Fluconazole is a prescription drug. It comes as a tablet or suspension you take by mouth.
Fluconazole oral tablet is available as both a generic drug and as the brand-name drug Diflucan. The question many people ask is : how long does Fluconazole stay in your system. In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about Fluconazole.

What is fluconazole?

Fluconazole is an antifungal medicine that is used to treat infections caused by fungus, which can invade any part of the body including the mouth, throat, esophagus, lungs, bladder, genital area, and the blood.

Fluconazole is also used to prevent fungal infection in people who have a weak immune system caused by cancer treatment, bone marrow transplant, or diseases such as AIDS.
Fluconazole is also used to treat a certain type of meningitis in people with HIV or AIDS.

Uses of fluconazole

Fluconazole is an antifungal. It slows the growth of the fungus that’s causing your infection by stopping it from reproducing. It is used for the following purposes

• Vaginal yeast infection caused by Candida (oral tablets only)
• Oral thrush of the mouth and throat caused by Candida
• Meningitis caused by Cryptococcus
• Bloodstream or systemic infection caused by Candida
• Urinary tract infection caused by Candida
• Peritonitis caused by Candida
• Prevention of fungal infection for people have a bone marrow transplant

How long does Fluconazole stay in your system?

Fluconazole stays in your system for about 7 to 9 days, depending on the basic physiological composition of the person who took it. Fluconazole has a long half-life of about 30 hours in the system. This means that the initial concentration of the drug in your body is reduced to half after 30 hours. 
The remaining concentration is further reduced to half after the next 30 hours. This is how the cycle repeats until the drug is completely washed out of your system. 
In the case of Fluconazole, it takes about 7 to 9 days. However, this time period can be affected by some factors, like gastric emptying rate or the presence of any underlying disease. 
If we specifically talk about gastric emptying rate, it’s the time taken by your stomach to pass its content into the intestine and the stomach becomes empty. This can significantly affect the stay time of the drug in your stomach. 
If someone has a faster gastric emptying rate, it means that the drug will not stay in the stomach long enough to be absorbed into the gastric blood capillaries. 
However, if the gastric emptying rate is slow, the drug remains available for absorption for a longer period of time. Some underlying health conditions can also affect the stay time of Fluconazole in your system. 
You have probably seen that people who have active liver and kidney diseases take doses lower than healthy people. This is because these two organs; the liver and kidney have a huge role to play in the metabolism and excretion of the drug. 
If any of these organs are diseased or their functions are compromised, the body is not able to break down and eliminate the drug effectively. In such cases, higher doses can lead to toxicity

Fluconazole side effects

Fluconazole isn’t known to cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.

More common side effects

The more common side effects of fluconazole oral tablet depend on how much of the drug you need to take. These side effects can include:

• headache
• diarrhea
• nausea or upset stomach
• dizziness
• stomach pain
• vomiting
• changes in the way food tastes
• severe rash in people with lowered immunity
  If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call your doctor if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

• Liver damage. Symptoms can include:
  • yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
  • dark urine
  • light-colored stools
  • severe skin itching
  • vomiting or nausea
• Severe rash in people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or cancer. Symptoms can include:
  • skin peeling
  • severe rash
• Torsades de pointes (a life-threatening heart rhythm condition). Symptoms can include:
  • feeling like your heart is skipping a beat (palpitations)
  • fast, irregular heart rate
  • dizziness
  • fainting
  • seizures
• Adrenal gland problems. Symptoms can include:
  • muscle weakness
  • belly pain
  • fatigue
  • loss of appetite

How to take fluconazole

This dosage information is for fluconazole oral tablet. All possible dosages and drug forms may not be included here. Your dosage, drug form, and how often you take the drug will depend on:

• your age
• the condition being treated
• how severe your condition is
• other medical conditions you have
• how you react to the first dose

Forms and strengths

Generic: Fluconazole

• Form: Oral tablet
• Strengths: 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg

Brand: Diflucan

• Form: Oral tablet
• Strengths: 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg

Dosage for vaginal candidiasis

Adult dosage (ages 18–64 years)

• Typical dosage: One 150-mg dose.
  Child dosage (ages 0–17 years)
  Use of this drug hasn’t been approved in children younger than 18 years.
  Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)
  The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lowered dose or a different dosing schedule. This can help keep levels of this drug from building up too much in your body.

Dosage for nonvaginal candidiasis

Adult dosage (ages 18–64 years)

• Typical dosage: Depending on the type of infection you have, your daily dose could be between 50 mg and 400 mg.
• Treatment length: Treatment can last up to several weeks.
  Child dosage (ages 6 months through 17 years)
• Typical dosage: Dosage depends on the weight of the child taking the drug, and the type of infection being treated.
• Treatment length: The length of treatment depends on the infection being treated.
  Child dosage (ages 0–5 months)
  Use of this drug isn’t recommended in infants younger than 6 months.
  Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)
  The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lowered dose or a different dosing schedule. This can help keep levels of this drug from building up too much in your body.

Dosage for candidiasis prevention

Adult dosage (ages 18–64 years)

• Typical dosage: 400 mg, taken once per day.
• Treatment length: Treatment can last several weeks.
  Child dosage (ages 0–17 years)
  Use of this drug for the prevention of candidiasis in people younger than 18 years hasn’t been approved.
  Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)
  The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lowered dose or a different dosing schedule. This can help keep levels of this drug from building up too much in your body.

Dosage for cryptococcal meningitis

Adult dosage (ages 18–64 years)

• Typical dosage: 400 mg on the first day. The dose from day 2 on is usually 200–400 mg, taken once per day.
• Treatment length: Treatment typically lasts 10–12 weeks after a test called a cerebrospinal fluid culture no longer detects fungi.
  Child dosage (ages 6 months through 17 years)
  Dosage for children is based on weight.
• Typical dosage: On the first day, your child will take 12 mg per kilogram of body weight. The dose from day 2 on is usually 6–12 mg per kilogram, taken once per day.
• Treatment length: Treatment typically lasts 10–12 weeks after a test called a cerebrospinal fluid culture no longer detects fungi.
  Child dosage (ages 0–5 months)
  Use of this drug isn’t recommended in infants younger than 6 months.
  Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)
  The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lowered dose or a different dosing schedule. This can help keep levels of this drug from building up too much in your body.