Swish And Spit Or Swish And Swallow Nystatin Suspension?

Answer

Thanks so much for reaching out to us, and great question!

What Is Nystatin?

Nystatin is an antifungal drug used for a number of indications, including:

• Intestinal candidiasis (overgrowth of the Candida yeast in the small and large intestines)
• Cutaneous and mucocutaneous candidiasis, including candidal diaper dermatitis (skin fungal infection)
• Oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush)

Your question concerns using Nystatin for an oral fungal infection (thrush).

How Is Nystatin Dosed For Thrush?

Nystatin suspension should be dosed at 400,000 to 600,000 units (4 to 6 mL), swished in the mouth four times daily (every 6 hours or so), for at least one to two minutes for 7 to 14 days. Each dose should be divided so that one-half of each dose is placed in each side of the mouth. This ensures all the affected areas have been reached. Continue treatment for at least 48 hours after symptoms are resolved.

It is also important to not eat or drink for about 30 minutes after using nystatin. This allows the drug to remain in contact with the affected areas, and not be washed away prematurely.

Do You Spit Or Swallow Nystatin Suspension?

Getting to your question here, nystatin suspension can be spit or swallowed but, it is most commonly recommended to be swallowed, which is best practice.

An oral thrush infection can be present in many different parts of the mouth, as well as in the back of the mouth, the throat and esophagus. If you spit out nystatin, there is a chance that all the affected areas won't come into contact with the antifungal, which is vital for it to work. Swallowing nystatin ensures all the affected areas come in to contact with the drug.

The prescribing information for nystatin specifically states to swallow:

CHILDREN AND ADULTS: 4–6 mL (400,000 to 600,000 units) four times daily (one-half of dose in each side of mouth). The preparation should be retained in the mouth as long as possible before swallowing.

Nystatin is generally a very well tolerated drug, even when swallowed. The drug is very poorly absorbed and almost the entire dose you take is excreted in feces, unchanged. It may cause mild side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and upset stomach, but that generally is the extent of it.

In terms of how long to swish nystatin before swallowing, you should swish it around for at least one to two minutes. Generally, the longer the better, but more than a few minutes isn't necessary as long as you consistently dose four times daily, for 7 to 14 days.

Final Words

Thanks again for your question and I hope this helped!