Ketoconazole | Side Effects, Dosage, Uses & More

What is Ketoconazole?

Ketoconazole is a doctor’s medicine. It is available as an oral tablet, topical cream, topical foam, shampoo, and topical gel. The oral tablet is available only as a generic drug.

Why it is Used

Ketoconazole is used to treat fungal and yeast infections in your skin, hair, nails and your blood. This medicine is given only when other therapies have not worked or have created many side effects.

How it Works

Ketoconazole is related to a range of drugs called Antifungal. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.

Ketoconazole works to prevent fungus and yeasts due to an infection.

Ketoconazole Side Effects

Ketoconazole Oral tablet does not cause sleep but it can cause other side effects.

More Common Side Effects

Some of the more common side effects of ketokonazole include:

•  Nausea
•  Head ache
•  Diarrhea
•  Stomach pain
•  Abnormal liver function test results
If these effects are mild, they can go within a few days or a few weeks. If they are more serious or do not go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Severe Side Effects

If you have serious side effects, contact your doctor immediately. Severe side effects and their symptoms may include:

Liver Problems (Hepatotoxicity). Symptoms may include:
•  Loss of appetite or weight loss (anorexia)
•  Vomiting
•  Tiredness
•  Abdominal pain or tenderness
•  Dark colored urine
•  Yellow of your skin or white of your eyes
•  Fever
•  Rash
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because medicines affect each person individually, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not an option for medical advice. Always discuss potential side effects with a health care provider who knows your medical history.

Ketoconazole Can Interact With Other Drugs

Ketoconazole oral tablets can interact with other medicines, vitamins or herbs that you can take. A conversation occurs when a substance changes the way the drug changes. It can be harmful or prevent medication from working well.

To help prevent conversation, your doctor should carefully manage all of your medicines. Make sure to tell your doctor about all those medicines, vitamins, or herbs. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to find out how this medication can interact with anything else you may be taking.

Drugs you Should not Use With Ketoconazole

Some medicines should not be taken from Ketoconazole. Doing so can have dangerous effects in the body. Examples of these medicines include:

•  Antiarrhythmic drugs, such as dofetilide, quinidine, and dronedarone. Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can cause a heart problem called Qt length. This is a change in electrical activity in the heart. It can irregular heartbeat and put life in danger.
•  Methadone. Taking these medicines together can cause a heart problem called Qt length. This is a change in electrical activity in the heart. It can irregular heartbeat and put life in danger.
•  Ranolazine.  Taking these medicines together can cause a heart problem called Qt length. This is a change in electrical activity in the heart. It can irregular heartbeat and put life in danger.
•  Simvastatin or lovastatin. Taking Ketoconazole with these medicines can cause muscle problems.
•  Triazolam, midazolam, or alprazolam. Taking these medicines together can make you feel very sleepy for a long time.
•  Eplerenone.  Taking these medicines together can cause low blood pressure and lower potassium levels.

Interactions that Increase your Risk of Side Effects

Taking some medicines with Ketoconazole increases the risk of side effects.

•  Side effects from Ketoconazole: Ketoconazole with some medicines increases the risk of side effects from Ketoconazole. This is because the amount of Ketoconazole increases in your body. Examples of these medicines include:
•  ritonavir
•  Atorvastatin
•  Side effects from other medicines: Taking Ketoconazole with some medicines increases the risk of side effects from these drugs. Examples of these medicines include:
•  Pain drugs, such as buprenorphine, fentanyl, and oxycodone. Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can cause a slow breathing.
•  Anticoagulants, such as rivaroxaban, dabigatran, and warfarin. Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can increase the risk of bleeding.
•  Heart drugs, such as felodipine and nisoldipine. Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can be an inflammation of your feet or arms and heart failure.
•  Tamsulosin. Taking these medicines together can lead to headache, dizziness, and orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when you are sitting or lying when you are lying).
•  Digoxin. Taking these medicines together can cause dizziness, headache and stomachache. Your doctor can monitor your level of digoxine blood.
•  Eletriptan. Taking these medicines together can be weakness, nausea, dizziness and drowsiness.
•  Antipsychotic drugs, such as aripiprazole, buspirone, haloperidol, quetiapine, and risperidone. Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and headache.

•  Ramelteon. Moving these medicines together can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and tiredness.
•  Antivirals such as indinavir, maraviroc, and saquinavir.  Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can cause stomach ache, nausea, and headache.
•  Blood pressure drugs, such as verapamil and aliskiren. Taking these drugs with Ketoconazole can lead to low blood pressure, low heart rate and dizziness.
•  Drugs for erectile dysfunction, such as sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil. Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can lead to headaches, disturbed stomach, and muscle pain.
•  Drugs for urine problems, such as solifenacin and tolterodine. Taking these medicines with Ketoconazole can cause dry mouth, headache, and dizziness.

Interactions that can make your Medicines Less Effective

•  When ketoconazole is less effective:  When Ketoconazole is used with some medicines, it can not work to treat your condition. This is because the amount of Ketoconazole in your body can be reduced. Examples of these medicines include:
•  Ranitidine, famotidine, cimetidine, pantoprazole, omeprazole, and rabeprazole.  If you take these medicines together, then you should take Ketoconazole with acidic beverages such as non-diet soda.
•  Aluminum hydroxide. After taking Ketoconazole, you should take this medicine 1 hour or 2 hours earlier.
•  Antibiotics, such as isoniazid and rifabutin
•  Anticonvulsants, such as carbamazepine and phenytoin
•  Antivirals,, such as efavirenz and nevirapine
•  Carbamazepine.  Your doctor can monitor your carbamazepine levels.

Ketoconazole Warnings

This medicine comes with many Warnings.

Allergie

Ketoconazole pills can cause severe allergic reactions. Symptoms may include:

•  Shortness of breath
•  Cough
•  Wheezing
•  Fever
•  Chill
•  Throbbing your heart or ears
•  Swelling of your eyelids, face, mouth, neck, or any other part of your body
•  Skin pulsation, gall bladder, blisters, peeling of your skin

If you have an allergic reaction, call your doctor or local poison control center immediately. If your symptoms are serious, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you have ever received an allergic reaction, do not take this medicine again. It can be fatal to take it again (cause of death).

Alcohol interaction

You should not drink alcohol while taking Ketoconazole. Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of liver damage during taking this medicine. If you drink alcohol, talk to your doctor.

Warning for some groups

For Pregnant Women: Ketoconazole is a category pregnancy drug. It means two things:

1. When mother takes medication, research in animals has shown adverse effects on the fetus.
2. In humans, not enough studies have been done to ensure that medication can affect the fetus.

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant. This drug should be used only when the potential benefit justifies the potential risk of the fetus.

For women who are breastfeeding: Ketoconazole passes in breast milk and may cause side effects in breastfeeding children. If you breastfeed your baby, talk to your doctor. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medicine.

For children: It is not confirmed that Ketoconazole is safe and effective in people under 2 years of age. Generally, Ketoconazole tablets should not be used in children.

How to Take Ketoconazole

All possible doses and drug forms can not be included here. Depending on your dose, drug form, and how often you take medication depends on:

•  Your age
•  The condition is being treated
•  How serious your condition is
•  You have other medical conditions
•  How do you react to the first dose

Form and strength

1. Generic: Ketoconazole

•  Form: Oral tablet
•  Strength: 200mg

Dose for fungal infection

Adult Dosage (18 years and over)

•  Specific dose: 200 mg is taken once per day to 6 mg.
•  Dose increases: If needed, your doctor can take 400 mg once per day.

Child Dose (2-17 years old)

Your doctor will fix a dose based on your child’s weight. Dosage body weight taken once per day will be 3.3-6.6 mg / kg.

Child Dose (0-1 years old)

It is not confirmed that Ketoconazole is safe and effective in people under 2 years of age. Generally, Ketoconazole tablets should not be used in young children.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because medicines affect each person individually, we can not guarantee that this list contains all the possible doses. This information is not an option for medical advice. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the right diet for you.

Take it as a Directed

Ketoconazole is used for short-term treatment. However, sometimes it has to be taken for several months. Ketoconazole comes with the risk if you do not take it as prescribed.

If you stop taking the medicine or do not take it at all
Your infection or skin condition will not be better.

If you miss the dose or do not take time to medication
Your medication may not work or stop working altogether. To work well for this drug, you should have a certain amount of time in your body.

If you take too much

There may be dangerous levels of medication in your body. Symptoms of high doses of this drug may include:

•  Nausea
•  Vomiting
•  Diarrhea
If you believe that you have taken too much of this medicine, call your doctor or local poison control center.

What to do if you miss the dose
As soon as you remember, take your dose. But if you remember a few hours before your next scheduled dose, then only take one dose. Do not try to catch two doses at one go. The result may be dangerous side effect.

How to tell if the drug is working or not
Your skin condition or infection should be improved.

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