Diflucan

Product Description

What Diflucan is & what it is used for Diflucan is one of a group of medicines called “antifungals”. The active substance isfluconazole. Diflucan is used to treat infections caused by fungi & may also be used to stop you fromgetting a candidal infection. The most common cause of fungal infections is a yeast called Candida. Adults You might be given this medicine by your doctor to treat the following types of fungalinfections:- Cryptococcal meningitis
- a fungal infection in the brain- Coccidioidomycosis
- a disease of the bronchopulmonary system- Infections caused by Candida & found in the blood stream, body organs (e.g. heart, lungs) or urinary tract- Mucosal thrush
- infection affecting the lining of the mouth, throat & denture soremouth- Genital thrush
- infection of the vagina or penis- Skin infections
- e.g. athlete's foot, ringworm, jock itch, nail infection You might also be given Diflucan to:- stop cryptococcal meningitis from coming back- stop mucosal thrush from coming back- reduce recurrence of vaginal thrush- stop you from getting an infection caused by Candida (if your immune system is weakand not working properly) Children & adolescents (0 to 17 years old) You might be given this medicine by your doctor to treat the following types of fungalinfections:- Mucosal thrush
- infection affecting the lining of the mouth, throat- Infections caused by Candida & found in the blood stream, body organs (e.g. heart, lungs) or urinary tract- Cryptococcal meningitis
- a fungal infection in the brain You might also be given Diflucan to:- stop you from getting an infection caused by Candida (if your immune system isweak & not working properly).- stop cryptococcal meningitis from coming back What you need to know before you take Diflucan Do not take Diflucan- if you are allergic to fluconazole, to other medicines you have taken to treat fungalinfections or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). Thesymptoms may include itching, reddening of the skin or difficulty in breathing- if you are taking astemizole, terfenadine (antihistamine medicines for allergies)- if you are taking cisapride (used for stomach upsets)- if you are taking pimozide (used for treating mental illness)- if you are taking quinidine (used for treating heart arrhythmia)- if you are taking erythromycin (an antibiotic for treating infections) Warnings & precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Diflucan- if you have liver or kidney problems- if you suffer from heart disease, including heart rhythm problems- if you have abnormal levels of potassium, calcium or magnesium in your blood- if you develop severe skin reactions (itching, reddening of the skin or difficulty inbreathing)- if you develop signs of ‘adrenal insufficiency’ where the adrenal glands do not produceadequate amounts of certain steroid hormones such as cortisol (chronic, or long lastingfatigue, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal pain) Other medicines & Diflucan Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any othermedicines. Tell your doctor immediately if you are taking astemizole, terfenadine (an antihistamine fortreating allergies) or cisapride (used for stomach upsets) or pimozide (used for treating mentalillness) or quinidine (used for treating heart arrhythmia) or erythromycin (an antibiotic fortreating infections) as these should not be taken with Diflucan (see section: “ Do not take Diflucan if you”). There are some medicines that may interact with Diflucan. Make sure your doctor knows if youare taking any of the following medicines:- rifampicin or rifabutin (antibiotics for infections)- alfentanil, fentanyl (used as anaesthetic)- amitriptyline, nortriptyline (used as anti-depressant)- amphotericin B, voriconazole (anti-fungal)- medicines that thin the blood to prevent blood clots (warfarin or similar medicines)- benzodiazepines (midazolam, triazolam or similar medicines) used to help you sleep orfor anxiety- carbamazepine, phenytoin (used for treating fits)- nifedipine, isradipine, amlodipine, verapamil, felodipine & losartan (for hypertension high blood pressure)- olaparib (used for treating ovarian cancer)- ciclosporin, everolimus, sirolimus or tacrolimus (to prevent transplant rejection)- cyclophosphamide, vinca alkaloids (vincristine, vinblastine or similar medicines) usedfor treating cancer- halofantrine (used for treating malaria)- statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin & fluvastatin or similar medicines) used for reducinghigh cholesterol levels- methadone (used for pain)- celecoxib, flurbiprofen, naproxen, ibuprofen, lornoxicam, meloxicam, diclofenac (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID))- oral contraceptives- prednisone (steroid)- zidovudine, also known as AZT; saquinavir (used in HIV-infected patients)- medicines for diabetes such as chlorpropamide, glibenclamide, glipizide or tolbutamide- theophylline (used to control asthma)- tofacitinib (used for treating rheumatoid arthritis)- vitamin A (nutritional supplement)- ivacaftor (used for treating cystic fibrosis)- amiodarone (used for treating uneven heartbeats ‘arrhythmias’)- hydrochlorothiazide (a diuretic)- ibrutinib (used for treating blood cancer) Diflucan with food & drink You can take your medicine with or without a meal. Pregnancy, breast-feeding & fertility If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have ababy, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. You should not take Diflucan while you are pregnant unless your doctor has told you to. You can continue breast-feeding after taking a single dose of 150 mg Diflucan. You should not breast-feed if you are taking a repeated dose of Diflucan. Driving & using machines When driving vehicles or using machines, it should be taken into account that occasionallydizziness or fits may occur. Diflucan contains lactose (milk sugar) & sodium (salt) This medicine contains a small amount of lactose (milk sugar). If you have been told by yourdoctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, please contact your doctor before takingthis medicine. Diflucan capsules contain less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per capsule, that is to sayessentially ‘sodium-free’