Medicines
Green Pages
nystatin
Nystatin fights yeast and other fungus
infections in the mouth (thrush), the
vagina, or the skin.
Important: Stop using nystatin if it
irritates the skin.
A person with a yeast infection should
not have sex while using nystatin to
avoid passing the infection to her
partner.
Nystatin works only against candida
yeast infections, while miconazole works
against other fungal infections as well.
Side effects: Diarrhea and stomach
upset.
Often comes in: Inserts, lozenges for
the mouth, and cream of 100,000 Units;
liquid with 100,000 Units per ml.
How to use:
For mouth or throat infections, put
1 ml of liquid in mouth, swish around
both sides of mouth for 1 minute, and
swallow. Do this 3 or 4 times a day for
5 days.
For vaginal infections (see p. 327), put
one 100,000 Unit insert high in the
vagina every night for 14 nights.
Other drugs that may work: gentian
violet, miconazole.
oxytocin
Oxytocin is used to cause contractions
of the womb and its blood vessels to
control heavy bleeding after abortion or
childbirth.
Often comes in: 10 Units in 1 ml for
injection.
How to use:
For delivery of the placenta (see p. 228)
or to stop bleeding after the baby is
born (p. 231), inject 10 Units in the
muscle. Repeat after 10 minutes if
needed.
Other drugs that may work:
ergometrine, misoprostol.
WARNING: Do not use oxytocin
to start or speed up labor.
Oxytocin can make the womb
contract so strongly that it will
tear open.
Do not use this drug to cause an
abortion because it could kill the
woman before ending the
pregnancy.
486
A Book for Midwives (2010)