Fluocinonide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Fluocinonide is a corticosteroid sold in the U.S. under 5 brand and generic names, for facial dermatoses, foot dermatoses and hand dermatoses. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Corticosteroid
- Treats (across its forms)
- Facial Dermatoses, Foot Dermatoses and Hand Dermatoses
- Available as
- Topical · Solution
- Sold as
- 5 products — Fluocinonide, Fluocinonide Emulsified Base and Lidex, and others
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $0.31 per gm — not your price
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How fluocinonide is dosed
From the FDA label for Fluocinonide (application ANDA211111). Other fluocinonide products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
For topical use only. Fluocinonide Cream, 0.1% is not for ophthalmic, oral, or intravaginal use. For psoriasis, apply a thin layer of Fluocinonide Cream, 0.1% once or twice daily to the affected skin areas as directed by a physician. Twice daily application for the treatment of psoriasis has been shown to be more effective in achieving treatment success during 2 weeks of treatment. For atopic dermatitis, apply a thin layer of Fluocinonide Cream, 0.1% once daily to the affected skin areas as directed by a physician. Once daily application for the treatment of atopic dermatitis has been shown to be as effective as twice daily treatment in achieving treatment success during 2 weeks of treatment [see Clinical Studies (14) ] . For corticosteroid responsive dermatoses, other than psoriasis or atopic dermatitis, apply a thin layer of Fluocinonide Cream, 0.1% once or twice daily to the affected areas as directed by a physician. For topical use only. Fluocinonide Cream, 0.1% is not for ophthalmic, oral, or intravaginal use. (2) Psoriasis: apply a thin layer once or twice daily to the affected skin areas. (2) Atopic Dermatitis: apply a thin layer once daily to the affected skin areas. (2) Corticosteroid Responsive Dermatoses, other than psoriasis or atopic dermatitis: apply a thin layer once or twice daily to the affected areas. (2)
Fluocinonide side effects
The most commonly reported adverse reactions (≥1%) were headache, application site burning, nasopharyngitis, and nasal congestion. (6) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Amneal Pharmaceuticals at 1-877-835-5472 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In clinical trials, a total of 443 adult subjects with atopic dermatitis or plaque-type psoriasis were treated once daily or twice daily with Fluocinonide Cream for 2 weeks. The most commonly observed adverse reactions in these clinical trials were as follows: Table 1: Most Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions ( ≥1%) in Adult Clinical Trials Adverse Reaction Fluocinonide Cream, once daily (n=216) Fluocinonide Cream, twice daily (n=227) Vehicle Cream, once or twice daily (n=211) Headache 8 (3.7%) 9 (4.0%) 6 (2.8%) Application Site Burning 5 (2.3%) 4 (1.8%) 14 (6.6%) Nasopharyngitis 2 (0.9%) 3 (1.3%) 3 (1.4%) Nasal Congestion 3 (1.4%) 1 (0.4%) 0 Safety in patients 12 to 17 years of age was similar to that observed in adults. 6.2 Postmarketing Experience The following adverse reactions have been identified during post…
Who shouldn’t take fluocinonide
None. None (4)
Every fluocinonide product we track (5)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 3 | 70/100 | Prescription | Solution | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 4 | 70/100 | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 5 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $0 | View → |
Fluocinonide recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
Fluocinonide
Failed Viscosity Specifications: Out of Specification results, above the specification limit, in viscosity, noted during stability testing.
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC · Mar 25, 2026
Fluocinonide
Failed Viscosity Specifications: Out of Specification results, above the specification limit, in viscosity, noted during stability testing.
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC · Mar 25, 2026
Fluocinonide
Failed Viscosity Specifications: Out of Specification results, above the specification limit, in viscosity, noted during stability testing.
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC · Mar 25, 2026
How long fluocinonide keeps
No fluocinonide label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does fluocinonide expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsFluocinonide and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for fluocinonide: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadFluocinonide has not been studied during breastfeeding. Since only extensive application of the most potent corticosteroids may cause systemic effects in the mother, it is unlikely that short-term application of topical corticosteroids would pose a risk to the breastfed infant by passage into breastmilk. However, it would be prudent to use the least potent drug on the smallest area of skin possible. It is particularly important to ensure that the infant's skin does not come into direct contact with the areas of skin that have been treated. Only the lower potency corticosteroids should be used on the nipple or areola where the infant could directly ingest the drugs from the skin; fluocinonide should be avoided on the nipple. Only water-miscible cream or gel products should be applied to the breast because ointments may expose the infant to high levels of mineral paraffins via licking. Any topical corticosteroid should be wiped off thoroughly prior to nursing if it is being applied to the breast or nipple area.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised November 15, 2021. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about fluocinonide
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 6,031 reports naming fluocinonide, and the FDA flagged 44% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- psoriasis557 reports
- rash490 reports
- pruritus454 reports
- fatigue315 reports
- diarrhoea299 reports
- nausea299 reports
- headache276 reports
- arthralgia223 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean fluocinonide caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is fluocinonide?
Fluocinonide is a corticosteroid used to treat Facial Dermatoses, Foot Dermatoses, Hand Dermatoses, Inflammation.
What kind of drug is fluocinonide?
The FDA classifies fluocinonide as a corticosteroid. Corticosteroids mimic the body's natural stress hormone cortisol: they enter cells and bind a glucocorticoid receptor that switches off genes for inflammatory chemicals, calming swelling, redness, and an overactive immune response. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take fluocinonide with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run fluocinonide against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is fluocinonide sold under?
We track 5 fluocinonide-containing products in the U.S.: Fluocinonide, Fluocinonide Emulsified Base, Lidex, Lidex-E and Vanos. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does fluocinonide come in?
Across the brands we track, fluocinonide is currently marketed as topical and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic fluocinonide?
Yes. Our catalog lists 2 generic fluocinonide products alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has fluocinonide been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 3 recall records whose product description mentions fluocinonide. The most recent: Fluocinonide (Mar 25, 2026). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Fluocinonide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/fluocinonide
- MLA
- “Fluocinonide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/fluocinonide.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for fluocinonide on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.