AU: S2 (Pharmacy medicine) Schedule 2 for topical formulations, schedule 3 for vaginal use and for oral candidiasis, otherwise schedule 4[citation needed]
Common side effects include itchiness or irritation of the area in which it was applied.[2] Use in pregnancy is believed to be safe for the baby.[4] Miconazole is in the imidazole family of medications.[2] It works by decreasing the ability of fungi to make ergosterol, an important part of their cell membrane.[2]
Miconazole is generally well tolerated. The oral gel can cause dry mouth, nausea and an unpleasant taste in about 1–10% of people. Anaphylactic reactions are rare. The drug prolongs the QT interval.[7][8]
Interactions
Miconazole is partly absorbed in the intestinal tract when used orally, as with the oral gel, and possibly when used vaginally.[9] This can lead to increased concentrations of drugs that are metabolized by the liver enzymes CYP3A4 and CYP2C9, because miconazole inhibits these enzymes. Such interactions occur for example with anticoagulants of the warfarin type, phenytoin, some newer atypical antipsychotics, ciclosporin, and most statins used to treat hypercholesterolemia.[8] These interactions are not relevant for miconazole that is applied to the skin.[8]
Contraindications
Miconazole is contraindicated for people who use certain drugs that are metabolized by CYP3A4, for the reasons mentioned above:[8]
drugs that also prolong the QT interval because of potential problems with the heart rhythm
After application to the skin, miconazole can be measured in the skin for up to four days, but less than 1% is absorbed into the bloodstream. When applied to the oral mucosa (and possibly also for vaginal use[9]), it is significantly absorbed. In the bloodstream, 88.2% are bound to plasma proteins and 10.6% to blood cells. The substance is partly metabolized via the liver enzyme CYP3A4 and mainly eliminated via the faeces.[7][8]
Chemistry
The solubilities of miconazole nitrate powder are 0.03% in water, 0.76% in ethanol and up to 4% in acetic acid.[12] Miconazole crystallises as colourless prisms in the monoclinic space group P21/c.[13]
Oral treatment: (brand names Daktarin in UK, Fungimin Oral Gel in Bangladesh):[citation needed]
In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Oravig (miconazole) buccal tablets for the local treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis, more commonly known as thrush, in adults and children age 16 and older.[1]
External skin treatment (brand names Desenex and Zeasorb in US and Canada, Micatin, Monistat-Derm, Daktarin in India, UK, Australia, Belgium and the Philippines, Daktar in Norway, Fungidal in Bangladesh, Decocort in Malaysia)[citation needed] (Note that Desenex originally contained not miconazole, but rather the fungistatic agents, undecylenic acid and zinc undecylenate, which were in the foot powder developed by the US government for troops during WWII.[16])
Vaginal treatment (brand names Miconazex, Monistat, Femizol or Gyno-Daktarin in UK):[citation needed]
^ abcdefgh"Miconazole Nitrate". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
^World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
^Becher R, Wirsel SG (August 2012). "Fungal cytochrome P450 sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) and azole resistance in plant and human pathogens". Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 95 (4): 825–840. doi:10.1007/s00253-012-4195-9. PMID22684327. S2CID17688962.
^Duret C, Daujat-Chavanieu M, Pascussi JM, Pichard-Garcia L, Balaguer P, Fabre JM, et al. (July 2006). "Ketoconazole and miconazole are antagonists of the human glucocorticoid receptor: consequences on the expression and function of the constitutive androstane receptor and the pregnane X receptor". Molecular Pharmacology. 70 (1): 329–339. doi:10.1124/mol.105.022046. PMID16608920. S2CID21455699.
^US 5461068, Thaler I, Strauss R, "Imidazole derivative tincture and method of manufacture", issued 24 October 1995, assigned to Current Assignee Corwood Laboratories Inc and Bausch Health Companies Inc.
^Kaspiaruk H, Chęcińska L (June 2022). "A comparison of three crystalline forms of miconazole: solvent-free, ethanol monosolvate and hemihydrate". Acta Crystallographica Section C. 78 (Pt 6): 343–350. doi:10.1107/S2053229622004909. PMID35662134. S2CID248839249.