What is the Clindamycin and how it works?

Clindamycin is a prescription pain medication that is effective against many different types of severe bacterial infections. The drug most often used to combat the complications of staphylococci and streptococci that do not meet the most common antibiotic drugs. It is in the capsule and a liquid, and usually prescribed to be taken three or four times a day for about two weeks. There are risks of side effects and potentially serious reactions from taking clindamycin, but patients may limit their chances of experiencing health problems by talking with their doctors and follow their recipe exactly.

Physicians usually try several other less powerful antibiotics before prescribing clindamycin due to their potential to cause serious side effects. The drug is sometimes prescribed as a treatment for first year, however, in patients who are allergic to penicillin. This usually reserved for severe lung infections, but can also be used to combat bone abscesses, skin, intestines or other organs.

Clindamycin is an inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis, which means it works by stopping bacterial growth and cell reproduction. The drug seeps into bacterial RNA and prevents the creation of new proteins. As a result, stop the spread of infection and all existing pathogens will eventually die.

In most cases, patients learn to take a carefully measured dose of clindamycin every six hours for at least 10 days. The dosage amount can vary depending on the type and severity of infection, but most adults take a dose of 300 milligrams. Pediatric patients are usually prescribed as smaller quantities, which are determined by age and weight. Both capsules and liquid solutions should be taken with a full glass of water to prevent irritation of the throat and the lining of the stomach.

The most common side effects when taking clindamycin are minor outbreaks of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. A person may also temporary symptoms similar to flu, such as joint pain, chills, fever and fatigue. The drug can lead to increased antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the intestine, which sometimes causes severe diarrhea and bloody or watery stools for several days. After clindamycin use a very small number patients and intestinal infection develops a lasting, potentially fatal condition called colitis which may require the use of medications over the long term or a surgery to correct. Most people who use the drug exactly as prescribed and attend regular checkups with their physicians are able to make full recoveries in less than a month of treatment.

Cleocin (Clindamycin)