Sobelin® is the trade name of the active ingredient clindamycin, which belongs to the antibiotic group of lincosamine. Lincomycin, known under the name Albiotic®, can also be added.
Effect
Lincosamines are characterized by their good tissue mobility. While other antibiotics do not reach certain regions of the body, e.g. teeth and bones, Sobelin® penetrates them very well. It inhibits protein biosynthesis and has a bacteriostatic effect, i.e. it inhibits the growth of bacteria.
In addition to teeth and bones, it also penetrates the placenta and breast milk, which makes it rather difficult to use in pregnant women. Lincosamine has the ability to accumulate in macrophages (scavenger cells) and granulocytes (white blood cells). This means that these drugs can act in the exact area of the body where inflammatory processes occur (e.g. abscess). The drug is metabolised by the liver and excreted via the kidneys and bile.
Fields of application
Lincosamines are used above all for anaerobically growing bacteria (Bacteroides and Fusobacteria) and for gram-positive bacteria (Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococci, Bacillus anthracis, Corynebacterium diphteriae, Actinomyces and Toxoplasma gondii). The areas of application are severe gastrointestinal and gynecological infections and abscesses. Clindamycin/Sobelin® is also often given for bone and dental infections and as a prophylaxis after dental surgery. Sobelin® is also occasionally used for staphylococcal infections where no other antibiotics are effective (resistance to therapy), for actinomycosis and toxoplasmosis, especially in HIV-infected patients.
Side effects
Especially frequent are complaints of the gastrointestinal tract, including diarrhea and nausea, but also pseudomembranous colitis when taking lincosamine. Allergic reactions can rarely be observed. All lincosamines have a toxic effect on the liver, which is why they should be used with special care in patients with liver disease.
The administration of lincosamine to the muscle (intramuscularly) can be particularly painful. When administered via the vein (intravenously), an inflammation of the vessel can occur (phlebitis). Furthermore, a so-called neuromuscular blockage with resulting neurological side effects such as weakness and numbness, but also movement disorders, is possible.
