What does it do?

Voriconazole is used to treat and prevent fungal infections.

Before you start

• Tell your doctor if you have liver, kidney or heart problems.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• Your doctor may do a heart test (ECG) before you start and while you are taking voriconazole.

How should you take it?

Take voriconazole regularly as directed. Keep taking it until the course is finished, even if you start to feel better. Take it on an empty stomach - one hour before or two hours after food.
Tablets: Take with a glass of water.
Liquid: Measure carefully with an oral syringe or measuring spoon. Shake the bottle well before measuring each dose.

What if you forget a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as possible and continue as directed.

Can you take other medicines?

Some medicines available without a prescription may react with voriconazole including:

• sildenafil (e.g. Viagra®) or similar medicines
• anti-inflammatories, such as diclofenac (e.g. Voltaren®) or ibuprofen (e.g. Nurofen®). These can also be found in some cold and flu medicines (e.g. Nurofen Cold and Flu®).

Tell your pharmacist or doctor about all medicines or treatments that you may be taking, including vitamins, herbal products (e.g. St John's wort) or recreational drugs.

What side effects might you notice?

Side Effects	Recommended action
Symptoms of allergy including: skin rash, itching, swelling, trouble breathing Reduced number of blood cells that fight infections or help your blood to clot - symptoms include: fever, chills, sore throat or generally feeling unwell, or easy or unusual bruising or bleeding Symptoms of liver problems including: yellow skin or eyes, itching, dark urine, pale bowel motions, abdominal pain Symptoms of a fast or irregular heartbeat including: fluttering, pounding or pain in your chest, dizziness or fainting Severe stomach pain, nausea	Tell your doctor immediately
Hallucinations, confusion Changes in vision	Tell your doctor
Swollen feet or legs Headache Stomach upset More sensitive to sunlight (sunburn or rash)	Tell your doctor if troublesome

If you notice any other effects, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist.

Other information:

• Protect yourself from too much sunlight while being treated with voriconazole. Always cover up and apply a thick layer of broad spectrum sunscreen (at least SPF 30) when outside. Do not use sunbeds.
• Due to changes in vision that can happen with voriconazole, take extra care when driving or operating machinery, especially at night.
• You will need regular blood tests while taking voriconazole to check if it is causing problems with your liver or kidneys. You may also need blood tests to check how much voriconazole is in your blood.
• If you take voriconazole for a long time, it may cause bone problems. Discuss this with your doctor.
• Store voriconazole liquid as directed. Once the course is finished, take any leftover liquid back to your pharmacy.