Vfend

Vfend is used for:

Treating fungal infections.

Vfend is an azole antifungal. It works by blocking fungal cell wall growth, resulting in the death of the fungus.

Do NOT use Vfend if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Vfend
• you are taking a barbiturate (eg, phenobarbital), carbamazepine, cisapride, an ergot alkaloid (eg, ergotamine), an H₁ antagonist (eg, astemizole, terfenadine), pimozide, quinidine, rifabutin, rifampin, sirolimus, or St. John's wort
• you have galactose intolerance, Lapp lactase deficiency, or glucose-galactose malabsorption
• you are taking ritonavir
• you have untreated low blood calcium, magnesium, or potassium levels

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Vfend:

Some medical conditions may interact with Vfend. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you are allergic to other azole antifungals (eg, fluconazole, itraconazole)
• if you have a history of heart problems (eg, cardiomyopathy) or abnormal blood calcium, magnesium, or potassium levels
• if you have liver problems (eg, cirrhosis), kidney problems, pancreas problems, or a blood disease
• if you have ever been on chemotherapy or have had a stem cell transplant

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Vfend. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Barbiturates (eg, phenobarbital), carbamazepine, rifampin, ritonavir, or St. John's wort because they may decrease Vfend's effectiveness
• Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin), aripiprazole, benzodiazepines (eg, alprazolam), calcium channel blockers (eg, felodipine), cyclosporine, ergot alkaloids (eg, ergotamine), erlotinib, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (eg, atorvastatin), macrolide immunosuppressants (eg, sirolimus, tacrolimus), methadone, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) (eg, nevirapine), sulfonylureas (eg, glipizide), or vinca alkaloids (eg, vincristine) because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Vfend
• Cisapride, H₁ antagonists (eg, astemizole, terfenadine), methadone, pimozide, or quinidine because the risk of their side effects, such as irregular heartbeat, may be increased by Vfend
• Efavirenz, hydantoins (eg, phenytoin), or rifabutin because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Vfend or they may decrease Vfend's effectiveness
• HIV protease inhibitors (eg, ritonavir), oral contraceptives (birth control pills), or proton pump inhibitors (eg, omeprazole) because the risk of side effects of both medicines may be increased

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Vfend may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.