Humanity has existed on the planet for several millennia. Throughout this time, a variety of microorganisms live and successfully evolve with people. Many of them are necessary for a person to deal with various external aggressive factors. But there are those that, under certain conditions, can cause disease. It is to these kinds of fungal microorganisms of any kind that constantly pose a threat to human health. To combat them, scientists have been developing antifungal drugs for many years .
Perhaps, in the leading position among the large list of such funds is the drug "Flucostat." However, it is not cheap and therefore not accessible to all segments of the population. The medicine "Fluconazole" - an analogue of "Flucostat" - is much more widespread. Cheaper (15-30 rubles against 170-300), with a wide spectrum of action, this drug is in no way inferior to the one which is its analogue.
What is fluconazole?
Actually, fluconazole - the main active ingredient of the Flucostat preparation - is a powerful inhibitor (a substance that can inhibit or completely stop any physiological processes) of the formation of sterols in fungal cells. This substance is able to withstand the bulk of the causative agents of opportunistic mycoses (opportunistic diseases can be caused by opportunistic microorganisms, which are usually safe for people with a healthy immune system). In addition, treatment with "Fluconazole" is effective in identifying fungal microorganisms characteristic of any particular area (endemic mycoses).
Action on the human body
After ingestion, the drug is perfectly absorbed. Simultaneous eating does not have any effect on the course of this process. After taking the capsule, "Fluconazole" quickly penetrates into almost all body fluids. Indicators of its concentration in blood plasma, saliva and sputum are close to each other. In patients suffering from a fungal form of meningitis, the level of fluconazole in the cerebrospinal fluid reaches 80% of that in plasma. The drug is excreted from the human body mainly by the kidneys. When conducting research, about 80% of the administered dose of the drug in an unchanged form is found in urine.
Indications for use
The drug "Fluconazole" instructions for use (the price depends on the form of release: tablets, capsules, powders for the preparation of suspensions for oral administration, syrups, solutions for intravenous injection) recommends taking with a fairly wide range of fungal infections that occur in the human body. The list of diseases includes cryptococcal meningitis (a disease of the lining of the brain caused by a fungus), which can have very serious consequences for humans. This analogue of Flucostat from thrush (vaginal candidiasis) and with any systemic forms of candidiasis is also effective.
Specialists prescribe the drug to patients with reduced immunity for preventive purposes. Also, the medicine "Fluconazole" is prescribed for those who have fungal infections after a rather aggressive course of treatment of malignant neoplasms (radiation therapy, cytostatic drugs). Antibiotic therapy is also able to cause manifestations of fungal diseases, which must be eliminated in any case.
The use of the drug after organ transplantation operations is indicated. A therapeutic course of therapy with the use of immunosuppressants may also necessitate the adoption of this effective analogue of Flucostat, the reviews of which are rather ambiguous.
Various mycoses of the body, skin (and foot mycoses, including), groin area, onychomycosis (fungal infections of the nails), pityriasis versicolor (multi-colored long - term or chronic fungal infections of the epidermis) are also the sphere of influence of Fluconazole. For people with normal immunity, the drug is prescribed when deep epidemic mycoses occur.
Treatment is recommended to start immediately, without waiting for the results of studies and crops. However, when these results are obtained, therapy must be adjusted. Treatment should be continued until a complete cure is confirmed by laboratory and clinical studies and analyzes. Premature termination of the treatment course will most likely lead to a relapse of the fungal infection. In this case, most likely, an increase in the dose of drugs and a temporary lengthening of the treatment period will be required, since microorganisms will acquire a kind of resistance (immunity) to the active substance Fluconazole.
Contraindications: who should refrain from taking
The medicine "Fluconazole" instructions for use (the price is relatively small, in this case is not an indicator of effectiveness), it is regulated not to be taken by people suffering from individual intolerance to its main components. You can not use this medication for the treatment of fungal infections for those who suffer from allergic manifestations in any form on clotrimazole, miconazole, ketoconazole, econazole, terconazole, sulfonazole, sertaconazole. The simultaneous use of drugs "Fluconazole" and "Cisapride" ("Propulside") is unacceptable.
It must be brought to the attention of the prescribing doctor about existing problems with the kidneys, liver, cardiac abnormalities, the presence of a history of an extended QT interval syndrome in person or in the family (electrical disturbances in the heart, they can lead to sudden loss of consciousness and cause death).
The drug "Fluconazole" and pregnancy - this is generally another story. Gynecologists believe that a single use of one dose (up to 150 mg) will not harm the baby. A systemic treatment with this drug can cause the development of congenital disorders in the child.
According to studies, the use of large doses (400-800 mg per day) for a long period during pregnancy led to the fact that children often developed rare congenital abnormalities: brachycephaly, malformations of the cranial vault, cleft palate, congenital heart defects. If a woman became pregnant during treatment (capsules or tablets) with Fluconazole, the doctor must always inform her that there is a risk for the baby. And if the future mother decided that the baby should be born, then medical specialists must carefully monitor how the pregnancy proceeds.
In general, gynecologists recommend that women undergoing treatment for fungal infections use effective contraceptives throughout the treatment period.
Also, this analogue of "Flucostat" - the Russian drug "Flucanozole" - can not be taken for children under the age of 4 years.
Fluconazole and vaginal candidiasis
Vaginal candidiasis (thrush) is caused by the yeast-like fungus Candida. This fungus is always present in the body of a woman and is normally not capable of causing the disease. However, if for some reason local or general immunity is weakened, the number of beneficial bacteria may decrease in the intestines and vagina of a woman. This is where Candida activates.
The impetus for the development of thrush can be a number of reasons. This can be a common vitamin deficiency or a lack of female sex hormones, poor nutrition, or constant stress and overwork. Provoking factors can be a sedentary lifestyle, wearing synthetic tight underwear or clothing, the use of hormonal drugs for contraception, or the consequences of antibiotic treatment. And yet, no matter how strange it may seem, the medicine “Fluconazole” for thrush will have to be taken by those women who abuse douching or in excess use a variety of antibacterial agents to care for the genitals. In this case, along with pathogenic microorganisms, all the useful flora of the vagina also dies.
Symptoms of the development of thrush in a woman are the appearance of cheesy discharge, burning and itching in the genital area, swelling and redness of the genitals, pain during urination. Unpleasant sensations cause sex. However, these symptoms may be present in other diseases of the female genital area. Therefore, before taking the drug "Fluconazole" from thrush, you need to visit a gynecologist, undergo a comprehensive examination and make sure that this is vaginal candidiasis, and not something else that requires a different treatment regimen and other drugs.
Today, the pharmaceutical industry produces a wide range of drugs that can withstand thrush. However, the main active ingredient in most of them is fluconazole. This analogue of "Flucostat" is cheaper and more affordable for a wide range of consumers for the simple reason that it was released in Russia by a domestic manufacturer.
Taking the drug with thrush
The use of Fluconazole is quite simple. If the disease manifested itself for the first time, and the woman quickly turned to a gynecologist, then for a positive therapeutic effect and complete cure, a single dose of 150 mg will be enough. In order to consolidate the result, after a few days you can take another pill or capsule. According to the same scheme, the medicine "Flucostat" is taken. The analogue of "Fluconazole" simply costs less, but this does not affect its effectiveness.
However, if a woman has developed a chronic form of thrush, and such patients are now about 5%, then the application of Fluconalosis changes dramatically. Chronic vaginal candidiasis is difficult to treat, lasts a long time, relapses easily occur. In such cases, a single dose is completely insufficient, and the doctor prescribes longer courses of treatment. Typically, the drug is taken twice a week for 2 weeks. Then, within six months, you must take the drug (capsules or tablets) "Fluconazole" once a month in a total dose of 150 mg.
In general, the choice of the regimen for the treatment of vaginal candidiasis remains the prerogative of the attending physician. It is the doctor who will need to assess the severity of the woman’s condition, the prescription of the first symptoms, the presence of concomitant health problems (often thrush is just one of the sexually transmitted infections). After analyzing all these factors and their combined effect on the woman’s body, the doctor will be able to choose the most effective treatment regimen, using this particular analogue of “Flucostat” for thrush (the price in this case is not critical).
Feasible side effects
In general, the drug "Fluconazole" is well tolerated in any application (both intravenous and oral). Sometimes it is possible to observe changes in the functioning of the liver and kidneys, but most often such a reaction to the drug occurs in patients suffering from serious underlying diseases, such as AIDS and malignant tumors.
In women who took a single dose of 150 mg to treat infections of the genital area, sometimes side effects such as abdominal pain, nausea, or headaches can be observed. The intensity of the manifestation is usually mild or moderate.
From the side of the nervous system, such manifestations as cramps, dizziness, sleep problems, tremors are sometimes possible. The gastrointestinal tract may respond to the medication with nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, impaired taste, lack of appetite. The reaction of the liver to the drug is also quite mixed. If the patient does not have severe underlying diseases, then the admission can provoke temporary disturbances in her work, which cease when the drug is canceled. If the patient has complex and severe underlying diseases (which are also treated with various drugs), this Flucostat analogue (cheaper antifungal drug or more expensive, it doesn’t matter, because the main active ingredient is fluconazole) can sometimes provoke liver problems such as hepatitis, cholestasis or liver failure, which in some cases can cause death. However, it cannot be said with accuracy that such severe consequences are caused precisely by an antifungal drug, because the underlying disease is also treated with complex medications.
Dermatologists note that Fluconazole can rarely cause skin rashes and hair loss (usually those who take the drug for more than two months). After stopping the intake, these unpleasant phenomena disappear.
Exceeding the permissible dose: consequences
The use of high doses of Fluconazole (price, reviews in this case may be crucial) without a doctor’s instructions may lead to an overdose. The most common symptoms that indicate a serious dose excess are usually gastrointestinal problems (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). In severe cases, convulsions may occur. If all these symptoms are present during administration, the drug should be discontinued. If after this manifestation the overdose has not stopped, you should consult a doctor.
Treatment in this case is aimed at reducing the absorption of the drug. If after taking the drug no more than three to four hours have passed, gastric lavage will be effective, and then the intake of activated charcoal. If more time has passed, the treatment is carried out inpatiently, where hemodialysis (purification of blood outside the kidneys), forced diuresis (taking diuretics), symptomatic treatment are used.
Patients' opinion about the drug
The opinion of patients taking the drug "Fluconazole" is rather ambiguous. A separate group of patients is very pleased with the results of treatment. If the disease is not started, then the effect is manifested quickly, and, as a rule, taking a single dose of 150 mg is quite enough. And this drug does not overstrain finances much, considering that within 250 rubles there is a capsule of the drug "Flucostat". The price (analogues contain the same active substance) of Fluconazole capsule pleasantly surprises - from 15 to 30 rubles (per 150 mg).
However, there is a group of consumers who respond to the drug sharply negatively. Typically, such reviews are associated with the manifestation of side effects of varying severity. Someone had skin rashes, accompanied by severe itching, which did not go away for a long time. Some patients undergoing treatment for thrush complained of disorders in the gastrointestinal tract. And the drug simply did not help a small percentage of patients. Probably, people have developed resistance (immunity, resistance) to the active substance.
Decisive opinion
The modern pharmaceutical market is so wide and diverse that only a competent and experienced doctor can figure out its branches and subtleties. And this applies to any field of medicine, be it cardiology or neurology, psychiatry or nephrology, therapy or dentistry. Improper lifestyle and nutrition, poor ecology and treatment of any diseases to which the human body is exposed, with sophisticated modern drugs can provoke the appearance of fungal infections. And here the decisive word should remain with the attending physician, prescribe Fluconazole medication (analogue of Flucostat, cheaper, but no less effective) for the treatment of fungal infections, or pay attention to other antifungal medications.