Clindamycin

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Harshi Dhingra, M.D.

Last Reviewed: Aug 10, 2022

Warnings

Clindamycin (Cleocin) Risks, Warnings, and Complications

Clindamycin can cause serious medical problems in certain people. You may want to opt out of taking this medicine if you are at a high risk of complications. Some of the risks of clindamycin use include:

SEVERE DIARRHEA: Clindamycin and other antibiotics can cause conditions like pseudomembranous colitis and clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (C. diff diarrhea or CDAD). This occurs because antimicrobial therapy causes changes in the normal gut flora and can lead to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria. C. difficile produces toxins that can cause severe diarrhea. Antibiotic-associated colitis can occur during ongoing antibiotic treatment with clindamycin or even months after stopping it. If this occurs, you might have to stop clindamycin and get medical care. The risk of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea is higher in older adults, in people with a history of gut problems, and with prolonged therapy. Tell your health care professional right away if you experience severe loose and watery stools, severe stomach pain, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite while on clindamycin or even months after taking it.
SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTIONS: A small number of people can develop a severe drug reaction to clindamycin. This can manifest as a skin and allergic reaction which can be life-threatening and requires emergency medical care. Stop taking clindamycin and seek immediate medical attention if you develop a painful skin rash, skin redness, peeling skin, blisters, fever, or body aches. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about any history of drug allergies before starting clindamycin. The risk of allergic reactions is higher in people with allergies to certain foods and medicines as well as people who have health conditions like asthma or eczema.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other treatment options for bacterial infections if you are at high risk of complications from clindamycin use.

Precautions Before Starting Clindamycin (Cleocin)

Tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to clindamycin, lincomycin (Lincocin), any of the active or inactive ingredients in clindamycin capsules or liquid, aspirin, tartrazine (yellow dye), or any other medications. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.

Give your doctor a complete medical history. Clindamycin may not be right for people with certain health conditions, such as severe liver disease, renal disease, asthma, allergies, or eczema.

Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. This can help avoid possible drug interactions between clindamycin and your other medications.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, are planning a pregnancy, or are feeding breast milk to an infant.

Precautions During Use of Clindamycin (Cleocin)

Keep all your healthcare appointments during treatment with clindamycin. Your doctor may want to perform periodic liver enzyme determinations (liver function tests) and other routine blood tests while you are on this antibiotic to keep an eye on liver and renal function.

Tell your doctor if your infection site symptoms do not improve or get worse after starting clindamycin.

Finish the prescribed course of clindamycin even if you start to feel better. Do not stop taking the medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Skipping doses or not finishing out antibiotics can lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria and bacterial infections that are harder to treat.

Tell all your doctors you are on clindamycin before any surgery, including dental procedures.

Clindamycin (Cleocin) Drug Interactions

Certain other medicines can affect the drug concentration of clindamycin and how well it works. Possible interactions between clindamycin and other medicines can increase the risk of severe adverse effects. Your doctor may change the dose of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects if there are known interactions between clindamycin and your other medicines.

The following medications can have possible interactions with clindamycin:

Other antibiotics like erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S, Erythrocin, and others), clarithromycin (Biaxin, in PrevPac), and rifampin (Rifadin, in Rifater, in Rifamate, Rimactane)
HIV medications like indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), and ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra)
Antifungal medications like ketoconazole (Nizoral) and itraconazole (Sporanox)
Antidepressants like nefazodone

The above list may not include all the possible interactions of clindamycin. Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your healthcare provider if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

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