Warnings & Recalls for Cleocin
Black Box Warning
Pseudomembranous enterocolitis has been reported with nearly all antibacterial agents such as this drug. This adverse side effect can range from mild to severely life-threatening depending upon the diagnosis of the patient. Patients with gastrointestinal problems are usually dissuaded from taking this drug.
Contraindications
The only contraindication with
Cleocin | Clindamycin Hydrochloride concerns patients who have a hypersensitivity to clindamycin or lincomycin.
Who Should Not Take This Drug
There are precautions associated with
Cleocin | Clindamycin Hydrochloride that concern preexisting conditions that hinder a patient’s ability to be prescribed this drug. These include:
- A history of atopy
- Concurrent use with erythromycin
- Elderly patients
- Patients with a confirmed gastrointestinal disease
- Patients with liver diseases
- Patients with FD&C Yellow 5 sensitivity or allergy to aspirin
Cleocin Treatment and Use
Cleocin | Clindamycin Hydrochloride is a drug that’s used to treat bacterial vaginosis in women. This drug is in a class of medications called “lincosamide antiobiotics”. This drug however cannot be used to treat STDs such as chlamydia or trichomoniasis or vaginal irritation caused by yeast infections.
Its official FDA-labeled indications are for treating:
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Infections of skin
- Infections of abdomen
- Lower respiratory tract infection
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Septicemia
Its non-FDA labeled indications are for:
- Acne
- Acute otitis media
- Babesiosis
- HIV infections
- Malaria
- Periodontitis
- Post-operation infection
- Staph infections
- Strep throat
Cleocin | Clindamycin Hydrochloride is manufactured and marketed by Pfizer.
Please refer to the “warnings and recalls” tab for the “black box” warning for this drug.
How This Drug Works
Cleocin | Clindamycin Hydrochloride works primarily by binding to 50 ribosomal subunits of bacteria. This drug disrupts protein synthesis of these bacterium with the “transpeptidation reaction”, which inhibits the chain elongation of these bacteria. By this disruption, Cleocin | Clindamycin Hydrochloride causes changes in the cell wall surfaces which decreases the adhesion of bacteria to host cells and increases intracellular killing of bacteria. It is worth noting that this drug shows extended post-antibiotic effects against some strains of other bacteria.
Dosage Information
Cleocin | Clindamycin Hydrochloride is available in many formulations such as vaginal creams, IV administration, suppositories or pills to take orally. It is suited best for adult patients, but pediatric patients can also be prescribed this medication due to treating conditions such as acne and other infections.
- For adults with babesiosis, 600mg orally every 8 hours with quinine
- For adults with bacterial endocarditis, 600mg orally 30 to 60 minutes prior to procedure
- For adults with bacterial infectious disease, staph infections, or pneuomococci, 150 to 300mg orally every 6 hours
- For adults with bacterial vaginosis, 300mg orally twice for a duration of 7 days
- For adults with numerous HIV infections, 300 to 450mg orally every 6 to 8 hours for HIV pneumonia, 600mg orally every 6 hours for HIV toxoplasmosis
- For adults with skin infections, 150 to 300mg orally every 6 hours depending on type of infection
- For adults with infectious disease of the abdomen, 150 to 300mg orally every 6 hours
- For adults with lower respiratory tract infections, 150 to 300mg orally every 6 hours
- For adults with pelvic inflammatory disease, 900mg IV every 8 hours or 150 to 300mg orally every 6 hours
- For adults with septicemia, 150 to 300mg orally every 6 hours
- For adults with strep infections, 20mg/kg/day orally in 3 divided doses
