Clindamycin side-effect

[Bernie]

I took this for a week after endodontic surgery and had no serious discomfort other than a feeling of fullness and soft stools.

Another week was added and I have a persistant bitter taste. Could this be from the Clindamycin?

[J_Heath]

I'm so glad i found this board. I was on Clindamycin 2x day for 10 days to treat an ear infection.
I started itching on my leg a few doses in. A month later..rashy, hive looking things developed on my upper leg...and now they have turned into this psoriasis-looking shit. Itchy raised black patches of skin. I've just started treating the area with coal tar and it appears ot be working but I'm afraid i may have permanent scarring. I called the ear doctor who prescribed the medicine and he freakin' acted like I was making the whole thing up. He said that rashes aren't common with the medication. Bullshit. I should sue his ass. I'm heading to the dermatologist. Again, i'm glad i found this board. Oh i guess on the good note though , my ear infection has cleared up.

[Diane]

I also took Clindamycin for an abscessed tooth, and couldn't figure out what the problem was either, until I saw this! I was so glad to see I wasn't the only one - I too had terrible, terrible heart burn, and a very hard time doing any swallowing. It was horrible! I am fine again now, a week later, after stopping taking it. So does this mean I am allergic to it? Or is it just one of the side effects (that aren't listed!)? Why don't more people know about these effects? And you know - my dentist said if I had heartburn that that was some other problem and I should take that up with my regular physician - hmmmm!

[Bill McC]

I was prescribed Clindamycin 300mg / 4 times daily. I took 3 doses on my first day. When I woke up the next morning my face felt really funny. Look in the mirror and my face and ears are VERY swollen and my entire body looks like I have layed out in the florida sun for 2 days. Also very itchy and raw feeling. No intestinal problems. just skin. I only took the 3 pills and 2 days later I am still red itchy and swollen from head to toe. How long does it last? I have been switched to Augmentin XR which I have taken before with no problems. Benadryl does not help. I am seriously allergic to Sulfa drugs and I thinking clindamycin is a close cousin.

I agree with all of you. Clindamycin is the DEVIL!

[Mary]

I was prescribed Clindamycin for a stubborn staph infection. My main side effect was fatigue. I also took probiotics and ate yogurt per my MD's advice.

About a week or so after completing the medication, I started experiencing soft stools (2-5 per day), smelly gas, abdominal pain, rectal pressure and urgency. After a week of this fun, I saw my doctor. Testing came back positive for C.Diff and the MD feels I have Pseudomembranous colitis - though not severe. Now I'm on Flagyl.

This is a known complication of not only Clindamycin but also several other antibiotics. It sucks but what can you do - better than the numerous staph abcesses I was getting...

[paula]

i posted earler asking all the same questions. just to give you a bit of an idea the rash on me continued for about 6 weeks. than cleared up just overnight. my stomache and bowel problems lasted about 5 weeks. i hope this helps

[Nikki]

I have a "leaky tooth" that has caused an infection. I was put on clindamyacin (300 mg. 4 times a day) and given 5 mg of hydrocodone for the pain. Touch wood, I no longer need the hydrocodone and the clindamyacin seems to be working as the pain is almost gone. I have however gotten a lot of sleep as I know that sleep is important in the healing process but other than that, I haven't had any problems with Clindamyacin at all.

[jane]

Ted wrote:

I am 19 yrs. old and started a 150g/6hrs. Clindamycin prescription after I had a root canal. I started about a week ago and now nearing the end of this horrid antibiotic. Through this time I have had mild diarrhea but it was pretty much exclusive. Since I started eating Activia yogurt after it was recommended by my doctor and since then the diarrhea has been even milder.
However, recently I began to experience mild chest pains. These could be the result of gas build up(I do have heart burn right now), but, being young, I am completely new to this potent of a antibiotic. The chest pains have put some fright in me and makes me want to stop the medication... but I am only two more days away from ending the prescription.
Should I just stop now with the pain... or would it be safe to go the extra mile and finish it.
All the warnings and stories have put me into some fright.
Thank you!

i have the same pains.. and i need to do somemthing because i can not eat anymore without feeling miserable

[Sam]

After two days of CLINDAMYACIN I ended up calling Poison Control. The rash is so bad I can't even sleep at night. What a disgusting chemical to push off on people. I told the knot-head doctor that I can still take penicillin but he ordered this crap anyway. I threw 'em all in the trash.

[Fran]

I was put on clindamycin for a tooth abcess. I started wth 600 mg by IV. Then started oral 300mg 4x day. Most days only took 3 because I didn't get up during night to take 4th dose. So it took about 10 days to finish all meds. On last day I broke out in a rash on my back. By the next day I had a rash all over. It has gotten better. It's very faint. Then the severe feelings of panic set in. I'm a very outgoing, positive person and couldn't understand what was going on. I started reading forums and realized many others had same reactions. I also have lump in throat. I have lost 9 lbs. in 10 days. I haven't been able to eat. It's been hard trying to function with the feeling of panic and my emotions being out of whack. I was wondering how long this can last. I have been off the antibiotics for 2 weeks. I haven't been able to find any updates on anyones progress. Please let me know of your progress if you have had similar reactions.

[emilio]

this antibiotic is crazy . i have not slept in days and wake up thinking that im having a heart attack i am stopping it today cause its so not worth it , i thought there was something wrong with me and thats why i got up and came to research it. i feel much better now that i know im not the only one.

[Fran]

emilio wrote:

this antibiotic is crazy . i have not slept in days and wake up thinking that im having a heart attack i am stopping it today cause its so not worth it , i thought there was something wrong with me and thats why i got up and came to research it. i feel much better now that i know im not the only one.

You're definately not the only one. I also hardly slept, I would wake up at 5:00am,I couldn't sleep, toss and turn all night, crazy dreams when I did fall asleep. Lastnight was the first night I slept well in a month. Thank God!Plus all the crazy side effects I had. I know that there has to be different a antibiotic that will work without doing all of this to us. I will never take Clindamycin ever again! I feel like myself again finally after 2 weeks of being off the medicine.

[Vicki]

I posted earlier about starting clindamycin for an infected cat bite. the first day was not so bad, the second day I woke up extremely dizzy and by the afternoon could not put two thoughts together. I became over-reactive to tiny things, and my husband thought I had lost my mind. Even though I was taking a lot of probiotics, on the third day diarrhea began in earnest. That afternoon I went to the doctor and practically begged to be taken off the drug. I can't begin to imagine what I would have been like after being on it for a week which was the prescribed dose.

[Sarah]

My side effect was like a huge ball in my chest. I too thought I was having a heart attack. It hurt to eat anything as it was like it couldn't pass the obstruction. Drinking a can of pop burned. It did go away after 3 days and I finished the RX.

[Cellulitis - Clindamycin]

This was prescribed when I was diagnose with cellulites 2 capsules 4 times daily for 10 days. It brought down the swelling once I took it. Itchingof the areas which turned red followed. However, after missing a dose (2pills) and on my 2nd day of taking the pill. I'm begging to have diffuty breathing. I threw up twice after reducing intake by 1 pill instead of 2. I'll be seeing my doctor tomorrow because I don't think I'll be able to go 8 more days with this medication.

[Julia]

In May my husband was givern Clindamycin--150mg for a bad tooth. He took it for 10 days and the tooth got better. Over a month later he got persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and mucusin his stool. They thought he had some virus. It got worse and they sent a stool sample to be tested. Found out it was from the Clindamycin. It has been a month and it is better but not gone. He hasn't been able to have any dairy products and is on the antibotic Metronidazole--500mg a day. Since the 4th of July he also has started taking two Acidophilus pils a day. He still gets bad gas pains but I think is feeling better. Will have to see how he is once the Metronidazole is finished. Good luck to everyone.

[Stacy]

I've been taking clindamycin (8-day course, 2 pills 3x/day) as I'll be getting 4 wisdom teeth removed in 2 days, and so far I've had no side effects. I've never experienced any side effects when taking other types of antibiotics either, and I suspect it's because I always take them on a full stomach-- I have one dose during breakfast, one a few hours after lunch and one after dinner. Aside from the horrible aftertaste (which is my fault, because I've a phobia of swallowing capsules I empty them into a spoon and chase them down with juice) I've had no side-effects, thankfully. I'm just a bit annoyed that my dentist didn't tell me anything about having to take probiotics/yoghurt!! I'll def pick that up tomorrow and I'll update if I notice anything amiss in the days ahead.

[DEE]

I did as recommended 2 days before I started the clindamycin (300md 3x daily for 7 days). I started a daily dose of a quattro probiotic capsules(3 per day) found at natural food store and stonyfield probiotic yogurt 2x a day- aside from gas I had no issues, wanted to promote a positive story. It got rid of my infection quickly, I w as on a beach vacation to boot during this time and felt perfectly fine the entire time, maybe a little lethargic but nothing more.

[Johnathan]

I have been taking the 300MG capsules once every 6 hours and within a few days I was having the worst heart burn ever. I have been feeling like my chest was going to cave in or possibly that I might die of a heart attack. After reading how many people have been affected by this I have decided to simply quit the medication and hope the throat infection does not come back. I also have trouble swallowing anything cold and sometimes my own saliva. I do not understand it, but I would make sure to get some sort of substitute from the doctor for this mediation.

[Bree]

I've been on Clindamycin for 3 days for a MRSA infection. Not really any side effects except some mild heartburn. I was prescribed Bacrim the last time I had an infection and I thought I was going to die. Ended up in the emergency room having them flush the drug out of my system. Then a couple days later I broke out in a terrible itchy rash all over my body. I thought I'd look up the side effects for Clindamycin to see if I should be looking for anything but Clindamycin has been great so far for me.