Clindamycin - Diarrhea

[Bertha]

My positive experience on clindamycin
Started taking 300m clindamycin 3 times daily about 4 days ago. I started taking acidophillus at that time as well. So far no problems. No diarrhea. No throat pain. Nothing. The swelling and pain in my face from where an infection from a bad tooth root broke through is going down. Its getting better every day. It is a huge relief. I had been on kephlex for 5 days prior and it was not helping at all, so I was happy to start on the more 'hefty' clindamycin and was prepared for the consequences, and yet, none so far. I have a history of severe heartburn and digestive problems, so I understand the throat pain and heartburn, but am not experiencing any at all now. In the past, I'm sure I would have, but I have for the past year been on a simple raw diet and I typically don't eat a large volume of food on a daily basis any more. Just regular meals of raw veggies, fruits and nuts. I'm not a doctor, but I suspect I would be experiencing more severe problems with this drug if I were on my old diet of large portions of starchy, greasy, processed foods. Plus, the acidophillus I'm sure is playing a big role. Just a thought... Good Luck!
PS. I wish more people with severe symptoms would mention whether they are taking acidophillus as well. People just aren't saying, and I suspect it would have made a difference for them. I am also disappointed that doctors and pharmacists don't emphacize it more when counseling the patient. My pharmacist mentioned yogurt and pro-biotic supplements quietly, as an aside. He should have been insisting on it as part of the treatment. Luckily, I've always taken pro-biotics with anti-biotics, if only to stave off yeast infections. In this case, it staved off so much more. People, please, take your pro-biotics!!!!!

[Ann]

I was on Clindamycin last summer, 2008, 40 capsules every six hours until they were gone. I had my wisdom teeth extracted in May, and one of my gums were swelling up, and when I went to the oral surgeon he merely looked at it and prescribed me this horrific medicine. About a week later I started suffering from terrible stomach pains, bloating, and severe diarrhea. I went every half hour for almost a week, and when I called my oral surgeon to ask for advice he told me to "wait it out", I would like to see him wait it out! I have never been through such a horrible experience in my life, and I would never ever take that medicine again. I started the brat diet, and took Culturelle, a pro-biotic, along with Kefir (a yogurt-like drink, with all the good bacteria). I also had to go to a gastro-intestinologist who told me that I shouldn't take ANY antibiotics for at least six months. She said that I should watch my diet, and now have too much roughage. It has been 8 months, and I am still not the way I used to be. I am weaning myself off the Culturelle, and continue drinking Kefir everyday. I can not handle any dairy products, such as milk, and cheese. Before, I had milk every morning. I still have issues with intestinal problems, and I become bloated from foods that never bothered me before. I can not stress this enough: NEVER TAKE THIS MEDICINE!

[Need help- NY]

Hello,
I also was on Clindamycin dosage for a week, and the tooth pain subsided and things looked ok. But immediately after the medication got over, i suffered severe diarrhoea. It was pathetic. Its been a week now since. I started having yogurt with active cultures (didn't know about it earlier), having apple juice, cooked carrot juice(donno whether it is good). I spoke to my dentist about the diarrhoea, he said only 1% people who take clindamycin get this side effect. The pharmacist whom i asked told me to wait for a couple of days to see if the condition betters.
I wanted to know for those of u who had a similar problem, how long does the diarrhoea thing happen? What care should u take? Are there any supplements? Its already been a week for me now.

[amd]

I would highly recommend a probiotic, such as Culturelle, and Kefir, which is a yogurt-like substance, but contains large amounts of that good bacteria. I still have trouble to this day drinking milk, having cheese, certain fatty foods, etc. Also, I went on the brat diet, which consisted of toast, crackers, bananas, applesauce, drinking water, sipping Pedialyte (as recommended by a doctor I called), rice; basically a very bland diet until the diarrhea subsided. This medicine should be taken off the market! I hope you start to feel better soon!

[Kps]

My wife took Clindamycin for her tooth related problems. She suffered severe diahrrea for over a month. In one month she lost nearly 10 pounds. We went to Emergency room due to dehydration concerns. We tried eating bland diet for 3 weeks (pro biotic, yogurt, bread etc), but nothing worked. She then had colonoscopy performed on her and the physician noticed that her colon was irritated & swollen. He stated that almost all of the people who take clindamycin end up killing good bacteria in their intestines & colon which causes the bad bacteria such as (C-Dev) to take hold in their intestines. She even had blood in her stools after 2 weeks of regular diahrrea.
He prescribed several medicines to kill the C-Dev bacteria and a strong prescription based Probiotic capsules to help the good bacteria to colonize back again. She is doing much better now but we have to remain on bland diet for another 2-3 weeks and then slowly add spices back into her regular diet.
I hope this helps everyone because my wife & I also suffered through this nightmare. Talk to your doctor about possibility of C-Dev. Her 2 stool tests (one taken at Reston Hospital in Virginia & other one at the Family doctor also in Virginia) previously showed negative for C-Dev. Even though we suspect that she did have that because now she's doing much better after taking medication for that bacteria. Good Luck and hang in there!!

[Need help-]

Thanks for the help!! Appreciate it.

It has been exactly 1 month since i took first dosage of clindamycin, and 4 weeks since i got diarrhoea bcoz of it.
The first week was pathetic. I started yogurt, BRAT(banana rice apples toast meal), drinking lots of liguids. Ppl take care of ursewlves and dont dehydrate urself.

FInally after 2 weeks i visited my phisician. He suggested me some pro-biotics. And also stool test for e colitis. Thank God it was negative. He examined me. Its been 4 weeks now. I am on veg diet. I have started to eat food stuff ONLY as advised by my doc. My doc told me that usually bcoz of diarrhoea, one can get nutrient deficient.
Now i m slowly improving. But nothing like what i was like before. My doc said it will take some time. I cant gym for sometime now. Become tired pretty soon(bcoz of lack of nutrition for past few weeks..:( But now slightly improving. I cant eat any outside stuff. No chicken/ meat/ fish..

So to all those who have suffered such pathetic side-effects of clindamycin, pls visit ur phisician ASAP, so that u can recover soon. And have yogurt (i had dannon, activia), apple juice, BRAT.

My dentist told me that I was the first patient who got this side effect bcoz of clindamycin. He never saw this side effect in the 30 yr career ofhis.Can u believe that!!

My dentist didn't tell me about the sie effects, neither did the Duane reade pharmacist(jersey city, nj)suggested that i take probiotics/ yogurt along with the medicine.

I hope that i dont have to take this pathetic medicine ever again. I am going to take double care of the dental hygiene(although i was pretty good at it earlier, and i have also started same dental routine for my husband, so that he doesn't get any dental problems in future. I dont want to take clindamycin EVER in my life again, lookig at what all one has to go thru.

So ppl, take care guyz. And hope u get out of clindamycin side-effects soon(better u dont get any in the first place :)

- Joy

Need help- NY wrote:

Hello,
I also was on Clindamycin dosage for a week, and the tooth pain subsided and things looked ok. But immediately after the medication got over, i suffered severe diarrhoea. It was pathetic. Its been a week now since. I started having yogurt with active cultures (didn't know about it earlier), having apple juice, cooked carrot juice(donno whether it is good). I spoke to my dentist about the diarrhoea, he said only 1% people who take clindamycin get this side effect. The pharmacist whom i asked told me to wait for a couple of days to see if the condition betters.
I wanted to know for those of u who had a similar problem, how long does the diarrhoea thing happen? What care should u take? Are there any supplements? Its already been a week for me now.

[Need help-]

In addition to last post-

luckily i didnt have blood in stools.
Also when the physician examined, touching parts of my stomach/ torso, it didnt hurt. So he rejected the possibility of e-colitis or c-diff i guess. But still i had to undergo stool-test to be sure.
So ppl do visit ur physician. Dont take stuff lightly.
I agree to what others have said, clindamycin side effects are a nightmare!!! huge one!!!!!
But u can fight it. And u will. Be strong willed and take care of urself properly. Do as directed by doc.

take care guys.

[Jennifer]

Christopher Chicago wrote:

Here's an update...I'm back on Flagyl AND Cipro for some infection in my stomach. Seems like I may have colitis and need to have a colonostopy. All of this because my dentist gave me Clindamycin. More research on my part shows other antiboitics could have been prescribed that didn't have these side effects. Also, Clindamycin is a "black boxed" antibiotic that needs to be labeled with a warning. Mine was not. Also the prescribing doctors needs to inform the patient how to take this....Not before bed. Something about it might burn o hole in the stomach if you're laying down.
I forgot to mention when i reported all this to my dentist he said take some Tums!!!!

I have also been prescribed clindamycin, I had 6 of my center top front teeth that were already abcessed pulled and 9 days later had to go back to the dentist over the pain, he said that cists were developing where the infection was left in my gums and if the clindamycin didn't work he would have to cut my gums back open and scrape the bones. That just doesn't sound like a reason to be prescribed clindamycin to me.

[Jennifer]

The only thing I was warned about was possible diarrhea, and to call him if I got diarrhea. Oh and possible sores in my mouth. But nothing about the laying down, or the sick, or the bad headaches, and all the other stuff that come with this drug from hell!

[Franci]

Prescribe Clindamycin for a tooth abscess a day before surgery for a screw to be removed from my leg. This is my third day on it and I my stomach is aching, nauseated and diarrhea. I am going to read more posts to see if i should continue to take it or wait until Monday to talk to my doctors.

[amd]

Franci,

I would recommend that you stop taking it...based on my own horrible experience. I wouldn't wish what happened to me on anyone! I hope you are ok!

[CFF]

I am kicking myself for not reading these posts before I got on this horrible antibiotic :( I was prescribed clindamycin for 10 days due to a throat infection. The doctor said it was a strong medicine, but he definitely did not say it was THIS strong. I'm a very petite girl as it is (i only weighed 80 pounds and I am 21) and now i have dropped to about 73 pounds. I am visiting the doctor tomorrow. The doctor who put me on this called in Flagyl for me but i told my mom i wasn't going to take it. I'm so terrified of any kind of medicines now. I'm trying not to be bitter but it's so hard not to hate my doctor for giving this to me, esp. with my weight.
I was on it for 10 days--no bad symptoms at all. My stool was completely fine, no abdominal cramping. THEN...the last couple of days of taking it, I started having sharp abdominal pains but i thought it was normal because i was menstrating....ohhh noo.. My troubles were just beginning. I was literally lying on the bathroom floor at my college crying telling my friends I couldn't take our last final. Luckily, God pulled me through the final... just long enough to get through it. then i was on the toilet again. It's been two weeks now, and I've had diarrhea ever since. I am taking a lot of probiotics (acidophilus and Garden of Life stuff) and i am starting a protein shake today. I strongly urge any one who gets prescribed this drug to STAY AWAY from it!!!!!!!! it's horrible.

[Alexander]

I just came off of Clindamycin HCL 300 MG 4 tims a day. I had a perintonsilar Abcess in my throat with a severe infection. The clindamycin cleared it up within 4-5 days of taking the medication 4 times a day. Its a very potent medicine and with that said it has its downsides too. Iv been off the medication for about 6 days now, and i just started getting Diarrhea, not severe. But with that mixed in with the gas, made my life at work hell. I am going to try The Activa Yogurt that supermarkets sell that have the bacteria in them. Although i think someone said that all yogurt have this. But just to be sure i will go with Activia and hope it will clear up within the next few days. If it doesnt i will RePost with a Update and a DR's Diagnosis.
Thanks

Alex

[Mayra]

I have been having these nasty symptoms for 20 days now! Its horrible! I have not really had diarreah per se, but I do get the brownish-red/bloody mucousy stools. It started 5 days after my course of antibiotics (clyndamicin. Went to the ER and as soon as I told them I had taken this medicine they knew what was wrong. I have lower left belly pain and cramping. I dont have the runs, but my stools are mucousy and nasty (tmi, sorry)...I wish it would go away already :((

[Smith]

I was given clyndamicin 3 weeks prior to having a root canal. I quit taking it 10 days after beginning because of the diarrhea. now it's been a week since I had the root canal and I still have the runs... when will this stop?

sidenote... i had an outstanding bill with the dentist last year that went into collections. I paid it off and was told there was no hard feelings; things happen. then she prescribed the clydamycin for the bad tooth. i wonder if she did it on purpose? seriously this sucks. i think i might have a case...

[heritage81]

Hey how are your stools now? Can you help me out!? I've been having diarrhea for 2 weeks. I was on clindamycin for 1 week, thinking that diarrhea would be normal. now i'm off from it, its been a week and 2 days still with diarrhea. I've done some research to take acidophilus and yogurt.Are you still having loose stools!? I am! i'm under 25 years old... heres my story

I was taking clindamycin 300mg cap every 8 hrs for 7 days for recurring staph boils I had. I finished my course and had diarrhea all week on the med. I thought the diarrhea was normal because it was an antibiotic, but now I still have diarrhea after a week. I feel like it won't go away. The diarrhea is not bloody or mucous like, and I feel no abdominal pain. I'm taking acidophilus and eating plain yogurt. Any suggestions?

Need help- wrote:

In addition to last post-
luckily i didnt have blood in stools.
Also when the physician examined, touching parts of my stomach/ torso, it didnt hurt. So he rejected the possibility of e-colitis or c-diff i guess. But still i had to undergo stool-test to be sure.
So ppl do visit ur physician. Dont take stuff lightly.
I agree to what others have said, clindamycin side effects are a nightmare!!! huge one!!!!!
But u can fight it. And u will. Be strong willed and take care of urself properly. Do as directed by doc.
take care guys.

[Theresa]

I was prescribed clindamycin today and after reading what others say about this antibiotic, well it sure scared the crap out of me. I won't take this. Thanks all! Hope all of you get better!

[Ann]

Use Florgen, an over-the-counter refrigerated yeast/good bacteria pill you can get from the pharmacy, and you probably won't have digestive problems. Just take one a day. They work great! Clindamycin can be very valuable, with the Florgen.

[Mike]

This is the worst medicine I have ever taken. I took 1 pill aday for 3 day's. The gas,diarhea was water with blood mixed in. I will die before I ever take this again!!!! I have been off this medicine for 5 days and the diarhea is still bad!!!

[JAR]

WOW!!! I had a wisdom tooth pulled Tuesday and was given this to take. And every since Ive been bloated and stay quizy. Im not going to take anymore!! So now that I stop it i hope I dont get diarhea. I hope all of you get well I knew I shouldnt have listened to everyone that was saying it was normal.