Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

If your symptoms do not improve within 3 days or have not disappeared in 7 days, or if they become worse, check with your doctor. The 1- or 3-day treatments may take up to 7 days to completely clear up your infection. However, not all vaginal infections are caused by yeast. If symptoms occur again within 2 months, check with your doctor.

Vaginal medicines usually will come out of the vagina during treatment. To keep the medicine from getting on your clothing, wear a minipad or sanitary napkin. The use of nonmedicated tampons (like those used for menstrual periods) is not recommended since they may soak up the medicine.

To help clear up your infection completely and to help make sure it does not return, good health habits are also required.

  • Wear cotton panties (or panties or pantyhose with cotton crotches) instead of synthetic (for example, nylon or rayon) panties.
  • Wear only clean panties.

If you have any questions about this, check with your health care professional.

Vaginal yeast infections are not usually spread by having sex and your sex partner does not need to be treated. However, if the sex partner has symptoms of local itching or skin irritation of the penis, he may benefit by being treated also.

If you use latex or rubber birth control devices (condoms, diaphragms, or cervical caps), you should wait 3 days after treatment with azole antifungal agents before using them again. Many brands of vaginal azoles contain oils in the product that can weaken these devices. This increases the chances of a condom breaking during sexual intercourse. The rubber in cervical caps or diaphragms may break down faster and wear out sooner. Check with your health care professional to make sure the vaginal azole product you are using can be used with latex rubber birth control devices.

Check with your doctor before douching to obtain advice about whether you may douche and, if allowed, the proper method.