Clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream

Clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream are antifungal medicines that are both used to treat vaginal thrush. A clotrimazole 500mg pessary is a vaginal tablet and you should not swallow it.

You can get thrush at any age. It’s caused by a fungus called Candida albicans. Candida is found naturally in your vagina and does not normally cause any problems. You get thrush when too much Candida starts to grow on your skin or inside your vagina. Thrush can happen more often if you:

• take a course of antibiotics
• take contraceptive pills regularly
• feel rundown or stressed
• have sex with someone who has thrush
• wear tight clothing for too long
• wear underwear that is not breathable or holds onto moisture
• use perfumed products or washes that irritate your vagina
• have too much sugar in your blood, which could be an early sign of diabetes

When you have thrush, you might feel the following symptoms:

• itching or irritation around your vagina
• feeling soreness or a stinging sensation on your skin when you pee or have sex
• vaginal discharge that is thick and white that does not smell

You can use clotrimazole 1% cream to treat the external symptoms of thrush (like itchy skin) and clotrimazole 500mg pessary to treat the internal symptoms of thrush (like vaginal discharge).

If you would prefer a medicine that you can swallow, you can get a fluconazole 150mg capsule from Asda Online Doctor.

Both clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream contain an antifungal called clotrimazole and they work to kill the overgrowth fungus Candida albicans in or around your vaginal area.

A thrush infection can give you symptoms both inside and outside of your vagina. The clotrimazole 500mg pessary is a vaginal tablet that treats the infection inside your body, such as getting rid of white discharge. Whereas the clotrimazole 1% cream eases external symptoms on the outside of your vagina, such as itching or redness.

You can use a clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream to treat vaginal thrush. If you’re on your period, you should wait until you stop bleeding to use a clotrimazole 500mg pessary.

Before you can use a clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream, speak to a doctor if:

• you’re under 16 years old or over 60 years old
• you’re pregnant, think you might be pregnant or are trying for a baby
• you’re breastfeeding
• this is the first time you have thrush
• you are not sure if you have thrush
• you have had thrush more than twice in the last 6 months
• you have a sexually transmitted disease (STD)

You should not use clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream if you:

• have an allergy to clotrimazole or any other ingredients in clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream
• are allergic to other antifungals, such as miconazole or ketoconazole
• feel sick or are vomiting
• have diarrhoea
• bleed from your vagina when you’re not on your period
• have smelly or blood-stained discharge from your vagina
• have ulcers or blisters on your vulva or vagina
• feel lower abdominal pain
• feel pain or a burning sensation when you pee
• have a fever or chills

You may feel some side effects after using a clotrimazole 500mg pessary or after applying clotrimazole 1% cream, but these normally go away within a few hours.

Side effects of using a clotrimazole 500mg pessary include:

• vaginal burning sensation
• mild irritation after putting the pessary inside your vagina

Side effects of using clotrimazole 1% cream include itching, stinging or burning of the skin

After you use a clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream, call 999 immediately if you get signs of an allergic reaction including:

• rash
• shortness of breath
• swelling of your face or throat
• feeling dizzy or faint

You can report side effects using the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme online or in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

Interactions with other medicines

Clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream can interact with other medicines and affect how they work, so speak to a doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking:

• antifungal medicines such as nystatin or amphotericin
• treatment that affects your immune system (immunosuppressants) such as tacrolimus

It’s important to tell a doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking any medicines including over the counter products you may have bought from a pharmacy.

Lifestyle tips

Clotrimazole cream and clotrimazole pessaries can damage condoms and diaphragms. Use a different type of contraception, such as a contraceptive pill, if you want to have sex while using clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream.

If you have sex and your thrush has not completely cleared, there’s a chance that you can infect your partner with thrush.

You should not use tampons or other vaginal products, such as vaginal cleansers or douches, when using a clotrimazole 500mg pessary.

If you have thrush more than 4 times in 12 months, speak to a doctor.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you’re pregnant or think you might be pregnant, speak to your midwife or doctor. They can advise you on whether it’s safe for you to use a clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream.

If you’re breastfeeding, you should speak to your doctor before you use a clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream.

To find out more about your clotrimazole 500mg pessary or clotrimazole 1% cream, read their patient information leaflets.

Which active ingredients do clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream contain?

Each clotrimazole 500mg pessary contains clotrimazole 500mg as the active ingredient. Clotrimazole 1% cream contains the active ingredient clotrimazole. There is 10mg of clotrimazole in every gram of clotrimazole 1% cream.

The other ingredients in each clotrimazole 500mg pessary are adipic acid, microcrystalline cellulose, pre-gelatinised maize starch, sodium hydrogen carbonate, stearic acid, lactose monohydrate, polysorbate 80, magnesium stearate, maize starch, and colloidal silicon dioxide.

The other ingredients in clotrimazole 1% cream are benzyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, cetyl esters wax, cetostearyl alcohol, octyldodecanol, sorbitan stearate and purified water.

If you’re sensitive or allergic to any ingredients listed in clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream, speak to a doctor before using them.

How should clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream be disposed of?

If you no longer need to use your clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream, take them to your local pharmacy for disposal.

If you use the plastic applicator to put the clotrimazole 500mg pessary in your vagina, you can throw it away in your bin at home afterwards. Do not throw the plastic applicator in a toilet.

How should clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream be stored?

You should store the clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream combination pack in a cool and dry place, ideally below 25°C.

What do the clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream look like?

Each clotrimazole 500mg pessary looks like a white, large, long tablet with 500 stamped on 1 side. To use the clotrimazole 500mg pessary, you get a thin and long plastic plunger called an applicator.

The clotrimazole 1% cream is a smooth, white cream that comes in its own separate 20g tube.

In which size is the clotrimazole 500mg pessary and clotrimazole 1% cream combination pack available?

This thrush combination treatment pack contains 1 clotrimazole 500mg pessary and 1 clotrimazole 1% cream in a 20g tube.

Information on the manufacturer

The manufacturer and marketing authorisation holder of clotrimazole 500mg pessary tablets is Tillomed Laboratories Ltd., 220 Butterfield, Great Marlings, Luton, LU2 8DL, UK.

The manufacturer and marketing authorisation holder of clotrimazole 1% cream is Mylan UK Healthcare Limited, Building 20, Station Close, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 TL, UK.