What is the difference between topical and vaginal metronidazole?

Answer 1

Short answer:  Metronidazole comes as a cream, lotion, or gel to be applied to your skin and as a gel to be used in the vagina.

It has the same active ingredient.

Metronidazole is typically used to treat acne rosacea (adult acne). This is a chronic condition in which the patient develops sores. Metronidazole will help reduce the redness. metronidazole is also used to treat some vaginal infections.

Do not have sexual intercourse during the period that you use the vaginal gel.

For further information please see

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682244.html

Answer 2

Most topical metronidazole brands, such as Metrogel, are primarily used to treat inflammatory rosasea, a skin condition associated with facial redness.

Vaginal metronidazole brands, such as Metrogel Vaginal, is used to treat bacterial vaginal infections a.k.a. bacterial vaginosis.