Clotrimazole Topical

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using clotrimazole topical and call your doctor at once if you have:

• severe blistering of treated skin;
• swelling, redness, or oozing; or
• severe burning, itching, or other irritation.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have new or worsening vaginal symptoms.

Common side effects may include:

• slight increase in vaginal discomfort (burning, itching, irritation).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Do not take by mouth. Clotrimazole topical is for use only on the skin.

Wash your hands before and after using this medicine, unless you are using it to treat a hand infection.

Clean and dry the affected area. Apply a small amount of the cream (usually twice daily) for 2 to 4 weeks.

Do not cover the treated skin area unless your doctor tells you to. Avoid using bandages or dressings that do not allow air circulation. A light cotton-gauze dressing may be used to protect clothing.

Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is completely cleared. Skipping doses may also increase your risk of further infection that is resistant to antifungal medicine.

Call your doctor if your symptoms get worse, or if your condition does not improve after 4 weeks of treatment.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Wash your hands before and after using this medication.

Insert the tablet, suppository, or cream into the vagina using the applicator as directed.

Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time, even during your menstrual period. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is completely cleared. If the infection does not clear up, or if it appears to get worse, see your doctor.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 3 days of treatment, or if they last longer than a week. Tell your doctor right away if you have a skin rash or hives, stomach pain, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, or foul-smelling vaginal discharge.

You can use a sanitary napkin to prevent the medication from staining your clothing but do not use a tampon.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

An overdose of clotrimazole topical is not expected to be dangerous. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 if anyone has accidentally swallowed the medication.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Apply the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

In the U.S.

• Clotrim Antifungal
• Cruex Prescription Strength
• Lotrimin
• Lotrimin AF
• Mycelex

In Canada

• Canesten
• Clotrimaderm
• Desenex
• Myclo-Derm
• Neo-Zol

Available Dosage Forms:

• Lotion
• Solution
• Cream

Therapeutic Class: Antifungal

Chemical Class: Imidazole

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For clotrimazole, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to clotrimazole 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

clotrimazole has been tested in children and, in effective doses, has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of topical clotrimazole in the elderly with use in other age groups, clotrimazole is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Pregnancy

Breast Feeding

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.

Interactions with Medicines

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 clotrimazole, 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 clotrimazole 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.

• Tacrolimus
• Trimetrexate

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

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. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

There are no dosage adjustments provided in the manufacturer's labeling; however, dosage adjustment unlikely due to low systemic absorption.

• Discuss specific use of drug and side effects with patient as it relates to treatment. (HCAHPS: During this hospital stay, were you given any medicine that you had not taken before? Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff tell you what the medicine was for? How often did hospital staff describe possible side effects in a way you could understand?)

• Have patient report immediately to prescriber severe skin irritation, severe vaginal irritation, nausea, vomiting, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, or abdominal pain (HCAHPS).

• Educate patient about signs of a significant reaction (eg, wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat). Note: This is not a comprehensive list of all side effects. Patient should consult prescriber for additional questions.

Intended Use and Disclaimer: Should not be printed and given to patients. This information is intended to serve as a concise initial reference for health care professionals to use when discussing medications with a patient. You must ultimately rely on your own discretion, experience, and judgment in diagnosing, treating, and advising patients.

Clotrimazole topical is an antifungal medication that fights infections caused by fungus.

Clotrimazole topical (for the skin) is used to treat skin infections such as athlete's foot, jock itch, ringworm, and yeast infections.

Clotrimazole topical may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Use exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Do not take by mouth. Clotrimazole topical is for use only on the skin.

Wash your hands before and after using this medicine, unless you are using it to treat a hand infection.

Clean and dry the affected area. Apply a small amount of the cream (usually twice daily) for 2 to 4 weeks.

Do not cover the treated skin area unless your doctor tells you to. Avoid using bandages or dressings that do not allow air circulation. A light cotton-gauze dressing may be used to protect clothing.

Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is completely cleared. Skipping doses may also increase your risk of further infection that is resistant to antifungal medicine.

Call your doctor if your symptoms get worse, or if your condition does not improve after 4 weeks of treatment.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Avoid getting this medication in your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Avoid using other skin medications on the areas you treat with clotrimazole topical unless your doctor tells you to.

Avoid wearing tight-fitting, synthetic clothing that doesn't allow air circulation. Wear clothing made of loose cotton and other natural fibers until the infection is healed.

Clotrimazole is used to treat skin infections such as athlete's foot, jock itch, ringworm, and other fungal skin infections (candidiasis). This medication is also used to treat a skin condition known as pityriasis (tinea versicolor), a fungal infection that causes a lightening or darkening of the skin of the neck, chest, arms, or legs. Clotrimazole is an azole antifungal that works by preventing the growth of fungus.

How to use Clotrimazole Solution, Non-

Use this medication on the skin only. Clean and thoroughly dry the area to be treated. Apply this medication to the affected skin, usually twice a day or as directed by your doctor. Dosage and length of treatment depends on the type of infection being treated. Do not apply this more often than prescribed. Your condition will not clear faster, but side effects may be increased.

Apply enough medication to cover the affected area and some of the surrounding skin. After applying this medication, wash your hands. Do not wrap, cover or bandage the area unless directed to do so by your doctor.

Do not apply this medication in the eyes, nose, mouth, or vagina.

Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same times each day.

Continue to use this medication until the full prescribed amount is finished, even if symptoms disappear after starting clotrimazole. Stopping the medication too early may allow the fungus to continue to grow, which may result in a relapse of the infection.

Inform your doctor if your condition persists after 4 weeks of treatment or worsens at any time.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.