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Medication for Yeast Infections

Yeast infections in women are extremely common; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 75 percent of women will have a vaginal yeast infection at some point during their lives. The good news is that medication for yeast infections don't require a prescription. However, make sure that the symptoms treated are the result of a yeast infection and not another condition.

  1. About Yeast Infections

    • Yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of the fungus candida albicans, which normally are present in small numbers in damp areas such as the mouth and vagina. A yeast infection may stem from antibiotics taken for another infection, oral contraceptives, prednisone, a weakened immune system or pregnancy. Yeast infections are not considered a sexually transmitted disease, although an infected woman could transmit it to a male partner.

    What Are the Options?

    • Over-the-counter antifungal medication for yeast infections are available at drugstores and pharmacies. The contain miconazole, clotrimazole or tioconazole as their active ingredients. Brand names include Vagistat, Monistat and Gyne-Lotrimin, which are available in a cream, tablet or suppository form and come in one-, three-, five- and seven-day treatment regimens.

    How to Use

    • The medication will come with either a disposable applicator or a reusable one, which must be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Topical treatments are inserted into the vagina and generally used at bedtime. Because this medication does tend to leak out during the day, many women choose to wear panty liners while they're treating a yeast infection.

    Other Medications

    • A less messy alternative for yeast infections requires a doctor's prescription: the oral medication fluconazole, sold under the name Diflucan.

    Misconceptions

    • Ttwo-thirds of women who purchase over-the-counter medication for yeast infections don't have a yeast infection at all, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The symptoms of a yeast infection--itching, burning and discharge--can mimic other forms of vaginitis, such as bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis, or another type of sexually-transmitted disease. If you've never experienced symptoms of a yeast infection before, see your doctor before you head to the drugstore. If you use medications for yeast infections on an unrelated condition, you could end up with an infection that's even more difficult to treat.

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