Canesten V6

Canesten V6 is Bayer's clotrimazole 100 mg vaginal tablet for vaginal thrush (a vaginal yeast infection), sold in India by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. One strip of 6 tablets is one course: one tablet inserted into the vagina each night for 6 nights. We sell it in packs of 24, 48 and 72 tablets, which is 4, 8 and 12 courses, from $0.44 a tablet in the 72 pack before shipping.

Before you buy, know three things. First, clotrimazole vaginal tablets are sold without a prescription in the UK, Australia and Canada, and US pharmacies stock over the counter clotrimazole vaginal creams that cost them about $4 to $7 a tube (NADAC), so buying locally is usually cheaper and much faster. Second, our delivery takes 7 to 14 business days, while the UK leaflet says thrush symptoms should go within three days of treatment: if you have symptoms now, a local pharmacy is the better choice. Third, the UK leaflet says to use this kind of product only if a doctor has diagnosed thrush before, and to see a doctor if you have had more than two infections in six months.

Canesten V6 at a glance

Price per tablet and per course

Prices below are as of October 2026; the pack selector shows the current price. A course is one strip of 6 tablets.

Every pack is under the $149 free shipping threshold, so each order pays the flat $25. The smallest order costs $43.00 with shipping. The per course figures are our arithmetic and only hold if you use every strip, which most buyers will not need to do (see the next section).

How many courses you need, and why our packs are large

The UK label treats one strip of 6 as one course. If the infection comes back after 7 days, the UK leaflet says you may use one further treatment. If you have more than two infections within six months, it says you should see your doctor. So the label covers one course, sometimes two, before a doctor needs to be involved.

Our smallest pack holds 4 courses. That is more than the label lets you use on your own: do not use the spare strips to treat repeated episodes without seeing a doctor, because frequent thrush can have another cause. The CDC defines recurrent vaginal yeast infection as three or more episodes in less than a year. If you only need one course, buying locally (below) costs less than our smallest order. If you buy from us, the Candid-V 6 12 tablet pack (below) is closer to what the label allows. Check the expiry date on each strip before you keep any.

Compared with Canesten in the UK and options in the US, Canada and Australia

The UK figure is the NHS reimbursement price in the Drug Tariff, not a shop price. NADAC is the average price US pharmacies pay, not a retail price: the US figures are our arithmetic from per gram NADAC rows effective 21 October 2026 ($0.09045 per gram for clotrimazole 1% vaginal cream in 45 g tubes, and $0.31354 per gram for a 2% cream in a 21 g tube).

• US: we found no clotrimazole vaginal tablet on the US market. Gyne-Lotrimin and Mycelex-7 100 mg vaginal tablets are listed as discontinued in the FDA's approval database, and every current clotrimazole vaginal product in the FDA's drug listing directory is a cream. The CDC lists clotrimazole 1% cream (7 to 14 days) and 2% cream (3 days), and miconazole creams and suppositories, as over the counter vaginal treatments recommended for uncomplicated vaginal yeast infection.
• UK: Canesten 100mg Pessary is a pharmacy medicine; its leaflet says "This medicine is available without prescription."
• Australia: Canesten Clotrimazole Thrush Treatment 6 Day pessaries (clotrimazole 100 mg, 6 pessaries) are Schedule 3, Pharmacist Only Medicine (healthdirect).
• Canada: the Canesten 100 mg vaginal inserts are listed as cancelled in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, but Canesten Comfortab 3 (200 mg) and Comfortab 1 (500 mg) vaginal tablets and 6 day clotrimazole 1% vaginal creams (Canesten 6 Day Internal Cream, Clotrimaderm Vaginal 6) are marketed as non-prescription products.

Canesten V6 contains the same active ingredient at the same strength as the UK Canesten 100mg Pessary, and both come from Bayer, but the Indian tablet is made for the Indian market. We have not seen data comparing the two products, and the inactive ingredients may differ.

Other clotrimazole vaginal products we sell

Candid V Gel is Glenmark's clotrimazole vaginal gel. Glenmark's Candid-V 6 contains the same medicine at the same strength (clotrimazole 100 mg, one a night for 6 nights) from another maker, in a 12 tablet pack (2 courses) at $8.00 before shipping as of October 2026.

How to use Canesten V6

These steps follow the UK Canesten 100mg Pessary label (SmPC section 4.2 and the patient leaflet). Read the leaflet in your pack as well.

1. Insert one tablet into the vagina at night, preferably at bedtime, for six nights in a row. Insert it as high as possible; this is easiest lying on your back with your knees bent up.
2. Wash your hands before and after. The UK pack contains one applicator. Indian listings describe inserting the tablet with an applicator (PharmEasy says a disposable one; Apollo describes washing it after each use), but none of the three we checked lists an applicator in the pack, so check your carton.
3. If you are pregnant, insert the tablet without the applicator (UK label 4.4 and 4.6). Use it in pregnancy only under the supervision of a doctor or midwife.
4. Do not use it during your period: the UK label says treatment should be finished before menstruation starts, because the flow can wash the tablet out.
5. Do not use tampons, douches, spermicides or other vaginal products during the course, and avoid vaginal sex while you have thrush and during treatment, because your partner could become infected.
6. The tablet needs moisture to dissolve. If you have vaginal dryness you may notice pieces of undissolved tablet; the UK leaflet says to speak to your doctor or a pharmacist if you do, as the treatment may not have worked properly. A white chalky residue is normal and does not mean the treatment failed.
7. If you forget a night, continue the course when you remember. If you missed more than one day and symptoms persist after the course, see your doctor (UK leaflet).
8. It is for use in the vagina only. If a tablet is swallowed, the UK leaflet says to tell your doctor straight away or go to the nearest emergency department.

Condoms, diaphragms and other medicines

• Latex contraceptives: the UK label says laboratory tests suggest the product "may cause damage to latex contraceptives", so their effectiveness may be reduced. Use other precautions "for at least five days after using this product" (UK label 4.5). Canesten V6 does not prevent pregnancy and does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
• Tacrolimus and sirolimus (transplant medicines): vaginal clotrimazole might raise their blood levels, so people taking them should be closely monitored (UK label 4.5). Tell your transplant team before using it.
• Only a small amount of vaginal clotrimazole is absorbed, 3 to 10% of the dose (UK label 5.2).

Side effects

The UK label lists these side effects from spontaneous reports, so it gives no frequencies (section 4.8):

• In or around the vagina: vulvovaginal burning, itching, discomfort, redness or pain, vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding and peeling, and irritation, swelling or pain where it was applied.
• Elsewhere in the body: abdominal pain and nausea; anaphylactic reaction, angioedema and hypersensitivity; fainting and low blood pressure; breathlessness; rash, hives and itching.

The UK leaflet says: "If you experience any of the above effects, tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately." Because the label gives no frequencies, we cannot tell you how often they happen.

When to stop and get help

• Signs of an allergic reaction: rash; swallowing or breathing problems; swelling of your lips, face, throat or tongue; weakness, feeling dizzy or faint; nausea. The UK leaflet says to stop using it and tell your doctor straight away or go to the nearest emergency department. Do the same if redness, burning, pain, itching or swelling get worse.
• Symptoms that need a doctor rather than thrush treatment (UK label 4.4 says it "should not be used" with these, and medical advice should be sought): irregular or abnormal vaginal bleeding or a blood-stained discharge; ulcers, blisters or sores of the vulva or vagina; lower abdominal pain or pain passing urine; fever or chills; nausea or vomiting; diarrhoea; a foul smelling vaginal discharge; or any redness, irritation or swelling caused by the treatment.
• No improvement after seven days: tell your doctor (UK leaflet).
• A tablet swallowed: tell your doctor straight away or go to the nearest emergency department (UK leaflet).

Who should not use it, and who should see a doctor first

Do not use it if you are allergic to clotrimazole or any ingredient of the tablet (UK label 4.3), or during your period (UK leaflet).

First episode: the UK label says "Medical advice should be sought if this is the first time the patient has experienced symptoms" (section 4.4), and the UK leaflet says to use it only if a doctor has diagnosed vaginal thrush before.

The UK label says medical advice must be sought before use (section 4.4) if:

• you have had more than two infections in the last six months;
• you have had a sexually transmitted disease, or have been exposed to a partner who has one;
• you are pregnant or think you might be;
• you are under 16 or over 60 (section 4.2 also says it is not for use in children under 16);
• you have reacted to imidazoles or other vaginal antifungal products before.

The US over the counter clotrimazole cream label gives a further reason to see a doctor about frequent infections (such as once a month or 3 in 6 months): "You could be pregnant or have a serious underlying medical cause for your symptoms, including diabetes or a weakened immune system." It also says to ask a doctor first if you have been exposed to HIV. That label is for a cream, not this tablet, so treat it as extra guidance.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the UK label says clotrimazole "can be used during pregnancy, but only under the supervision of a physician or midwife", inserted without the applicator, and that it "may be used during lactation" (section 4.6). The CDC says "Only topical azole therapies, applied for 7 days, are recommended for use among pregnant women"; Canesten V6 is a 6 night course, so ask your doctor or midwife which course to use.

Prescription and legal status

Clotrimazole for vaginal thrush is a non-prescription medicine in the four countries we ship to, although the forms differ. In the UK, Canesten 100mg Pessary is a pharmacy medicine (P). In Australia the 6 day pessary is Schedule 3, Pharmacist Only Medicine. In Canada clotrimazole vaginal tablets and creams are non-prescription products. In the US, clotrimazole vaginal creams are sold over the counter, and no clotrimazole vaginal tablet is listed in the FDA's drug listing directory. In India, Tata 1mg marks Canesten V6 "Prescription required" and Apollo Pharmacy marks it "Prescription Medicine".

This Indian pack is not registered with the FDA, the MHRA, the TGA or Health Canada. The FDA says personal importation of unapproved medicines is illegal in most circumstances. Check the rules where you live.

Buying genuine Canesten V6

The MHRA warns: "Any medicine not authorised for sale in the UK can be unsafe or ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in them or the negative health effects they can have." It advises: "Only use UK-registered pharmacies, including online pharmacies displaying the official green cross logo". That warning covers the Indian Canesten V6 pack, which is not the pack authorised in the UK. When your order arrives, check that each strip names Canesten and clotrimazole 100 mg, shows a batch number and expiry date, and that the blisters are sealed. Apollo's listing says not to use a tablet if the blister is damaged or the tablet is discoloured or broken. These checks cannot prove a strip is genuine, because counterfeiters copy packaging. If a tablet causes unusual symptoms, stop using it, seek medical advice, and report it to your medicines regulator (the MHRA Yellow Card scheme in the UK, FDA MedWatch in the US, the TGA in Australia or Health Canada) as well as to us.

Storage: the Indian listings disagree (below 25 °C on PharmEasy, below 30 °C on Tata 1mg, 15 to 30 °C on Apollo), and the UK label sets no special storage conditions. Keeping it between 15 and 25 °C in its strip, out of the reach of children, meets all of them (our advice).

Delivery

We ship Canesten V6 to the US, UK, Australia and Canada in plain packaging with tracking. Standard delivery takes 7 to 14 business days to most countries, which is too slow for an infection you have now. Shipping costs a flat $25 on orders under $149 and is free from $149. See our shipping page and refund policy.

Related guides

• Brand vs generic drug prices: what US pharmacies pay (NADAC)
• Generic vs brand name medicines: are they the same?
• Is it safe to buy medicine online?

Sources

• Canesten 100mg Pessary (clotrimazole), Summary of Product Characteristics, Bayer plc, PL 00010/0015R, updated 13 June 2023, sections 4.1 to 4.9, 5.2, 6.4 and 6.5; and patient information leaflet, revised March 2024. emc
• NHS dictionary of medicines and devices: Canesten 100mg pessaries, 6 pessary pack, legal category P; Drug Tariff price 385p (OpenPrescribing). Checked 21 October 2026.
• healthdirect Australia: Canesten Clotrimazole Thrush Treatment 6 Day (pessary 100 mg, Schedule 3). Checked 21 October 2026.
• Health Canada Drug Product Database: Canesten 100 mg vaginal inserts (DIN 02150832, cancelled post market), Canesten Comfortab 3 (DIN 02150840) and Comfortab 1 (DIN 02150859), Canesten 6 Day Internal Cream (DIN 02150891), Clotrimaderm Vaginal 6 (DIN 00812366). Checked 21 October 2026.
• FDA Drugs@FDA and NDC directory (openFDA): clotrimazole vaginal products, including Gyne-Lotrimin (NDA 017717) and Mycelex-7 (NDA 018182) tablets, discontinued. Checked 21 October 2026.
• Clotrimazole Vaginal Cream USP 1%, 7 Day, Drug Facts label, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, DailyMed setid f7192955-8f8c-45dd-a215-8ac2c1f6444f, June 2025.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021: Vulvovaginal candidiasis. CDC
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), clotrimazole 1% vaginal cream and clotrimazole 2% cream, effective 21 October 2026. data.medicaid.gov
• Indian listings for Canesten V6 (maker, pack, prescription status, storage, directions): PharmEasy, Apollo Pharmacy and Tata 1mg, checked 21 October 2026.
• MHRA. 20 million illegal erectile dysfunction pills seized as MHRA warns against risky online buys, 13 February 2026. GOV.UK.
• US Food and Drug Administration. Personal Importation. FDA

This page is for information and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before using Canesten V6, especially if this is your first episode of thrush.