From the Research
For a 7-year-old female weighing 45 pounds (approximately 20.5 kg) with ringworm, the recommended fluconazole dose is 6 mg/kg once daily, which would be approximately 123 mg once daily, as the most recent and highest quality study 1 suggests that fluconazole is effective in treating ringworm, although its effectiveness may vary depending on the specific type of fungal infection. The typical treatment duration for ringworm (tinea corporis) with fluconazole is 2-4 weeks.
- The medication should be taken with or without food at the same time each day.
- It's essential to complete the full course of treatment even if symptoms improve before the medication is finished.
- Common side effects may include nausea, headache, or stomach pain.
- Fluconazole works by stopping the growth of fungi by preventing them from producing essential components for their cell membranes. Before starting treatment, confirm the diagnosis is truly ringworm, as fluconazole is a systemic antifungal and topical treatments like clotrimazole or terbinafine are often first-line therapy for limited ringworm infections.
- If the infection is widespread, severe, or has not responded to topical treatments, then oral fluconazole may be appropriate.
- Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting this medication, as they may need to adjust the dose based on the child's specific situation, considering the findings of the study 1 that itraconazole is the most effective drug, followed by fluconazole, in chronic and chronic relapsing dermatophytosis.