Cleocin

Cleocin is a prescription medication used to treat bacterial infections of the lungs, skin, blood, bones, joints, female reproductive system, and internal organs.

Cleocin belongs to a group of drugs called lincomycin antibiotics. These work by stopping the growth of bacteria.

This medication is available as a vaginal cream, vaginal suppository, oral capsule, and oral liquid.

This medication is also available in injectable forms to be given directly into a vein (IV) or a muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects of Cleocin include nausea, vomiting, joint pain, heartburn, pain when swallowing, and white patches in the mouth.

Oral:

Clindamycin is a prescription medication used to treat bacterial infections of the lungs, skin, blood, bones, joints, female reproductive system, and internal organs.

Topical:

Clindamycin is a prescription medication used to treat acne and vaginal infections.

Injectable:

Clindamycin is a prescription medication used to bacterial infections of the lungs, skin, blood, bones, joints, female reproductive system, and internal organs. 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Compumed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

• General Injectables & Vaccines, Inc.

• Pharmacia and Upjohn Company

• Pharmacia, Inc.

Serious side effects have been reported with clindamycin. See the “Clindamycin Precautions” section.

Oral:

Common side effects of oral clindamycin include the following:

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Hives

Topical:

Common side effects of topical clindamycin include the following:

• Burning, itching, dryness, or redness at site of application

Injectable:

Common side effects of oral clindamycin include the following:

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Hives

This is not a complete list of clindamycin side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Especially tell your doctor if you take erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin). Clindamycin can make erythromycin less effective and usually these medications should not be combined, especially when treating serious infections.

This is not a complete list of clindamycin drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Oral:

Serious side effects have been reported with oral clindamycin including the following:

• Abdominal pain
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Pain or difficulty when swallowing
• White patches in the mouth
• Blisters
• Rash
• Hives
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Decreased urination

Topical:

Serious side effects have been reported with topical clindamycin including the following:

• Dry, itching, burning, or peeling skin
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain or gastrointestinal upset
• Thick, white discharge or burning, itching, or swelling of the vagina with use of vaginal clindamycin products

Injectable:

Serious side effects have been reported with injectable clindamycin including the following:

• Abdominal pain
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Pain or difficulty when swallowing
• White patches in the mouth
• Blisters
• Rash
• Hives
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Decreased urination

Do not take clindamycin if you:

• are allergic to clindamycin or to any of its ingredients
• are allergic to lincomycin (Lincocin)

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of clindamycin, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking clindamycin, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to clindamycin or to any of its ingredients
• are allergic to lincomycin (Lincocin)
• have or have had asthma
• have or have had eczema
• have liver problems
• have kidney problems
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Clindamycin falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with clindamycin. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Clindamycin has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from clindamycin, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Take clindamycin exactly as prescribed.

Oral:

This medication is available as an oral capsule, an oral liquid, and granules for oral solution.

Take oral forms of clindamycin with a full glass of water so that the medicine will not irritate your throat.

Topical:

This medication is available as a topical cream, topical gel, topical solution, topical foam, topical swab (pledget), vaginal cream, and vaginal suppository. The topical products are used for treating acne and are applied 1 to 2 times a day. The vaginal products are usually used once a day.

Injectable:

This medication is also available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) or a muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of clindamycin at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your height
• your age

Oral:

The recommended dose of oral clindamycin for the treatment of bacterial infections is 150 to 450 mg every 6 hours.

Topical:

The recommended dose of topical clindamycin for the treatment of acne is application to the affected skin 1 to 2 times daily. The recommended dose of clindamycin vaginal preparations is application once daily at bedtime.

Injectable:

The recommended dose of clindamycin injection for the treatment of bacterial infections is 600 to 2700 mg per day in 2, 3, or 4 doses.

If you take too much clindamycin, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If clindamycin is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store clindamycin at room temperature
• Do not expose clindamycin to excess heat or moisture
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children 

Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents, including clindamycin may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora of the colon leading to overgrowth of C. difficile.

Because clindamycin therapy has been associated with severe colitis which may end fatally, it should be reserved for serious infections where less toxic antimicrobial agents are inappropriate. It should not be used in patients with nonbacterial infections such as most upper respiratory tract infections. C. difficile produces toxins A and B which contribute to the development of CDAD. Hypertoxin producing strains of C. difficile cause increased morbidity and mortality, as these infections can be refractory to antimicrobial therapy and may require colectomy. CDAD must be considered in all patients who present with diarrhea following antibiotic use. Careful medical history is necessary since CDAD has been reported to occur over two months after the administration of antibacterial agents.

If CDAD is suspected or confirmed, ongoing antibiotic use not directed against C. difficilemay need to be discontinued. Appropriate fluid and electrolyte management, protein supplementation, antibiotic treatment of C. difficile, and surgical evaluation should be instituted as clinically indicated.