Metronidazole – topical

Additional information

Pharmacokinetics and dosing

No studies with a clinically relevant sex analysis regarding the pharmacokinetics or dosing of topical metronidazole have been found. No difference between men and women has been shown for transdermal absorption in general [1].

Effects

In an open-label community-based study (145 men, 437 women) investigating the responsiveness to twice-daily application of metronidazole topical gel 0.75% in subjects with rosacea, the efficacy in reducing lesion count and improving rosacea severity was equivalent in men and women [2]. A small study of patients with mild or moderate papulopustular rosacea (7 men, 25 women) showed that 8 weeks treatment with topical metronidazole or terbinafine yielded similar effect in men and women [3]. Rosacea is a common chronic facial skin disease in which women are approximately 2-3 times more likely than men to be affected [4].

Adverse effects

No studies with a clinically relevant sex analysis regarding adverse effects of topical metronidazole have been found.

Reproductive health issues

Regarding teratogenic aspects, please consult Janusmed Drugs and Birth Defects (in Swedish, Janusmed fosterpåverkan).