Let's Talk About Clindamycin

Ladies, your hero is here! Clindamycin is an incredibly common antibiotic. It first came on the scene in 1966. You've got options when taking this medication. It's available as capsules, injections, and even a liquid! Convenient, right? Expect oral doses every 6 hours. Most adults will receive 150 to 300 milligrams per dose! Severe infections require doses of 300 to 450 milligrams. Getting an injection of this antibiotic? Expect a daily dose or 600 to 1,200 milligrams. This can come divided into 2 to 4 injections.

Thankfully, infections don't stand a chance against this antibiotic. Allergic to penicillin tablets? Ladies, clindamycin is a great alternative! Topical clindamycin for acne is amazing too. Guess what? Pills for acne are also available. This means your skin'll be clear before you know it! Talk to your doctor to see if this option is right for you.

How It Works

Clindamycin's partially synthetic. It's made from lincomycin, a natural antibiotic! The good news about it? It's considered more effective than the natural form. It even dissolves in water. You'll feel much better after taking it! So, how's it work? This antibiotic slows bacterial growth in your body. Ladies, high doses can even prevent this growth! I'll block a couple of things for you. This includes bacterial protein synthesis and ribosome translocation. It's going to bind to certain parts of large bacterial ribosomal subunits. But guess what? This binding can be reversed! It can overlap with the binding sites of other meds. An example of this is macrolide antibiotics.

What It's Used For

Ladies, looking to deal with cellulitis? What about another skin or soft tissue infection? Clindamycin has your back! Is bacterial vaginosis annoying you? Not with this antibiotic at your beck and call! It even makes for a good pairing with meds to treat pelvic inflammatory disease. Have you had a heart transplant or other heart surgery? Clindamycin before other operations lowers your risk of infection! This antibiotic has also been used to treat pneumonia if patients haven't seen results with other options. It's fantastic for malaria too! Ladies, do you have severe acne? Topical clindamycin can work wonders! It may also be used to help patients with gum disease.

Side Effects

Side effects are possible with clindamycin. Ladies, you've got to be prepared! The most common ones? Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea! Other fairly common side effects are rashes, pain in the abdomen, jaundice, and a metallic taste in the mouth. It's also possible for you to deal with joint pain or heartburn. Of course, it's nothing you can't handle, ladies!

Watch out for painful swallowing. If you spot white patches in your mouth or have vaginal itching, swelling, or burning? Call your doctor right away! Don't hesitate, ladies! Thankfully, severe skin reactions are very rare. The same goes for colon inflammation! Just be aware, ladies. You'll need emergency attention if you find it hard to breathe, have hives, stop peeing as much, or see your skin blistering.

Precautions

Ladies, have asthma, eczema, liver disease, or Crohn's disease? Tell your doctor before they give you this antibiotic! Allergic to yellow food dye or Aspirin? They've got to know this too! You might need another medicine for your treatment. Pregnant? Discuss the benefits and risks first! Are you breastfeeding? You'll have to tell your doctor this too. You might still take this antibiotic, but there are more instructions. Watch your baby closely! Ladies, tell your doctor if you see a diaper rash, diarrhea, or stomach upset.

Keep this antibiotic at room temperature. It shouldn't be in the fridge! It's very sensitive to heat and moisture, so this is key. This is so important for the injectable form in particular! Drink some water with the pills, ladies. This'll help you avoid side effects! Dosing spoons are helpful for the liquid form. Need the clindamycin injection? A nurse will give you the first one. They'll teach you to self-administer additional doses too! Heading in for surgery? Talk to your surgeon. This antibiotic can affect anesthesia. It might make it last longer! Take what's prescribed, all of it. This helps you avoid antibiotic-resistant infections!

Medication Interactions

Ladies, you've got to sit down with your doctor. Talk to them about the supplements and other meds you're taking! Yes, everything counts. Do this when you're going for refills at the pharmacy too. Why? Clindamycin can interact with many other meds. In fact, there are about 66 recognized interactions!

Are you taking birth control? This antibiotic could reduce its effectiveness. You'll need to adjust your dose of other meds like rifampin. Taking other antibiotics like erythromycin? You can't take this one too! Receiving BCG for bladder cancer? This antibiotic makes it less effective. It can interact with antivirals and antidepressants too.