The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday long-term treatment with high doses of the antifungal drug fluconazole in the first trimester of pregnancy might cause birth defects. Fluconazole is marketed by several generic drug companies and under the brand name Diflucan by Pfizer Inc. (PFE). The product is used to treat certain kinds of yeast infections and meningitis caused by a type of fungus. Fluconazole is also used to prevent yeast infections in patients being treated with chemotherapy or radiation before a bone-marrow transplant. The FDA said that the typical one-time, 150 milligram dose used to treat vaginal yeast infections is not associated with a risk of birth defects.
