What Factors Affect Diflucan® Dosage?

Fluconazole, often called by one of its brand names, Diflucan®, is a powerful drug used to treat medical conditions caused by fungal infections. Like most medications, the exact problem that this compound is being used to treat often contributes to the Diflucan® dosage taken by an individual patient. Other factors like body weight and age may affect the usual dose as well.

A particular fungal infection of the throat, known as esophageal candidiasis, may be treated with this drug. Adults often take an initial Diflucan® dosage of 200 milligrams (mg) on the first day, and continue with daily doses of 100 mg. People that do not experience results from these doses, however, may take as much as 400 mg per day. Usually, this treatment lasts for around three weeks, and taking the medication for two weeks after the symptoms clear up can help prevent the infection from recurring.

Children may take this medication for esophageal candidiasis infections as well. Generally, children take a smaller Diflucan® dosage than adults, and it is usually based on their weight. Like adults, children may take a larger initial dose, which is often 6 mg for every 1 kilogram (kg), or 2.2 pounds (lb), of body weight. Afterward, a dosage of 3 mg per 1 kg, or 2.2 lb, can be taken every day, and is taken for around three weeks. This three week length includes the two week period after symptoms clear up, which prevents residual fungi from causing a new infection.

Other medical conditions occurring alongside a fungal infection can sometimes affect the Diflucan® dosage recommended. People with auto immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), for example, are often more susceptible to fungal infections due to a weakened immune system. Adults with this disease often do not take more than 200 mg per day, and children normally do not take more than the comparable dose of 6 mg per 1 kg, or 2.2 lb, of body weight.

Existing kidney damage may also limit the Diflucan® dosage that a person can take for treating infections. The kidneys help to remove this drug from the body, so any problems with their function can cause it to accumulate in the body, raising the risk of potential side effects. For this reason, individuals that have moderate to severe kidney damage will often only receive half of the amount of Diflucan® that a person with functioning kidneys would take for a given condition.