Flucytosine
About Flucytosine
Flucytosine is a prescription antifungal medicine used to treat certain serious fungal infections, particularly infections caused by Candida and Cryptococcus. It is often used with another antifungal medicine because using flucytosine alone can allow the fungus to become resistant to treatment.
Take Flucytosine exactly as prescribed and at evenly spaced times. It can be taken with or without food. If a dose requires several capsules, taking the capsules one at a time over about 15 minutes may help reduce nausea or stomach discomfort.
Flucytosine has a narrow therapeutic index, which means the amount needed to treat the infection and the amount that may cause serious side effects are relatively close. Regular blood tests are therefore important to check the amount of medicine in your blood, your blood cell counts, liver function, and kidney function. Your doctor may adjust the dose based on these results.
Common side effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach discomfort. Consult your doctor right away if you develop unusual bruising or bleeding, severe weakness, signs of infection, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or other serious symptoms.
Before starting Flucytosine, tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, liver problems, low blood cell counts, or bone marrow problems. Also tell your doctor about all medicines you take. If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding, discuss this with your doctor before treatment.
Uses of Flucytosine
Medicinal Benefits
Flucytosine can help control serious fungal infections that may become life-threatening without effective treatmen
Flucytosine can help control serious fungal infections that may become life-threatening without effective treatment.
- Controls serious fungal infections: Stops susceptible fungi from growing and multiplying, helping bring the infection under control.
- Supports combination treatment: When used with another antifungal medicine, Flucytosine can improve treatment of certain severe infections, particularly cryptococcal meningitis.
- Helps treat infections affecting important organs: It can be used against susceptible fungal infections involving areas such as the bloodstream, urinary tract, heart, or nervous system.
Directions for Use
- Take Flucytosine with or without food or as advised by a doctor.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication, to ensure the safety.
- Swallow the medicine as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, break, or chew it.
Storage
Side Effects of Flucytosine
Common Side Effects (Usually Mild)
Common Side Effects (Usually Mild)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach pain or discomfort
Serious Side Effects (Consult your doctor right away)
- Unusual bruising or bleeding
- Pale skin, unusual tiredness, or weakness
- Fever, chills, sore throat, or other signs of infection
- Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, dark urine, or severe upper abdominal pain
- Severe or persistent diarrhoea or vomiting
- Severe rash, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or difficulty breathing
- Confusion, hallucinations, or seizures
Medicines Containing this Salt
View AllDrug Warnings
- Regular monitoring: Flucytosine has a narrow therapeutic index, meaning there is a relatively small difference between an effective amount and an amount that may cause serious side effects. Keep all appointments for blood tests and medicine-level monitoring.
- Kidney monitoring: Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems. Poor kidney function can cause flucytosine to build up in your blood and increase the risk of side effects.
- Blood cell monitoring: Flucytosine can reduce white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Consult your doctor right away if you develop fever, unusual weakness, frequent infections, unusual bruising, or bleeding.
- Liver monitoring: Your doctor may check your liver function during treatment. Report yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine, or severe abdominal pain.
- Combination treatment: Flucytosine is often used with another antifungal medicine for serious infections. Take all prescribed antifungal medicines exactly as directed.
- Do not stop early: Continue treatment for the prescribed duration even if your symptoms improve, unless your doctor tells you to stop.
Drug Interactions
Medicines that can affect the kidneys (e.g. aminoglycoside antibiotics, amphotericin B): These medicines may affect kidney function, which can cause flucytosine levels to rise and increase the risk of serious side effects. Close monitoring may be needed.
- Medicines that reduce blood cell production (e.g. certain chemotherapy medicines): Using these with Flucytosine may further reduce blood cell counts and increase the risk of infection, anaemia, or bleeding.
- Cytarabine: This chemotherapy medicine may reduce the antifungal activity of flucytosine by interfering with its uptake into fungal cells.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
consult your doctorIt is not known whether alcohol interacts with Flucytosine. Please consult the doctor.
Pregnancy
cautionPlease consult the doctor if you are pregnant. Flucytosine should be used during pregnancy only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is not known if Flucytosine passes into breast milk. Do not take Flucytosine if you are breastfeeding.
Driving
consult your doctorIt is unknown if Flucytosine affects your ability to drive. Drive or operate machinery only if you are alert.
Liver
consult your doctorIf you have a history of liver problems, inform the doctor before taking Flucytosine.
Kidney
cautionFlucytosine should be used with caution in patients with impaired kidney function. The doctor may adjust the dose based on your condition.
Children
consult your doctorPlease consult the doctor if you have any concerns regarding the usage of Flucytosine in children.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Stay hydrated: Drink enough fluids unless your doctor has advised you to restrict fluids.
- Manage nausea: If you feel sick, smaller meals and taking multiple capsules gradually over about 15 minutes may help.
- Reduce infection exposure: Wash your hands regularly and avoid close contact with people who are unwell, particularly if your blood tests show a low white blood cell count.
- Attend blood tests: Regular monitoring helps your doctor detect changes in blood cells, liver function, kidney function, and medicine levels early.
Special Advise
- The doctor may advise regular blood tests, kidney and liver function tests during treatment.
- Women of childbearing potential must use effective contraception during treatment and for 6 months after the last dose.
- Men must use reliable contraception during treatment and for 3 months after the last dose.
- The contraception must be prolonged for an additional 2 months in case of reduced kidney function.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Fungal infection: Fungal infection, also known as mycosis, is a disease caused by fungus. The fungi may invade the tissues and cause a disease confined to the skin, spread into the tissue, organs and bones, or affect the whole body. Symptoms include fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, itchy or scaly skin, weight loss, chest pain, and night sweats.
FAQs
Flucytosine is used to treat Fungal infections.
Flucytosine works by interfering with the synthesis of fungal protein and DNA. Thereby, it helps treat fungal infections.
Flucytosine should be used with extreme caution in patients with bone marrow depression. Frequent monitoring of liver function and hematopoietic system is advised.
Flucytosine has a narrow therapeutic index, meaning the effective and potentially harmful levels are relatively close. Blood tests help your doctor check medicine levels, blood cell counts, kidney function, and liver function so your treatment can be adjusted safely.
Yes. Flucytosine can generally be taken with or without food. If you need several capsules for one dose, taking them one at a time over about 15 minutes may help reduce nausea.
Flucytosine is often combined with another antifungal, particularly for serious cryptococcal infections. Combination treatment improves antifungal activity and helps reduce the chance that the fungus will become resistant to flucytosine.
Consult your doctor right away. These symptoms may indicate reduced blood cell counts, which can occur during flucytosine treatment.
Flucytosine may pose risks during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy so they can assess whether the expected benefit of treatment outweighs the potential risk.
Yes. Flucytosine is mainly removed through the kidneys. If your kidneys are not working normally, the medicine can build up in your blood, so your doctor may change your dose or how often you take it.
Flucytosine is generally reserved for certain serious fungal infections and is not normally used for common superficial infections such as athlete's foot. Your doctor will choose an antifungal based on the type and location of the infection.
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