Clindamycin is an antibiotic that protects against a large group of bacteria. It does not kill the bacteria directly, but it prevents the bacteria from multiplying even more when you are sick. This antibiotic is especially popular for bacteria that do not need oxygen as food. It also works well for infections of the bones. This is because clindamycin passes easily into fat, and bone marrow is largely made up of fat. Another use of clindamycin is on the skin for acne vulgaris, especially in teenagers.
Forms of clindamycin
This antibiotic has the advantage that it can be taken orally without complications, rather than only through the blood. It passes almost 100 percent from the stomach into the blood. Usually, the dosage consists of four intakes a day. Clindamycin can be administered as a juice, as granules for dissolving, as a tablet or as a capsule. In addition, it is available as a topical substance for application to the skin in the form of a gel or solution. This is particularly helpful for acne.
Dosage of the active substance
Clindamycin is largely broken down by the liver and excreted primarily by the kidneys. Patients with severe liver or kidney dysfunction should therefore adjust the dosage depending on the individual case and take a lower dose of the drug. The individual dose must be discussed in each case with the attending physician and pharmacist.
Tips for taking
Clindamycin capsules should always be taken with enough liquid to avoid inflammation of the esophagus. Clindamycin gel for application to the skin should not be used until the patient is 12 years of age or older. It is generally recommended not to be applied to irritated or dry skin, purulent blemishes, on a rash or skin cancer.
What are the effects of clindamycin?
Clindamycin can generally help with infections of:
- Skin and soft tissues (acne)
- Bones and joints (osteomyelitis: inflammation of the bone marrow).
- Tooth and jaw
- Ear, nose and throat area
- Female genital organs
- Airways
In addition, clindamycin is an important reserve antibiotic for people who have an allergy to penicillin (the most common antibiotic) and other related antibiotics. It can then help against streptococci, for example, the causative agent of purulent tonsillitis.
Side effects of clindamycin
Clindamycin is one of the antibiotics that can have a strong effect on the natural colonization of the intestines, called intestinal flora. Therefore, side effects are common when taking clindamycin. These include gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In some cases, the antibiotic can also trigger an allergy with a rash or even an allergic shock. Patients with a history of allergies must therefore be particularly careful. In addition, the contraceptive effect of oral contraceptives may be limited by clindamycin.
Pseudomembranous colitis as a side effect.
In the worst case, pseudomembranous colitis may occur as a side effect of taking clindamycin. Pseudomembranous colitis is a sometimes life-threatening inflammation of the intestines caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile. This can colonize the intestine if the natural intestinal flora is damaged. This in turn can manifest itself in the form of fever, severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Contraindications to clindamycin
Absolute contraindications to the use of clindamycin are hypersensitivity to the active substance. Because of the aforementioned side effects, inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis are also relative contraindications. In addition, clindamycin may potentiate the effects of muscle relaxants during surgery, so caution is advised during surgery and generally in patients with Parkinson’s disease or myasthenia gravis (and other disorders of neuromuscular transmission).
Use during pregnancy?
Because few study results are available on the use of clindamycin in pregnancy, antibiotic therapy with clindamycin is not recommended during pregnancy. Likewise during lactation, because clindamycin passes into breast milk. In individual cases, a risk-benefit assessment should be carried out together with the treating physician.
