How often can you take fluconazole for a yeast infection?

Key takeaways

• A vaginal yeast infection is typically treated with a single 150-milligram (mg) dose of fluconazole. You usually take this dose only once.
• If your symptoms don’t improve after 2 days or if you have a more severe or recurring yeast infection, your healthcare professional may prescribe a second dose, a higher dose, or multiple doses taken every 3 days for about a week.
• Fluconazole starts working right away, but it may take up to 7 days for symptoms like itching, burning, redness, and unusual discharge to fully clear up.

Overview

Fluconazole is an antifungal drug that doctors commonly prescribe to treat yeast infections. A yeast infection occurs due to a fungus called Candida. When this fungus grows out of balance, it can lead to vaginal or oral yeast infections.

A doctor will typically prescribe a single dose of fluconazole to treat a yeast infection. You usually only take this dose once.

But if you don’t start seeing improvements in your yeast infection symptoms after 2 days, your doctor may suggest you take a second dose of fluconazole. Your doctor may also prescribe more than one dose or a higher dose if you have a more severe or recurring yeast infection.

It’s important to talk with your doctor to find out what dosage of fluconazole is best for you and how often you should take it.

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What’s the typical dosage of fluconazole for a yeast infection?

The dosage of fluconazole for a vaginal yeast infection is typically 150 mg, taken a single time. Fluconazole is a generic drug. It also comes as the brand-name drug Diflucan, which has the same dosage.

If you’re taking fluconazole for a yeast infection of the mouth, throat, or esophagus or for a fungal skin infection, your daily dose could be between 50 and 400 mg. It will depend on the type of infection you have. Treatment for these types of infections can last up to several weeks.

For an infection like oral thrush, you will take 200 mg of fluconazole on the first day, followed by 100 mg once daily for about 2 weeks.

When should you take a second dose?

Sometimes your doctor may recommend that you take more than one dose of fluconazole to treat a vaginal yeast infection.

If your yeast infection causes more severe symptoms, such as painful swelling in the vagina and vulva, your doctor may prescribe a higher dosage of fluconazole. They may also prescribe a higher dose if you experience vaginal yeast infections more than four times per year.

For more severe or recurring vaginal yeast infections, doctors may prescribe one 150 mg oral tablet of fluconazole taken every 3 days (every 72 hours) for about a week. This is often followed by maintenance doses of fluconazole. To ensure the yeast infection doesn’t return, your doctor may prescribe one 150 mg oral tablet of fluconazole that you will take once a week for about 6 months.

What happens if you take too much fluconazole?

If you take too much fluconazole, you could have dangerous levels of the drug in your body. Symptoms of a fluconazole overdose can include hallucinations and paranoia. If you think you’ve taken too much fluconazole, call your doctor right away. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

It’s important to take fluconazole as directed by your doctor. They will prescribe the right amount of the drug to treat your condition.

If you miss a dose of fluconazole, you can take it as soon as you remember. But if you remember just a few hours before your next scheduled dose, make sure you only take one dose. Even if you forgot to take one dose, don’t try to catch up by taking two doses at once. This could cause dangerous side effects.

How long does fluconazole take to work?

Fluconazole starts to work as soon as you start taking it, but it may take a few days before you notice your symptoms start to clear up. For most fungal infections, your symptoms usually feel better after about 7 days of taking fluconazole. For more serious fungal infections, it may take 1 to 2 weeks for the drug to reach its full effect.

You will know fluconazole is working to treat your vaginal yeast infection if the following symptoms start to feel better:

• itching or soreness
• burning when urinating
• redness
• unusual, thick white vaginal discharge that may look like cottage cheese

If you don’t notice any improvement in your symptoms after a few days, talk with your doctor.

Online care for yeast infections

Yeast infections may go undiagnosed or untreated due to feelings of shame or embarrassment around the condition, but there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Summary

Fluconazole is prescribed to treat a variety of fungal and yeast infections. For most vaginal yeast infections, you will take a single 150 mg dose of fluconazole. If you have a more severe or recurring yeast infection, your doctor may prescribe more than one dose.

Fluconazole starts to work right after you take it, but it may take up to a week for it to fully clear up your infection. If your doctor prescribes this medication, they’ll determine the dosage that’s best for you. Do not change your dosage of fluconazole without your doctor’s recommendation. Taking too much fluconazole could raise your risk for side effects.

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