When your body fights off a serious fungal infection, voriconazole, a broad-spectrum antifungal medication used to treat life-threatening fungal infections. Also known as Vfend, it's one of the first-line treatments for invasive aspergillosis and other stubborn fungal infections that don't respond to older drugs. Unlike common antifungals like fluconazole, voriconazole works against a wider range of fungi, including those that are resistant or hard to reach in the lungs, brain, or bloodstream.
It's not for minor yeast infections or athlete’s foot. You’ll typically see voriconazole used in people with weakened immune systems—those recovering from transplants, undergoing chemotherapy, or living with advanced HIV. It’s also used when a fungal infection spreads beyond the skin, like in cases of candidemia or fusariosis. The drug comes in pills, liquid, and IV form, so doctors can switch delivery methods based on how sick you are. But it’s not simple: voriconazole has tricky interactions with other meds, especially heart drugs, antidepressants, and even some painkillers. Its levels in your blood can swing wildly depending on your liver function, age, or even your genes, which is why blood tests are often needed to make sure you’re getting the right dose.
Some people tolerate it fine. Others get side effects like vision changes—blurred vision, sensitivity to light—that can be startling but usually go away after stopping the drug. Liver problems, rash, and nausea are also common enough that doctors monitor you closely. If voriconazole doesn’t work or causes too many issues, alternatives like amphotericin B, a potent but more toxic antifungal often used when voriconazole fails or isavuconazole, a newer antifungal with fewer drug interactions and a better safety profile might be tried. You’ll also find posts here that dig into how fungal resistance is growing, why some patients don’t respond, and how to spot early signs of treatment failure.
What you’ll find in this collection isn’t just textbook info. These are real-world insights from people managing long-term fungal infections, clinicians navigating complex drug interactions, and researchers tracking how voriconazole fits into modern treatment protocols. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or just trying to understand why this drug keeps showing up in serious cases, the articles below cut through the noise and give you what actually matters.
Antifungals can cause serious liver damage, especially voriconazole, itraconazole, and ketoconazole. Learn which drugs are riskiest, who’s most vulnerable, how to monitor your liver, and what symptoms to watch for to avoid life-threatening injury.