About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffYeast infection treatment depends on whether you have an uncomplicated or a complicated infection.
Uncomplicated yeast infection
For mild to moderate symptoms and infrequent episodes of yeast infection, your doctor might recommend:
- Short-course vaginal therapy. A one-time application or one-to-three-day regimen of an antifungal cream, ointment, tablet or suppository effectively clears a yeast infection in most cases. The medication of choice is from the class of drugs called the azoles; these include butoconazole (Gynazole), clotrimazole (Lotrimin), miconazole (Monistat) and terconazole (Terazol). Your doctor might prescribe one of these medications, or some preparations are available over-the-counter. The oil-based nature of these agents in cream and suppository form could potentially weaken latex condoms and diaphragms. Side effects of these topical medications are few, including a slight burning or irritation during application.
- Single-dose oral medication. Your doctor might prescribe a one-time single dose of the antifungal medication fluconazole (Diflucan) to be taken by mouth.
Make a follow-up appointment with your doctor if you've finished your treatment and your symptoms haven't gone away or if your symptoms return within two months of being treated.
Many topical treatments for a yeast infection are available over-the-counter. If you've tried one of these and your symptoms don't go away, see your doctor.
Complicated yeast infection
You might have a complicated yeast infection if:
- You have severe signs and symptoms, such as extensive redness, swelling, and itching that leads to the development of sores or fissures
- You have recurrent yeast infections — four or more in a single year
- Your infection is caused by a type of candida other than Candida albicans
- You're pregnant
- You have uncontrolled diabetes or your immune system is compromised from medication use or a condition such as HIV infection
Treatment for a complicated yeast infection might include:
- Long-course vaginal therapy. Vaginal treatment for complicated yeast infections includes an azole medication in the form of a vaginal cream, ointment, tablet or suppository. The duration of treatment is usually seven to 14 days.
- Multidose oral medication. Instead of vaginal therapy, your doctor might prescribe two or three doses of fluconazole to be taken by mouth. However, this therapy isn't recommended for pregnant women.
- Maintenance regimen. For recurrent yeast infections, your doctor might recommend a medication regimen to keep yeast overgrowth in check and prevent future infections. Maintenance therapy starts after the initial treatment clears the yeast infection and usually includes fluconazole tablets taken by mouth once a week for six weeks. Some doctors prescribe topical clotrimazole to be applied vaginally once or twice a week in lieu of an oral medication.
Usually, your sex partner doesn't also need to be treated for a yeast infection. However, for problems with recurrent yeast infections, your doctor might also recommend treatment for your partner or use of condoms with intercourse.
- Frequently asked questions: Vaginal yeast infections. National Women's Health Information Center. http://womenshealth.gov/faq/vaginal-yeast-infections.cfm. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Vaginitis. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp028.cfm. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- ACOG Committee on Practice Bulletins — Gynecology. Vaginitis. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2006;107:1195.
- Hemsell DL. Gynecologic infections. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3149718. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- McCormack WM. Vulvovaginitis and cervicitis. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00107-7. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2006. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2006/vaginal-discharge.htm. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Corigliano MA, et al. Candidiasis, vulvovaginal. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/198374960-2/0/2088/112.html?tocnode=58125592&fromURL=112.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00012-5--sc0010_2218. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Sobel JD. Candida vulvovaginitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Nyirjesy P. Vulvovaginal candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;22:637.
- Falagas ME, et al. Probiotics for prevention of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: A review. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2006;58:266.
Find Mayo Clinic on