Consumer Information Leaflet and Patient Instructions include information for people using terconazole.
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for terconazole vaginal cream, vaginal suppositories available from MedlinePlus.
• Terconazole-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.)