Fluconazole (Diflucan) Dosage: 100mg, 150mg, 200mg, 400mg

Fluconazole is an effective azole antifungal agent that is widely utilised in the management of fungal and yeast infections. It is available as an intravenous and oral medication and is administered in varying doses in different clinical conditions. In this article, we shall briefly review the doses of fluconazole administered for different illnesses.

General Principles

As such, the daily dose of fluconazole required for treating a fungal infection is dictated by the severity and nature of the infection. For example, patients who suffer from vaginal yeast infections only require a single dose of fluconazole. Those who have recurrent infections require long courses of treatment. Patients who have low levels of immunity (such as in conditions like AIDS) require long-term maintenance treatment to prevent new infections from developing.

Dosage forms

Fluconazole is available as oral medication (fluconazole tablet) and intravenous medication. Oral and intravenous doses vary between 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg and 400 mg. Doses are often administered according to body weight in children.

Clinical indications and doses

Below are some of the common clinical conditions where fluconazole is administered as therapy. It is important to note that the dose of oral fluconazole and intravenous fluconazole remains the same in each of these clinical conditions.

1. Vaginal candidiasis - In vaginal yeast infections, a single oral dose of 150 mg of fluconazole is sufficient.
2. Oral pharyngeal candidiasis - Here, oral fluconazole is administered at a dose of 50 mg a day for one to 2 weeks. In patients who have low levels of immunity, longer courses of treatment may be required.
3. Candidal infection in the blood stream – Also known as candidemia, this condition requires administration of 400 mg of fluconazole on day one followed by 200 mg daily thereafter. The duration of treatment depends upon the clinical response demonstrated by the patient.
4. Cryptococcal meningitis - This clinical condition is characterised by fungal infection of the brain. As such, patients require intravenous fluconazole in such cases and 400 mg is offered as a starting dose on day one followed by 200 to 400 mg once-a-day for a period of up to 8 weeks.
5. Dermatomycosis - This is a type of fungal skin infection that requires 50 mg oral fluconazole daily for a period of four weeks.

The above are doses that are administered to adults. In children, the doses of fluconazole are decided by the body weight. For example, in children who have oral candidiasis, an oral dose of 3mg/kg body weight is administered as treatment dose. In elderly individuals, the dose of fluconazole is decided depending upon the presence or absence of poor kidney function. This is because, once fluconazole is broken down in the body, it is excreted from the body through the kidneys.

Fluconazole (Diflucan) is administered in different doses in an oral or intravenous form depending upon the clinical condition being treated.