Antifungal medicines are made by many different pharmaceutical manufacturers, with each giving their product a different brand name. There are also many different types of antifungal medicines, including:
- clotrimazole
- econazole nitrate
- miconazole
- terbinafine
- fluconazole
- ketoconazole
- amphotericin
The packaging should state what antifungal medicine the product contains and how much. This may be as a percentage – for example, cream containing 1% clotrimazole, or in milligrams (mg) – for example, capsules containing 50mg of fluconazole.
See the Medicines information tab at the top of this page for more examples of antifungal medicines and their brand names.
Types of antifungal medicines
Antifungal medicines are available as:
- topical antifungals – topical is a general term that describes any sort of cream, gel, ointment or spray that is applied directly to the affected body part
- oral antifungals – any type of medicine that you swallow, such as capsules, tablets or an oral suspension (liquid medicine)
- intravenous antifungals – antifungal medicines that are injected into a vein in your arm, usually in hospital through an intravenous infusion (a continuous drip of medicine through a narrow tube)
Antifungal intravaginal pessaries are also available. Pessaries are small, solid preparations of medicine that a woman can insert into her vagina to treat conditions such as vaginal thrush.
