Flucostat for thrush

Flucostat is a systemic antibacterial and antimicrobial drug used in the treatment of a wide range of fungal diseases. Flucostat for thrush also has the trade names Fluconazole, Flucoside, Difluzol, Diflucan, Mikosist, Mikoflucan, etc.

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Indications Flucostat for thrush

Indications for the use of Flucostat are:

• vaginal candidiasis (thrush in women);
• candidal balanitis (thrush in men);
• candidal infections of any localization (invasive and non-invasive);
• cryptococcosis (cryptococcal meningitis, cryptococcosis of the lungs, skin, mucous membranes, etc. (including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome);
• cutaneous mycoses;
• onychomycosis;
• pityriasis versicolor;
• coccidioidomycosis and paracoccidioidomycosis;
• sporotrichosis;
• histoplasmosis.

The drug can be used to prevent fungal infections in cancer patients after a course of radiation or chemotherapy.

Release form

Flucostat is available in two forms: in capsule form and as a solution for parenteral use. A Flucostat capsule for thrush may contain 50 mg (7 pieces per package) or 150 mg of fluconazole (1 capsule per package).

The solution is packaged in 50 ml bottles (one bottle per package).

Such forms as Flucostat tablets for thrush and Flucostat suppositories for thrush are not produced by the manufacturers of this drug.

Pharmacodynamics

The antifungal therapeutic effect of this drug is provided by its active substance fluconazole – alpha-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-alpha-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-ethanol, which is a derivative of the aromatic nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound triazole.

The pharmacodynamics of Flucostat for thrush is based on its selective inhibition of the production of sterols and the conversion of lanosterol into ergosterol in the cells of fungi of the genus Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans, Microsporum spp., Coccidioides immitis, Trichophyton spp., Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis.

Pharmacokinetics

When the medication is taken orally, the active substance is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract within a short time and then enters all biological fluids, including the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, as well as all layers of the skin. At the same time, only about 12% of the active substance of the drug binds to blood plasma proteins. Biological availability is high - 90%.

Half of the Flucostat taken is excreted from the body within 30 hours. Up to 80% of the drug is not metabolized and is excreted unchanged – through the kidneys, with urine.

Dosing and administration

Method of administration of Flucostat capsule for thrush - orally, regardless of food intake, once a day. Usually, adults with cryptococcal infections and invasive candidiasis are prescribed 400 mg on the first day of treatment and until the end of the course of therapy, 200 mg per day.

In case of thrush (vaginal candidiasis) in women, as well as thrush (candidal balanitis) in men, the Flucostat capsule for thrush (150 mg) is taken once, and to prevent relapses, it is recommended to take one capsule (150 mg) once a month for at least six months.

Dosage for adults for candidal infections of the mucous membranes is 1-2 capsules of 50 mg per day; duration of drug administration is from 2 to 4 weeks.

For skin mycoses and onychomycosis, the Flucostat dose for adults is 1 capsule (150 mg) once a week or 50 mg once a day. The course of treatment can last 14, 28 or 42 days.

The dose of the medication (in capsule form) for children is determined based on body weight: from 3 mg to 12 mg per kilogram.

The method of administration of Flucostat solution is intravenous infusion (when diluted with glucose solution, Ringer's solution, potassium chloride solution in glucose). For candidiasis, 50-100 mg of the drug is administered dropwise per day, the course of treatment is up to 28 days.

For cryptococcal infections, 400 mg of Flucostat solution is administered on the first day, then the dose is reduced to 200 mg per day.

In order to prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases during chemotherapy and radiation of malignant tumors, the daily dose of Flucostat is 50 mg. In pediatrics, the dosage of the solution of this drug depends on the child's weight: 6-12 mg per day per kilogram of body weight.

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Use Flucostat for thrush during pregnancy

The drug penetrates into all biological fluids of the body, therefore use during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended and is permissible only in exceptional cases when a fungal infection threatens the life of a pregnant woman.

Contraindications

Flucostat for thrush is contraindicated in case of intolerance to the drug and other triazole compounds; in case of history of attacks of palpitations associated with short QT syndrome and taking drugs to prolong it; in children under three years of age.

The medication requires caution when prescribed to patients with chronic liver and kidney pathologies, cardiac arrhythmia and alcohol dependence.

The presence of lactose in the capsules makes it impossible to prescribe it to people with lactose intolerance and galactose malabsorption syndrome.

Side effects Flucostat for thrush

Possible side effects of Flucostat for thrush are as follows: headache, dizziness, cramps, urticaria, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, pain in the stomach and abdominal cavity, decreased or cessation of bile secretion, jaundice, liver dysfunction and hepatotoxic symptoms (increased levels of enzymes and bilirubin, inflammation of liver tissue and its necrosis), impaired ventricular contraction (prolongation of the QT interval), anaphylactic shock, alopecia.

In terms of blood composition, a decrease in the number of platelets (thrombocytopenia), leukocytes (leukopenia) and neutrophilic leukocytes (agranulocytosis) may be observed. In addition, a decrease in the potassium content in the blood and an increase in the content of fats - cholesterol and triglycerides - are possible.

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Overdose

Flucostat from thrush leads to more severe manifestations of side effects of the drug, as well as to the occurrence of hallucinations. In case of exceeding the dose of Flucostat in capsules, you should wash the stomach and take an enterosorbent. If the content of the drug in the blood plasma is significantly exceeded, it may be necessary to take diuretics or hemodialysis.

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Interactions with other drugs

Use together with coumarin anticoagulants increases blood clotting time, so monitoring of prothrombin time is necessary.

In non-insulin-dependent diabetes, the simultaneous use of Flucostat and hypoglycemic drugs of the sulfonylurea derivative group retains them in the blood, which can lead to severe hypoglycemia.

It is unacceptable to use Flucostat for thrush and H1-antihistamines - piperidine derivatives simultaneously. Simultaneous use of the sedative midazolam can lead to psychomotor effects, and in combination with Flucostat and the immunosuppressant tacrolimus, the risk of toxic kidney damage increases.

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Storage conditions

Flucostat capsules should be stored at a temperature of +15-25°C; solution – at +5-25°C.

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Special instructions

Analogue

Analogues (i.e. drugs with the same therapeutic effect) are Clotrimazole, Livarol, Amphotericin B, Fucis, Fukortsin, Terbinafine, Mikomaks, Lotrimin, Fungizone, etc.

Price

Depends on the form of release of the drug and the manufacturer. The average price of Flucostat in 50 mg capsules is 210 UAH, in 150 mg capsules - 130-135 UAH, 0.2% injection solution (50 ml) costs 210-212 UAH.

Reviews

According to reviews, it is effective in treating fungal infections caused by pathogenic yeast-like fungi Candida, in particular thrush. If you do not neglect vaginal candidiasis and start treating it in time, then one capsule of this drug (150 mg) quickly copes with the disease.

Shelf life

The shelf life of the drug is 24 months.