Vfend is used to treat serious fungal or yeast infections, such as aspergillosis (fungal infection in the lungs), candidemia (fungal infection in the blood), esophageal candidiasis (candida esophagitis), or other fungal infections (infections in the skin, stomach, kidney, bladder, or wounds).
It may also be used to treat patients with serious fungal or yeast infections who cannot tolerate other types of treatment or do not respond to other types of treatment.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. This product is available in the following dosage forms:
Before using Vfend, you must know all about the risks and complications associated with it. This is a decision you and your doctor will make.
For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies: Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric Population: Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of voriconazole in children younger than 12 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Geriatric Population: Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of voriconazole in the elderly.
Pregnancy: All Trimesters: Category D: Studies in pregnant women have demonstrated a risk to the fetus. However, the benefits of therapy in a life threatening situation or a serious disease may outweigh the potential risk.
Breastfeeding: There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions: Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose or other precautions may be necessary.
When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
Amifampridine
Astemizole
Bepridil
Carbamazepine
Cisapride
Conivaptan
Dihydroergotamine
Dronedarone
Efavirenz
Eliglustat
Ergoloid Mesylates
Ergonovine
Ergotamine
Flibanserin
Fluconazole
Isavuconazonium Sulfate
Ivabradine
Lomitapide
Lovastatin
Lurasidone
Maraviroc
Mephobarbital
Mesoridazine
Methylergonovine
Methysergide
Naloxegol
Nelfinavir
Nimodipine
Phenobarbital
Pimozide
Piperaquine
Posaconazole
Primidone
Quinidine
Rifabutin
Rifampin
Ritonavir
Saquinavir
Simvastatin
Sirolimus
Sparfloxacin
St John's Wort
Terfenadine
Thioridazine
Tolvaptan
Ziprasidone
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Other Interactions: Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Other Medical Problems: The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine.
Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Any condition that makes it hard for you to digest sugars or dairy products—Use with caution. The tablet form of this medicine contains lactose (milk sugar) and the oral liquid contains sucrose (table sugar), which can make these conditions worse
Pancreas problems—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse
3 Proper Usage
Proper usage of Vfend requires strict adherence to your doctor’s orders. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.
This medicine comes with a patient information leaflet. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Talk with your doctor if you have any questions. It is best to take this medicine at least 1 hour before or 1 hour after a meal.
Shake the oral liquid well before each use. Use the oral dispenser that comes with the package to measure the dose. Rinse the oral dispenser with water after each use.
Keep using this medicine for the full treatment time, even if you feel better after the first few doses. Your infection may not clear up if you stop using the medicine too soon.
Dosing: The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
For oral dosage forms (suspension or tablets):
For fungal infections:
Adults and children older than 12 years of age—At first, a loading dose of voriconazole injection is given by your doctor within the first 24 hours of treatment. Then, your doctor may switch you to an oral maintenance dose of 200 milligrams (mg) taken every 12 hours.
Children younger than 12 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Missed Dose: If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage: Keep out of the reach of children. Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. Do not refrigerate or freeze the mixed suspension. The mixed suspension should be kept at room temperature and used within 14 days.
4 Precautions to Take
Before using Vfend, there are some precautions you must take. It is very important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests will be needed to check for unwanted effects.
If your or your child's symptoms do not improve, or if they become worse, check with your doctor. You may need to take this medicine for several months before your infection gets better.
Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.
Using any of them together with this medicine may increase the chance of unwanted effects.
This medicine may cause vision problems. Avoid driving (especially at night), using machines, or doing anything else that could be dangerous if you cannot see well. Call your doctor if you or your child have any vision changes or if bright lights bother your eyes.
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.
Contact your doctor right away if you or your child have any changes to your heart rhythm. You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you or anyone in your family has ever had a heart rhythm problem such as QT prolongation.
This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Use a sunscreen when you are outdoors. Avoid sunlamps and tanning beds.
Serious skin reactions can occur during treatment with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have to blister, peeling, loose skin, red skin lesions, severe acne or skin rash, sores or ulcers on the skin, or fever or chills while you are using this medicine.
This medicine may cause bone pain when used for a long period of time. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have bone pain while using this medicine.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
As with many medications, there are several potential side effects associated with Vfend. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.
Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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