Lavirol suppositories for thrush: instructions for use

Thrush is an insidious and common disease. It is characterized by extremely unpleasant symptoms and can provoke health-threatening complications. The causative agents are yeast fungi of the genus Candida, hence the other name for the disease - candidiasis.

An effective and popular remedy for thrush are Livarol suppositories, an antimycotic for topical use. Detailed instructions for use for thrush are below. Advantages of the drug: the most localized mechanism of action with minimal overall effect on the body. Ketoconazole is not absorbed into the blood; it acts locally on the lipid membranes of fungi (dermatophytes, molds and yeasts), destroying them and preventing further proliferation of pathogenic flora.

The drug is characterized by a wide spectrum of action; before use it does not require testing for the sensitivity of microorganisms to its active substance. In addition, Livarol eliminates staphylococcal and streptococcal infections in the vagina.

Effect of the drug

Ketoconazole is the main active substance of Livarol, an imidazoledioxolane derivative. It has two different effects on the infection: fungistatic (suppresses the growth of fungal cells and their division) and fungicidal (completely destroys them). This effect can be achieved by suppressing the synthesis of ergosterol in the cells of microorganisms, without which the cell wall of fungi cannot form normally.

Livarol successfully fights dermatophytes and yeast fungi, as well as streptococcal and staphylococcal bacteria.

Active ingredient in the drug

The instructions for use of Livarol for thrush indicate the main active ingredient is the substance ketoconazole, which has a detrimental effect on pathogenic fungi and also reduces the activity of their further reproduction. Livarol, being an antifungal agent, can also be used to prevent other fungal diseases. In addition, ketoconazole actively fights staphylococci and streptococci, which makes Livarol also an antibacterial agent. However, Livarol is not an antibiotic.

Livarol is available only in the form of vaginal suppositories (suppositories). Thus, its use provides a local effect on the site of the disease.

Livarol suppositories have a mild effect and usually do not cause any discomfort. The advantage of this form of release is that the base of the suppositories also has healing properties, eliminating harmful microorganisms and at the same time softening the vaginal mucosa.

Indications

Livarol suppositories are indicated for the treatment of fungal infections and their prevention in women in the urogenital tract, which are caused by microorganisms sensitive to ketoconazole.

Indications include:

• acute, chronic or recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, which is caused by yeast fungi of the genus Candida;
• prevention of vaginal fungal pathology after a long course of antibiotic therapy or reduced resistance of the female body.

When treating bacterial vaginosis, suppositories may not be effective.

special instructions

When using Livarol suppositories, you need to consider such points.
Drug interactions. When treated with Livarol and the need to simultaneously take Isoniazid or Rifampicin, the amount of ketoconazole in the blood decreases. And the parallel use of indirect anticoagulants (Methylprednisolone and Cyclosporine) together with these suppositories increases the concentration in the blood plasma of the latter. The drug should not be prescribed together with Astemizole.

It is important to avoid the simultaneous use of Livarol and medications that reduce gastric acidity (for example, antacids, anticholinergics). If the need arises, such medications should be taken no earlier than two hours after using antifungal suppositories.

Storage of medicine

The drug should be kept in a place inaccessible to children, at temperatures up to 25 °C. The medicine is valid for two years from the date of release.

Reviews of Livarol candles prove their effectiveness and safety. The medicine is convenient to use, side effects are extremely rare, and improvement occurs within three to five days.

Contraindications

Livarol, like any other drug, has some contraindications:

1. individual intolerance to one or more components;
2. first trimester of pregnancy.

Use with caution when

1. 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy;
2. lactation period;
3. children under 12 years of age.

Before starting treatment with the drug, you must make sure that there are no contraindications.

Reviews

Many patients have become convinced of the effectiveness of the drug Livarol; reviews from gynecologists about the drug are also positive.

Irina. The drug was prescribed after a smear on the flora - thrush was discovered, although there were no symptoms at all. The doctor said to carefully read the description of possible side effects and supplemented the therapy with Fluconazole. The suppositories are effective, they work clearly at the vaginal level, there were no described side effects, I completed the full course of treatment. I take it as a preventive measure.

Tatiana. Suppositories were prescribed during pregnancy. The effect appeared immediately, I just took it very carefully (in the 2nd trimester) and showed it to the obstetrician. Not cheap, but effective.

Love. Until I became pregnant, I didn’t know about thrush. The gestation period more than filled the gap in knowledge. Now I diagnose the fungus myself and immediately buy Livarol. By the way, the doctor supports me. Relief from symptoms occurs after the very first suppository, all the following suppositories help reduce symptoms and really cure. It can also be used for prevention. By the way, in general, all signs of thrush disappear after the third suppository, but you cannot stop treatment, it is better to be treated until the end.

Side effects

Once in the vagina, the active substance Livarol is absorbed from the surface of its mucous membrane in very small quantities. That is why the list of side effects from this drug consists of local reactions.

The use of Livarol can be complicated by:

• Allergic reactions that occur in some people due to hypersensitivity to any of the components of the medicine.
• Reactions have varying degrees of severity, from local to systemic. A mild degree affects only the vaginal mucosa, causing redness and swelling. Women complain of increased itching and burning, and sometimes pain in the vaginal area. It is enough to stop taking the drug and take an allergy medicine. In more severe cases, a rash may appear in the perineal area and, very rarely, anaphylactic shock, a condition in which hospitalization in a hospital is urgently required.
• Recurrence of fungal infections. If the course of therapy did not last enough time, some of the fungi may remain alive even after the suppositories are no longer administered, develop anew and colonize the mucous membrane. That is why, in the case of an acute form of infection, it is recommended to administer suppositories for 5 days in a row, and in a chronic form - all 10, even if the symptoms of the disease disappeared a couple of days after starting to take the drug.
• Local reactions in the partner. If unprotected sexual intercourse occurs during treatment, the partner may experience redness of the skin of the penis. The greatest risk of complications occurs during intimate intimacy that occurs within a period of 4 to 6 hours after insertion of a suppository into the vagina. It is recommended to use condoms throughout the course of therapy to avoid trouble.

Prescription of Livarol for thrush during pregnancy

During pregnancy, women often experience this disease, causing a lot of discomfort. This violation of the vaginal microflora is of hormonal origin.

Since it is not advisable to use antibiotics during pregnancy, Livarol suppositories come to the rescue.

It should be noted that after the first trimester of pregnancy, the negative impact of this drug on the fetus is minimized, while in the first weeks of embryo development its use is unsafe, since it is during this period that the initial stage of formation of all important organs and systems of the unborn child occurs.

Quite often, at the beginning of the third trimester, gynecologists prescribe this medication to prevent candidiasis in women, since it is during this period that the risk of its occurrence is especially high. In addition, suppositories, given their pharmacological properties, are part of antibacterial therapy.

As for the use of Livarol during breastfeeding, a short course of medication should not affect the composition and quality of breast milk. However, you should be aware that when taking the medicine for a long time, its active substance ketoconazole in a very low concentration can pass through the mother’s blood into breast milk, without having a negative effect on the child’s body.

Livarol: instructions for use

Before starting treatment with Livarol, it is recommended to carefully study the instructions for this drug.

And take into account special instructions for use:

1. during the period of treatment of a woman with suppositories, her partner after sexual intercourse may experience an allergic reaction in the form of redness of the skin of the penis and a burning sensation, so it is better for the woman to refuse intimacy during treatment;
2. for greater effectiveness of treatment, the woman’s sexual partner should also be treated for candidiasis;
3. candles do not in any way affect the concentration of attention and the speed of psychomotor reactions.

The dosage and duration of therapy are prescribed based on the nature of the disease and its severity.

Candles are used as follows:

• For acute vaginal candidiasis, 1 suppository (400 mg of ketoconazole) is inserted into the vagina before bedtime for 5 days daily.
• For chronic vaginal candidiasis and in the recurrent stage, insert 1 suppository into the vagina at night before bed for 10 days.

Why is it better to administer suppositories before going to bed at night? Because if this is done in the morning, then during active movements (walking, running, etc.), the active substance of the medicine introduced into the vagina may leak out before it has time to have a therapeutic effect.

The suppositories are inserted while lying on your back with the pointed end forward, deeper into the vagina. After the candle is inserted, it is recommended to lie down for at least an hour and a half.

The candle should be used immediately after removal from the cell. You should not hold it in your hands for a long time, bend it or break it. If it falls on the floor, it is no longer recommended to use it, so as not to introduce any other bacteria into the vagina that managed to get on the candle. Also, do not use candles from damaged packaging or with an expired expiration date.

Analogs

Ketoconazole is included in many antifungal drugs, but there are few drugs in the form of suppositories based on it. For example, Ketoconazole suppositories. But the drug in this form is not easy to find in the pharmacy chain; more often it can be found in tablets. The latter are also used to treat thrush, but the effectiveness is not as pronounced as that of Livarol.

If for one reason or another Livarol suppositories are not suitable, you can choose other antifungal medications. The medications presented in the table are widely used. Reviews from doctors convince of their high effectiveness.

Table - Analogues of "Livarol" for the prevention and treatment of candidiasis colpitis