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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
Rest
Most people with acute valley fever don't require treatment. Even when symptoms are severe, the best therapy for otherwise healthy adults is often bed rest and fluids — the same approach used for colds and the flu. Still, doctors carefully monitor people with valley fever.
Antifungal medications
If symptoms don't improve or become worse or if you are at increased risk of complications, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal medication, such as fluconazole. Antifungal medications are also used for people with chronic or disseminated disease.
In general, the antifungal drugs fluconazole (Diflucan) or itraconazole (Sporanox, Onmel) are used for all but the most serious forms of coccidioidomycosis disease.
All antifungals can have serious side effects. However, these side effects usually go away once the medication is stopped. The most common side effects of fluconazole and itraconazole are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
More serious infection may be treated initially with an intravenous antifungal medication such as amphotericin B (Abelcet, Amphotec, others).
These medications control the fungus, but sometimes don't destroy it, and relapses may occur. For many people, a single bout of valley fever results in lifelong immunity, but the disease can be reactivated, or you can be reinfected if your immune system is significantly weakened.
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=9110670. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1604-7..00341-9&isbn=978-1-4377-1604-7&sid=1288743076&uniqId=326705730-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1604-7..00341-9. Accessed March 21, 2012.
- Hage CA, et al. Endemic mycoses: Overlooked causes of community acquired pneumonia. Respiratory Medicine. In press. Accessed March 21, 2012.
- Coccidioidomycosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/coccidioidomycosis/. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Coccidioidomycosis (San Joaquin fever; valley fever). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious_diseases/fungi/coccidioidomycosis.html. Accessed March 21, 2012.
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. 51st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=19953. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012:5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..00012-4--sc0190&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=326705730-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..00012-4--sc0190. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 10, 2012.
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