Fluconazole
Fluconazole is an antifungal tablet for vaginal thrush, yeast infections of the mouth and throat, and cryptococcal meningitis, available as Diflucan or plain fluconazole in 50mg to 400mg.
Fluconazole
Fluconazole
50/100/150/200/400mg
Fluconazole tablets in 50mg, 100mg, 150mg, 200mg and 400mg strengths, used to treat vaginal thrush, mouth and throat yeast infections and other fungal infections.
What it clears up
Thrush is what most people come looking to treat: an itchy, sore vagina with a thick white discharge. Fluconazole clears it, and the same yeast can take hold in the mouth or throat, where it shows as white patches and rawness. The tablets also reach infections deeper in the body, such as cryptococcal meningitis (an infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord). Someone whose immune system is weakened may take fluconazole to stop fungal illness taking hold.
Yeast builds its outer wall from a substance called ergosterol, and fluconazole blocks the enzyme that makes it. Unable to repair that wall, the fungus stops multiplying and your own defences clear what is left. Because the drug travels in the blood, it reaches yeast in the mouth and the vagina, and fungi growing in internal organs too.
Doses and courses
One 150mg tablet is the standard treatment for vaginal thrush. Thrush in the mouth, and most other yeast infections, are treated with a tablet a day for a week or longer; cryptococcal meningitis needs weeks of treatment. Take your tablet at about the same time every day while on a daily course, and swallow it with water. Food before or after makes no difference to how well it works.
Side effects
The complaints that come up most are nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness and indigestion, along with an occasional rash. Most settle without any change to treatment. Liver problems are uncommon. Yellowing of the eyes or skin, urine that turns dark, or pain under the right ribs are signs to act on quickly. A spreading or blistering rash, or swelling of the face and throat that makes breathing difficult, needs urgent treatment.
Diflucan, or the ingredient name?
The two listings are the same drug in the same tablet form. Diflucan is the brand name and comes in 50mg, 100mg, 150mg and 200mg. Fluconazole is labelled with the ingredient name and adds a 400mg tablet for serious infections. For a one-off thrush treatment, choose 150mg; a daily course is usually 50mg or 100mg. Both belong to the shop's antifungal range.
Other medicines, and storage
Fluconazole leaves the body slowly and can hold up other drugs cleared the same way, so their levels rise. The blood thinner warfarin is the one to watch: bruising and bleeding become more likely. Certain diabetes tablets, some statins and medicines for heart rhythm are affected too. Store the tablets in their blister pack somewhere dry, and keep them where children cannot get at them.
Sources
- Fluconazole: a medicine to treat fungal infections - NHS — National Health Service
- Fluconazole: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
Is Fluconazole available to order in Hong Kong?
Fluconazole can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The range includes Fluconazole tablets in 50mg, 100mg, 150mg, 200mg and 400mg, and generic Diflucan in 50mg, 100mg, 150mg and 200mg tablets. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or American Express on a secure, encrypted page, or by Bitcoin or Ethereum.
How much does Fluconazole cost?
Prices vary between the two fluconazole products and between pack sizes. Every product page lists its current prices in HKD or in the currency you choose.
Do I need a prescription to order Fluconazole?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order fluconazole. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What are the other names for fluconazole?
Diflucan is a brand name of fluconazole, which is also sold as Fluka, Forcan and Zocon. Here, fluconazole can be bought online as generic Diflucan and fluconazole tablets. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long do I need to take fluconazole?
For vaginal thrush, one tablet is usually the whole course, so treatment finishes the same day. Thrush in the mouth or throat and most other yeast infections need a daily tablet for a week or more. Cryptococcal meningitis is treated over several weeks.
Is fluconazole the same as Diflucan?
Yes. Both listings on this page are tablets containing fluconazole. Diflucan is the brand version, and the range sold under the ingredient name also includes a 400mg tablet for serious infections.
Which strength should I order for thrush?
Vaginal thrush is treated with a single 150mg tablet, and that is the strength most people order. A daily course for mouth or throat thrush often uses 50mg or 100mg. The 400mg tablet is meant for serious internal infections, not routine thrush.
Does fluconazole treat bacterial vaginosis?
No. Fluconazole acts only on fungi and yeasts, and bacterial vaginosis is caused by bacteria, so these tablets will not clear it. The two can produce a similar discharge, but a bacterial infection needs an antibiotic instead.
What happens if I forget a tablet?
On a daily course, take a forgotten tablet as soon as you think of it, provided the next dose is still a few hours away. If it is closer than that, leave the missed one out and carry on. Never take two tablets together to make up the gap.