Vaginal azoles usually come with patient directions. Read them carefully before using this medicine.

Use this medicine at bedtime, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. The vaginal tampon form of miconazole should be left in the vagina overnight and removed the next morning.

This medicine is usually inserted into the vagina with an applicator. However, if you are pregnant, check with your doctor before using the applicator.

Some of the vaginal suppositories or tablets come packaged with a small tube of cream. This cream can be applied outside of the vagina in the genital area to treat itching. The packages are called combination, dual, or twin packs.

To help clear up your infection completely, it is very important that you keep using this medicine for the full time of treatment , even if your symptoms begin to clear up after a few days. If you stop using this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return. Do not miss any doses. Also, do not stop using this medicine if your menstrual period starts during the time of treatment .

Dosing

The dose of these medicines will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

For butoconazole
• For yeast infection:
  • For vaginal cream dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers:
      • Women who are not pregnant: 100 milligrams (mg) (one full applicator) of 2% cream inserted into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row.
      • Pregnant women, after the third month: 100 mg (one full applicator) of 2% cream inserted into the vagina at bedtime for six nights in a row.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For vaginal suppository dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers:
      • Women who are not pregnant: 100 mg (one suppository) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row.
      • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For clotrimazole
• For yeast infection:
  • For vaginal cream dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers The dose depends on the strength of the cream.
      • 1% cream: 50 milligrams (mg) (one full applicator) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for six to fourteen nights in a row.
      • 2% cream: 100 mg (one full applicator) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row.
      • 10% cream: 500 mg (one full applicator) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for one night only.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For vaginal tablet dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers The dose depends on the strength of the vaginal tablet.
      • Women who are not pregnant:
        • 100-mg tablet: Insert one tablet into the vagina at bedtime for six or seven nights in a row.
        • 200-mg tablet: Insert one tablet into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row.
        • 500-mg tablet: Insert one tablet into the vagina at bedtime for one night only.
      • Pregnant women: 100 mg (one vaginal tablet) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for seven nights in a row.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For econozole
• For yeast infection:
  • For vaginal suppository dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers 150 milligrams (mg) (one vaginal suppository) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For miconazole
• For yeast infection:
  • For vaginal cream dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers 20 milligrams (one full applicator) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for seven nights in a row. Treatment may be repeated if needed.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For vaginal suppository dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers The dose depends on the strength of the suppository.
      • 100-milligrams (mg) suppository: Insert one vaginal suppository into the vagina at bedtime for seven nights in a row. Treatment may be repeated if needed.
      • 200-mg suppository or
      • 400-mg suppository: Insert one vaginal suppository into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row. Treatment may be repeated if needed.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For tampon dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers 100 mg (one tampon) inserted into the vagina at bedtime and then removed the next morning. This is repeated every night for five nights in a row.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For terconazole
• For yeast infection:
  • For vaginal cream dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers The dose depends on the strength of the cream.
      • 0.4% cream: 20 milligrams (mg) (one full applicator) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for seven nights in a row.
      • 0.8% cream: 40 mg (one full applicator) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For vaginal suppository dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers 80 mg (one vaginal suppository) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for three nights in a row.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For tioconazole
• For yeast infection:
  • For vaginal ointment dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers 300 milligrams (mg) (one full applicator) of 6.5% ointment inserted into the vagina at bedtime for one night only.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For vaginal suppository dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers 300 mg (one vaginal suppository) inserted into the vagina at bedtime for one night only.
    • Children up to 12 years of age Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, insert it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store the vaginal suppository or vaginal tablet form of this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Keep the vaginal cream, ointment, and suppository forms of this medicine from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of using the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For vaginal azoles, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to any of the azoles. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy Studies have not been done in humans for use of all azole antifungals during the first trimester of pregnancy. These medicines are safe and effective when used for at least 7 days during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, check with your doctor before using this medicine during the first trimester of pregnancy. Also, use of 1- and 3-day treatments may not be effective during pregnancy.

Breast-feeding It is not known whether vaginal azoles pass into the breast milk. However, these medicines have not been shown to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children Studies on these medicines have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of vaginal azoles in children with use in other age groups. It is recommended that these medicines not be used in children up to 12 years of age.

Older adults Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of vaginal azoles in the elderly with use in other age groups, they are not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than they do in younger adults.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are using any other vaginal prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine. When you are taking miconazole, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Warfarin (e.g., Coumadin; Warfilone) Using with warfarin may cause bleeding and/or bruising