Griseofulvin

Aka: Griseofulvin

1. Background
   1. Produced first in 1958 from penicillium
2. Indications
   1. Tinea Capitis
3. Duration
   1. Tinea Capitis
      1. Treated for 6-8 weeks (durations up to 16 weeks have been used previously) or
      2. Two weeks after cultures are negative
4. Efficacy
   1. Very effective for Tinea Capitis over 2-4 months
   2. Not as effective for Tinea Unguium
5. Dosing
   1. Ultrasize preparations are also available but are significantly more expensive (but better absorption)
   2. Griseofulvin microsize (Griseofulvin V)
      1. Adults: 500 mg (up to 1 g) orally daily
      2. Child: 10-20 mg/kg/day (up to 20-25 mg/kg/day, maximum 1 g/day) until Hair Growth
6. Monitoring
   1. No baseline testing needed in the absence of liver disease
   2. Obtain labs for treatment duration >8 weeks (or history of abnormal Liver Function Tests)
      1. Liver Function Tests (ALT, AST, Serum Bilirubin) every 8 weeks
      2. Complete Blood Count (CBC) every 8 weeks
      3. Serum Creatinine every 8 weeks
7. Directions
   1. Take with food (especially a fatty meal) for better absorption
8. References
   1. Ely (2014) Am Fam Physician 90(10): 702-10 [PubMed]