Clindamycin hydrochloride (Cleocin) is a generic prescription medication used to treat certain infections.

Specifically, clindamycin is an antibiotic that may be used to treat certain:

Clindamycin comes as an oral capsule. It is also available as an oral solution, vaginal cream, topical foam, topical gel, topical lotion, topical solution, and injectable forms that you can receive either intravenously or intramuscularly. This article will only cover the oral capsule form of clindamycin.

Clindamycin is used as a short-term treatment for certain infections. As with other drugs, clindamycin can cause side effects (adverse effects).

Read on to learn about potential common, mild, and serious side effects. For a general overview of Clindamycin, including details about its uses, talk with your doctor. Your doctor can also tell you more about clindamycin.

Clindamycin can cause certain side effects, some of which are more common than others. These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days to weeks. However, if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

These are just a few of the more common side effects reported by people who took clindamycin in clinical trials:

* For more information about this side effect, see “Side effect specifics” below.

Mild side effects can occur with clindamycin use. This list does not include all possible mild side effects of the drug. For more information, you can refer to clindamycin’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects reported with clindamycin include:

These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days to weeks. However, if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks side effects of the medication. If you develop a side effect while taking clindamycin and want to tell the FDA about it, visit MedWatch.

* For more information about this side effect, see “Side effect specifics” below.

Clindamycin may cause serious side effects. Serious side effects are not common, but they can occur. The list below may not include all possible serious side effects of the drug. For more information, you can refer to clindamycin’s prescribing information.

If you develop serious side effects while taking clindamycin, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects and their symptoms that people taking clindamycin have reported include:

* Clindamycin has a boxed warning for this side effect. This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To learn more, see the “Side effect specifics” section below.

Clindamycin may cause several side effects. Here are some frequently asked questions about the drug’s side effects and their answers.

Do clindamycin side effects vary by form, such as topical gel or vaginal cream?

Yes, the side effects of clindamycin vary based on which form of the drug you’re taking. For example, the oral capsule form of clindamycin can cause gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.

However, applying topical gel to your body may cause side effects that affect your skin. For example, clindamycin can cause burning, dryness, or peeling of the skin. In addition, the vaginal cream form of the drug may cause swelling or irritation of the vagina.

It’s possible for clindamycin to cause different side effects based on which form of the drug you’re using. If you have questions or concerns about the best treatment option for you, talk with your doctor.

How do side effects of clindamycin 150-mg and 300-mg strengths compare?

It’s possible that you may be at an increased risk of side effects if you take a higher dose of clindamycin.

For example, people taking the 300-milligram (mg) strength of clindamycin may be at a higher risk of side effects than someone taking the 150-mg strength. This is because when you take a higher dose of medication, your body is exposed to more of the drug. And this can increase your risk of side effects.

If you’re concerned about the side effects of clindamycin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Does taking clindamycin cause long-term side effects?

It’s possible for clindamycin to cause long-term side effects. However, long-term side effects with this medication were not common in clinical trials of the drug.

Examples of long-term side effects that are possible with clindamycin may include:

If you have concerns about long-term side effects while taking clindamycin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

If you complete your full treatment course of clindamycin, you should not experience side effects from stopping the drug. However, if you stop taking clindamycin before your doctor recommends you do so, you may not treat your infection correctly. This may mean that your infection comes back and might be even harder to treat than previously.

So, it’s always important to complete your course of antibiotics, including clindamycin. This helps ensure you treat your infection fully, so it doesn’t return.

Learn more about some of the side effects that clindamycin may cause. To find out how often side effects occurred in clinical trials, see clindamycin’s prescribing information.

Diarrhea due to a certain bacterium

Clindamycin has a boxed warning for the risk of diarrhea due to a certain bacterium called Clostridium difficile. A boxed warning is the most serious warning recommended by the FDA. The purpose of a boxed warning is to alert doctors and patients about the risks of taking a medication.

This bacterial infection can cause diarrhea, which can be severe or even life threatening. Clindamycin, along with many other antibiotic drugs, can cause this bacteria to overgrow, leading to severe diarrhea.

It is possible for this diarrhea to occur up to 2 months after taking an antibiotic. If you have symptoms of diarrhea from C. difficile, talk with your doctor right away. Symptoms may include:

What you can do

If you develop symptoms of C. difficile diarrhea, contact your doctor right away. They will likely recommend that you stop taking clindamycin. They may also recommend that you stay hydrated with fluids and electrolytes. In addition, your doctor may recommend treatment with a different medication to treat your diarrhea.

Abdominal pain

You may experience abdominal pain during your treatment with clindamycin. It wasn’t reported how often abdominal pain occurred in clinical trials of people taking clindamycin.

What you can do

If you experience abdominal pain during your treatment with clindamycin, talk with your doctor. Usually, abdominal pain is not serious. However, it’s possible that abdominal pain is related to other conditions, including liver problems, which can also occur from taking clindamycin.

Your doctor can help determine what may be causing your abdominal pain. Then, they can recommend the best ways to treat it.

Nausea

It’s possible to develop nausea during your treatment with clindamycin. It wasn’t reported in clinical trials how often nausea occurred.

What you can do

If you feel nauseous during your treatment with clindamycin, talk with your doctor. Although nausea is usually not serious, it’s possible for nausea to be related to other conditions. For example, kidney or liver problems may also cause nausea.

Your doctor can help determine what may be causing your nausea. Sometimes, taking medications with food may decrease nausea. Your doctor can recommend the best way to treat your nausea.

Itching

It is possible that taking clindamycin can cause itching. It’s unknown how often itching occurred in clinical trials of people taking clindamycin.

What you can do

If you experience itching during your treatment with clindamycin, talk with your doctor. Sometimes, itching can be due to an allergic reaction. So, your doctor may want to be sure that you’re not having an allergic reaction to the medication. For more information, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Your doctor can help determine how to treat your itching. They may recommend using an over-the-counter medication such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) if your itching is bothersome.

Allergic reaction

As with most drugs, clindamycin can cause an allergic reaction in some people. However, this side effect was rare in clinical trials.

Symptoms can be mild or serious and can include:

  • skin rash
  • itching
  • flushing
  • swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
  • swelling of your mouth, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe

What you can do

For mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, call your doctor right away. They may recommend ways to ease your symptoms and determine whether you should keep taking clindamycin. However, if your symptoms are serious and you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Tell your doctor about any other medical conditions you have before taking clindamycin. This medication may not be safe for certain people. Your doctor can help determine if clindamycin is a safe treatment option for you.

Boxed warning: Diarrhea due to a certain bacterium

This drug has a boxed warning for risk of diarrhea due to a certain bacterium called Clostridium difficile. This is a serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For details, see the “Side effect specifics” section above.

Other precautions

Be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history before you take clindamycin. This drug may not be the right treatment for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. These are considered drug-condition or drug-factor interactions. The conditions and factors to consider include:

Gastrointestinal disease. If you have certain gastrointestinal diseases, such as colitis, tell your doctor before taking clindamycin. This medication can cause gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, which can be severe. If you already have a gastrointestinal disease, taking clindamycin may worsen your condition. In this case, your doctor may recommend more frequent monitoring or a different treatment option for you.

Older adults. Certain older adults ages 65 years and older may be at an increased risk of diarrhea that can be serious. Due to this risk, your doctor may recommend monitoring you for serious diarrhea throughout your treatment with clindamycin.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to clindamycin or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe clindamycin. Taking clindamycin could cause you to have another allergic reaction. Ask your doctor what other medications may be better options for you.

Allergic conditions. If you have certain allergic conditions, such as eczema or asthma, tell your doctor before taking clindamycin. In this case, your doctor may monitor you more often throughout your treatment with clindamycin.

Liver problems. If you have liver problems, tell your doctor before taking clindamycin. If you have a liver condition, your doctor may need to decrease your clindamycin dose, but this is rare. Your doctor can help determine the best dose of clindamycin for you.

Alcohol with clindamycin

There are not any known interactions between clindamycin and alcohol. However, drinking alcohol if you have an infection may worsen your condition. If you drink often, alcohol may weaken your immune system, which can worsen your infection.

In addition, drinking alcohol may worsen side effects of clindamycin. For example, both alcohol and clindamycin can cause nausea and vomiting. If you drink alcohol during your treatment, you may be at an increased risk of experiencing these side effects.

If you have questions about consuming alcohol during your treatment with clindamycin, talk with your doctor.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding while taking clindamycin

It may be safe for you to take clindamycin during pregnancy, depending on the pregnancy trimester you are in (each trimester is 3 months). It may also be safe to breastfeed while taking clindamycin.

In clinical trials, clindamycin did not increase risks to developing fetuses when people took the drug during the second or third trimester. However, studies haven’t been done to confirm whether it’s safe to take clindamycin in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Animal studies show that the drug is safe in all trimesters of pregnancy. However, animal studies don’t always indicate what may happen in humans.

It’s important to note that clindamycin passes into breast milk. Because of this, it’s possible that a child who is breastfed may experience gastrointestinal side effects such as diarrhea. It may also cause fungal infections, such as thrush or diaper rash, in a breastfed child. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, your doctor can help determine if clindamycin is a safe treatment option for you.

If you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, talk with your doctor to determine if clindamycin may be safe for you.

Typically, side effects of clindamycin are mild. However, it’s possible to experience serious side effects from this medication, as well.

If you’d like to learn more about clindamycin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can help answer any questions you have about the possible side effects of taking the drug. You can also ask them about Cleocin, the brand-name version of clindamycin.

A generic drug and its brand-name version contain the same active ingredient, so they’re expected to have the same side effects. Referring to the following articles about clindamycin can provide you with additional information:

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.