How long does Fluconazole last in the body?

How long does Fluconazole last in the body?

Fluconazole stays in your body for about 7 to 9 days, depending on how healthy your physiological functioning is. The half-life of Fluconazole is about 30 hours, which means that the drug concentration in your body reduces to half after 30 hours (1). 

The remaining concentration further reduces to half in the next 30 hours. The process continues in the same way until all of the drugs are removed from your body (1). 

What factors can affect the stay time of Fluconazole in your body?

There are some factors that can affect the time taken by Fluconazole to last in your system. These include (1,2):

Underlying diseases

People who suffer from kidney or liver diseases are unable to metabolise Fluconazole normally, which leads to a longer stay time for the drug. 

This is because the liver and kidneys are primarily involved with the metabolism and excretion of almost every medication, including Fluconazole. 

The liver changes the active moiety into an inactive one to halt the therapeutic action, whereas kidneys eliminate some of the drugs, both changed and unchanged forms, via urine. 

When there is a hepatic or renal deficiency in a patient, these processes are slowed down and it takes longer for these organs to remove the drug. 

Age

Age is another factor that can affect the rate of drug removal from your body. As you get older, your organs and the overall body physiology grow old with you and the quality of their functions is reduced. 

This is why elderly people often need dose adjustments for their meds as they are unable to metabolise and eliminate the meds normally. 

Concomitant use of another medication

Another important and often neglected factor is the concomitant use of other meds with Fluconazole. When two or more prescription meds are used together, or even OTC ones, they may interact with one another. 

This can affect the absorption and elimination of the drugs, which can alter the entire therapeutic outcome. This is why it’s best to ensure that none of the meds you take is incompatible or can possibly interact. It is also important to limit the use of alcohol while taking Fluconazole.

It is also important to make sure that you take Fluconazole in the best possible way to make the most out of it. If you find it difficult to swallow the tablet, you can crush them and mix them with soft foods for ease of administration.

However, crushing or splitting tablets is not generally encouraged and you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to do so.

Final words

To sum up, Fluconazole typically stays in your system for about 7-9 days. However, drug clearance can depend on various factors, as we have discussed, and can vary from person to person.

Just make sure you follow your doctor’s directions and complete your antifungal course to make the most out of it. If you don’t see a positive change in your symptoms or wish to stop taking the medication, please discuss it with your healthcare provider beforehand. 

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References

1.-

PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 3365, Fluconazole; [cited 2022 Nov 25]. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Fluconazole

2.-

LABEL: DIFLUCAN- fluconazole tablet and DIFLUCAN- fluconazole powder, for suspension. DailyMed [Internet]. Available from: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/getFile.cfm?setid=f694c617-3383-416c-91b6-b94fda371204&type=pdf