
metronidazole
Metronidazole vaginal gel is a prescription medication used to treat an infection of the vagina called bacterial vaginosis. It comes as prefilled vaginal applicators that are good for one-time use. Your dosing and length of treatment for metronidazole vaginal gel depend on your condition and what brand of metronidazole vaginal gel you're using. But typically, treatment lasts around 5 days.
What is Metronidazole vaginal gel?
What is Metronidazole vaginal gel used for?
- Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
How Metronidazole vaginal gel works
Metronidazole vaginal gel is a nitroimidazole antibiotic. It works by damaging the DNA in bacteria and stopping the growth of bacteria in the vagina.
Drug facts
| Common Brands | Vandazole, Nuvessa |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Nitroimidazole antibiotic |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | Lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription only |
Side effects of Metronidazole vaginal gel
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Vaginal yeast infection (6%)
- Vaginal fungal and yeast infection (12%)
- Headache (7%)
- Itching (6%)
- Stomach pain (5%)
Generic metronidazole vaginal gel:
- Vaginal discharge (12%)
- Vaginal yeast infection (10%)
- Irritated vagina (9%)
- Stomach upset (7%)
- Headache (5%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Sore throat
- Unusual taste
- Rash
- Breast pain
- Vaginal itching
- Menstrual cramps
- Diarrhea
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
The following Metronidazole vaginal gel side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common
Cramps
dizziness or lightheadedness
dryness of the mouth
feeling of a furry tongue
headache
loss of appetite
metallic taste or other change in taste sensation
mild skin dryness and burning
skin irritation
temporary skin redness
vomiting
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Get your GoodRx coupon
Pros and cons of Metronidazole vaginal gel
Pros
- Considered a first-choice treatment option for bacterial vaginosis
- Brand Nuvessa treats BV in a single dose
- Less side effects compared to oral metronidazole (Flagyl)
- Available as a lower-cost generic (0.75% strength only)
Cons
- Should avoid alcohol
- Not recommended for use while breastfeeding
- Need to avoid sexual intercourse and use of vaginal products during treatment
- Requires a prescription
Pharmacist tips for Metronidazole vaginal gel
- Before using metronidazole vaginal gel, read the instruction guide to better understand how to use it properly. Metronidazole vaginal gel should be inserted and applied vaginally while lying on your back with your knees bent or in any comfortable position.
- If you're using metronidazole vaginal gel once a day, insert the dose at bedtime.
- While using metronidazole vaginal gel, don't have sex or use tampons or other vaginal products until you've finished the treatment.
- If you get metronidazole vaginal gel in your eyes, rinse your eyes with cool tap water and call your provider because it can cause burning.
- Contact your provider if you experience vaginal irritation after using metronidazole vaginal gel. Your provider might need prescribe a different medication for you.
- Metronidazole vaginal gel comes with one-time use, prefilled applicators, so throw away each applicator after using it.
- Let your provider know all of the medications you're taking so they can check for interactions with metronidazole vaginal gel.
- It isn't known if metronidazole vaginal gel is safe to use during pregnancy. If you're pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, speak to your provider before using metronidazole vaginal gel.
- Metronidazole vaginal gel can pass into breast milk. If you're breastfeeding, discuss with your provider other ways to feed your baby during treatment with this medication. They might recommend that you pump and discard breastmilk while you're using metronidazole vaginal gel and for 2 days after your last dose.
- Store the medication in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Don't freeze metronidazole vaginal gel because this could damage the medication.
Risks and warnings for Metronidazole vaginal gel
Metronidazole vaginal gel can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Vaginal yeast infections
Using metronidazole vaginal gel can raise your risk for vaginal yeast infections. This is because the medication can also affect the good bacteria in your vagina that usually keep fungi from overgrowing. When fungi overgrow in your vagina, it can sometimes result in a yeast infection. There are many different over-the-counter and prescription treatments available for vaginal yeast infections. Let your provider know if you have redness, pain, or burning around your vagina, or if you have thick, white vaginal discharge. These could be signs of a vaginal yeast infection, and you might need treatment for it.
Nervous system problems
- Risk factors: Use of oral and IV metronidazole | History of nervous system problems
Certain nervous system problems (e.g. seizures, numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, damage to the eye) have been reported in people who use oral or intravenous (IV) metronidazole. Let your provider know if you have a history of nervous system problems before using metronidazole vaginal gel.
Possible risk of cancer
Animal studies show that there's a link between oral metronidazole and cancer. There hasn't been any cancer studies with metronidazole vaginal gel, but keep in mind that it gets absorbed much less in your body compared to the oral version of this medication. Make sure you use metronidazole vaginal gel exactly as prescribed to you. If you have concerns about the possible risk of cancer, speak with your provider.
Metronidazole vaginal gel dosage
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70g of 0.75% gel | 1 package | $25.02 | $25.02 |
Typical dosage for Metronidazole vaginal gel
- Nuvessa (metronidazole 1.3%) vaginal gel: The typical dose is to insert 1 applicatorful into the vagina at bedtime as a one-time dose.
- Vandazole (metronidazole 0.75%) vaginal gel: The typical dose is to insert 1 applicatorful into the vagina daily at bedtime for 5 days.
- Generic metronidazole 0.75% vaginal gel: The typical dose is to insert 1 applicatorful into the vagina once or twice daily for 5 days.
Interactions between Metronidazole vaginal gel and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Amprenavir
- Bepridil
- Cisapride
- Disulfiram
- Dronabinol
- Dronedarone
- Mesoridazine
- Pimozide
- Saquinavir
- Sparfloxacin
- Terfenadine
- Thioridazine
- Ziprasidone
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Alfuzosin
- Amiodarone
- Amitriptyline
- Anagrelide
- Apomorphine
- Aripiprazole
- Aripiprazole Lauroxil
- Arsenic Trioxide
- Asenapine
- Astemizole
- Atazanavir
- Azithromycin
- Bedaquiline
- Buprenorphine
- Bupropion
- Buserelin
- Busulfan
- Capecitabine
- Ceritinib
- Chloroquine
- Chlorpromazine
- Cholera Vaccine, Live
- Ciprofloxacin
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Clofazimine
- Clomipramine
- Clozapine
- Crizotinib
- Cyclobenzaprine
- Dabrafenib
- Dasatinib
- Degarelix
- Delamanid
- Desipramine
- Deslorelin
- Deutetrabenazine
- Disopyramide
- Dofetilide
- Dolasetron
- Domperidone
- Donepezil
- Doxepin
- Doxifluridine
- Droperidol
- Ebastine
- Efavirenz
- Encorafenib
- Entrectinib
- Eribulin
- Erythromycin
- Escitalopram
- Famotidine
- Felbamate
- Fingolimod
- Flecainide
- Fluconazole
- Fluorouracil
- Fluoxetine
- Formoterol
- Foscarnet
- Fosphenytoin
- Galantamine
- Gatifloxacin
- Gemifloxacin
- Glasdegib
- Gonadorelin
- Goserelin
- Granisetron
- Halofantrine
- Haloperidol
- Histrelin
- Hydroquinidine
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Hydroxyzine
- Ibutilide
- Iloperidone
- Imipramine
- Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
- Itraconazole
- Ivabradine
- Ivosidenib
- Ketoconazole
- Lapatinib
- Levofloxacin
- Lofexidine
- Lumefantrine
- Macimorelin
- Mebendazole
- Mefloquine
- Methadone
- Mifepristone
- Mizolastine
- Moxifloxacin
- Mycophenolate Mofetil
- Mycophenolic Acid
- Nafarelin
- Nelfinavir
- Nilotinib
- Norfloxacin
- Octreotide
- Ofloxacin
- Olanzapine
- Ondansetron
- Osimertinib
- Oxaliplatin
- Ozanimod
- Paliperidone
- Panobinostat
- Papaverine Hydrochloride
- Paroxetine
- Pasireotide
- Pazopanib
- Pentamidine
- Perphenazine
- Pimavanserin
- Pipamperone
- Pitolisant
- Ponesimod
- Posaconazole
- Probucol
- Procainamide
- Prochlorperazine
- Promethazine
- Propafenone
- Protriptyline
- Quetiapine
- Quinidine
- Quinine
- Ranolazine
- Ribociclib
- Risperidone
- Ritonavir
- Selpercatinib
- Sertindole
- Sertraline
- Sevoflurane
- Siponimod
- Sodium Phosphate
- Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
- Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
- Solifenacin
- Sorafenib
- Sotalol
- Sulpiride
- Sunitinib
- Tacrolimus
- Tamoxifen
- Tegafur
- Telaprevir
- Telavancin
- Telithromycin
- Tetrabenazine
- Tolterodine
- Toremifene
- Trazodone
- Trimipramine
- Triptorelin
- Vandetanib
- Vardenafil
- Vemurafenib
- Venlafaxine
- Vilanterol
- Vinflunine
- Voclosporin
- Voriconazole
- Vorinostat
- Warfarin
- Zuclopenthixol
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Carbamazepine
- Cholestyramine
- Cyclosporine
- Lithium
- Milk Thistle
How much does Metronidazole vaginal gel cost?
$25.02
Metronidazole vaginal gel contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Metronidazole vaginal gel will not be safe for you to take.
- Allergy to parabens
- Have taken disulfiram (Antabuse) in the past 2 weeks
- Alcohol use
What are alternatives to Metronidazole vaginal gel?
News about Metronidazole vaginal gel









