How Long Does Fluconazole Last In The Body?

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We are more than happy to answer this question regarding fluconazole for you.

What Is Fluconazole?

Fluconazole, also commonly known by the brand name Diflucan, is a synthetic antifungal agent that has a broad spectrum of activity and is indicated for the treatment of a wide variety of fungal infections.

Most commonly, it is used to treat yeast infections, and based on how the drug works, it oftentimes can be dosed as a single pill for treatment.

How Long Does Fluconazole Last In The Body?

The amount of time that it takes fluconazole to clear your system can vary greatly from person to person.

Fluconazole is mainly excreted by the kidneys, so having normal kidney function is a key component in determining the time it may take fluconazole to be cleared from your body.

If kidney function is normal, the half-life for fluconazole is anywhere from 20 to 50 hours with 30 hours considered to be average.

It takes around 5.5 half-lives for a drug to be considered cleared from the body.

If we use the average half-life for fluconazole (30 hours), this would lend that the average time it takes fluconazole to be cleared from the body of a healthy adult at 165 hours or just under 7 days.

If you ever wondered why you can often treat a yeast infection with just a single pill of fluconazole, this is why. It lasts an extremely long time in the body.

Alcohol With Fluconazole

Drinking alcohol while taking fluconazole is not contraindicated as they do not have any direct drug interactions.

However, alcohol should be used in moderation or with caution while taking fluconazole as it has the potential to increase the risk of gastrointestinal side effects.

Taking certain other anti-infective medications, such as metronidazole (which is an anti-protozoal/antibiotic), with alcohol can cause a "disulfiram-like" reaction.

A disulfiram-like reaction is caused by a medication or natural compound inducing a hypersensitive effect to alcohol, resulting in symptoms that can be severe and include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Abdominal discomfort
• Flushing

Final Words

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