CautionDiflucan

Fluconazole

Triazole antifungal

Avoid oral in pregnancy — use topical imidazoles.

OralIV

First-line for

  • Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (non-pregnant)

Mechanism

Inhibits fungal CYP450 lanosterol 14α-demethylase → ↓ ergosterol.

Fluco pregnancy rule

  • Oral: avoid (miscarriage / tetralogy at high dose)
  • Topical clotrimazole = safe

Dosing

Candida
150 mg PO single dose (non-pregnant)

Contraindications

  • AbsolutePregnancy (oral); QT-prolonging drugs

Side effects

  • Nausea, headache, ↑ LFTs
  • QT prolongation

Fetal & maternal notes

  • High-dose teratogen (craniofacial); even single 150 mg ↑ miscarriage.

Key interactions

  • Warfarin

    Avoid

    ↑ INR

  • Statins

    Avoid

    Myopathy

  • Sulfonylureas

    Caution

    Hypoglycaemia

Clinical pearls

  • 💡 Pregnancy thrush → clotrimazole 500 mg PV stat ± cream 7 d.
  • 💡 Test for diabetes if recurrent.

Content last reviewed: REPLACE_ME (e.g. 2026-07)

Spotted something out of date? See our disclaimer or use Report an Error above.

For educational use only

Not medical advice. Verify dosing against the BNF and your local trust guidelines before prescribing.