Clindamycin: Did you conquer the side effects?

[dyah]

i'm having a chest pain right now. i've taken 33 pills (300mg/6hours). i have never experienced any side effects up until now. but this drug sure helps me. i think i'll just stop taking it for now. hopefully my chest pain will get better. btw, i took it without prescription.

[Sandy]

My college-aged son was prescribed Clindamycin for a diabetic foot infection by his podiatrist. He got a severe allergic reaction (whole body rash) and since that time he quickly lost 15 lbs due to major decreased appetite and diarrhea. Now they are thinking that his reaction may have factored or triggered either diabetic gastroparesis or Addison's disease. I do not think I will ever be able to reconcil my guilt over allowing the podiatrist to prescribe such a toxic medication to my son... THIS DRUG IS POISON AND SHOULD BE BANNED BY THE FDA!!!!

[eddybubba]

STill suffering nasty side effects two months after stopping dosage - time to see a specialist. Wondering if the anxiety I feel is related...

[mahina]

I understand where you are all coming from, the high anxiety, the massive trips to the bathroom on top of that did you know clindamycin can cause a condition called clostridium difficile aka...real bad everything, I should have said no to this terrible drug, but I had taken once before and nothing had happened, I'm going to try that probiotic most were suggesting, take care all ill follow up and tell you how everything is, but google clostridium difficile and get ready to kringe!

[fallon]

ive had a tooth extracted about a month ago, and i was given clindamcin.it seem towards the end of me using the antibotic(last 10 to 12 pills) i started have diaharrea...but not not as often as every else stated twice maybe 3 times...now i been done with the meds for 3 weeks now...and every time a have a bowel movment its coming out the form of diaharrea...sometime admoinal pain..now that i have read u guys comments i wish my dentist would have never prescribed me with this medication...i hope things get better for me and everyone one here who is having side effects to this horrible shit(excuse my language) its just how im feeling right now!!!!!

[eddybubba]

Fallon -

Probiotics - live culture in yogurt (Activia, Danactive, etc.)- I also took "Primal Defense: Ultra Probiotic Formula" from a local health food store.

Diet's important - BRAT - bananas, rice, etc.

I'm finally feeling better (it's been a full eight weeks), and am now carefully testing my ability to eat whole grains...

Hope this helps -

[susi]

All very enlightening. I took clindamycin January 2009 for 7 days before and a tooth extraction. At that time I also took acidophilus after every antibiotic tablet and believed that everything was OK. Since August I have had diarrhea for three months. I never had any digestive problems before and am 70 years old. I have used natural medicine for two weeks, then flagyl for 9 days for suspected giardia, then probiotics and more acidophilus. I also stopped eating dairy, sugar, alcohol and all caffeine for a month and reduced my wheat in take. Somewhere in there I also took imodium for a week. Although things improved occasionally it has not gone away and as soon as I consumed milk and sugar on last weekend it all started again. Guess I will need an even more strict diet. This is plain awful. Has anyone else experienced a delayed reaction like this?

[Paul]

Was prescribed CLINDAMYCIN for a tooth infection after a less powerful antibiotic failed to clear the infection. Got diarrhea a couple of day into taking but continued taking the pills to ensure the infection got cleared. The tooth infection seems to have gone away but 8 days after i took the last tablet i still have diarrhea. Am eating bananas and Stoneyfield yogurt but to no avail. Will begin probiotics tomorrow. Very annoying. Will post an update if I find a way to improve my condition. Am 39 yrs old and normally v healthy.

[Steve]

I was shocked to find so many people having the same symptoms as I am. This is day 5 of my 300mg/3x day for a post-root canal abscess that was really nasty.

Last night, the feeling of "doom" as many of reported, was what woke me up at 430am. Had the worst heartburn of my life and the center of my back has been hurting ever since.

Took every antacid I had in the house and that fire would not go out. Finally had some bread rolls to see if that would help calm it down, and fortunately, I was able to finally get back to sleep.

This morning, my esophagus feels raw and anything that goes down causes this piercing pain in between the shoulder-blades. That and the anxiety is horrific. I had wished I had known about all the pro-biotic countermeasures, as I hadn't been taking anything...

I agree with everyone here. This medication should be deemed toxic and requires extreme warnings...

[Writer Cop]

Having started this thread, I figured I'd give my own update: My stomach is doing much better (knock on wood). I have even been able to resume eating some things I'd had to cut out of my diet (chocolate's still very iffy with me). It's been a long haul, what with having endured that colon cleansing drink three times in as many months (which probably didn't help my digestive track, either) so as to facilitate a number of medicinal procedures. Looking back, the things that have helped me the most: 1) Xanax and Fluoxitine - the stress I was going through wasn't helping, and I've no shame in acknowledging that I needed some psychological intervention (that was probably long overdue in the first place); 2) Exercise. Jogging/running - even walking - has helped. Getting off my ass and outside. 3) Becoming more social - the temptation to isolate one's self through such times can run high, and I was becoming agoraphobic. If you find yourself in the same "worry spot", get the hell out of it. 4) Probiotics. Has slowly helped correct my digestive problems. 5) Aciphex. Prescribed for me by my gastroenterologist. Factored considerably in getting rid of the heartburn and other stomach problems I was experiencing.

Obviously, your results may vary. But I do hope that those of you who continue to suffer the effects of Clindamycin will be heartened by those who have gotten better. Mind you, this has taken over ten months for me to get to this point. Good luck. And, yes, I agree that there should be GREATER emphasis for the need for probiotics before this medication being prescribed.

[eddybubba]

I agree with Writer Cop - my dentist merely suggested yogurt, after I'd suffered nasty conditions for several weeks -

I'm finally feeling much beter, but still have to be careful of my diet. I doubt I'd be where I am today (four months later) if it wasn't for gargantuan doses of probiotics...