Clindamycin Side Effects Can Be Serious

Urgent Message from Portland to the abscessed tooth person:
My husband Dan took the same drug clindamycin for a infection on his leg and had the same symptoms with the non stop diarrhea and did get C-Difficle. Nine days in critical condition and 41 days total in the hospital and rehabilitation. He lost his large intestine and gall bladder. He has an illestomy now. Please inform your readers. It has drastically changed his life. Thanks, Camilla and Dan

I read with interest the comments concerning diarrhea and C. Diff. My 25yo daughter was having digestive issues and had an endoscopy to help diagnose the problem. Within days she developed worsening, unrelenting diarrhea. Thinking it was a gastrointestional virus or part of her stomach problem, she suffered through it for nearly 2-3 weeks. Finally after losing weight and being unable to eat without rushing to the bathroom, she called her family doctor. She saw a partner in the practice who immediately suspected C. Diff after learning of the endoscopy procedure. (Apparently, this is how the C. Diff infection was introduced.)

A stool culture was ordered for confirmation. It would be through the weekend, though, before the results were in. The first stool culture was negative. The doctor ordered a second culture. Again, it would take a couple of days for the results. For a long time, I had been trying to get my daughter to try eating yogurt to help with her stomach problems and now her diarrhea. Finally, after the false negative culture result, I convinced her to try it.

The brand of yogurt I have always eaten is Stonyfield. She ate 3-4 servings per day until the results from the second culture were back. This time it was positive for C. Diff. But her diarrhea had stopped! The doctor prescribed appropriate medication just to be on the safe side. My daughter was astounded by the effect eating yogurt had had on her C. Diff infection. Her doctor was amazed as well and took note of the Stonyfield yogurt effect!

He now recommends it for his patients. Needless to say, we continue to eat this particular yogurt regularly. My daughter's stomach issues have improved significantly. I really feel that Stonyfield yogurt was literally a lifesaver for my daughter and I pass the word to everyone I know. Maybe this can help others as well.

I had the same problem after taking clindamycin. Probiotics did not help me. My gastroenterologist did tests for all sorts of pathogens (including Clostridium) and eventually she recommended a colonoscopy. That also found nothing wrong, but following the procedure, my diarrhea cleared up (expensive treatment? coincidence? who knows, but I'm much better now).

Thank you for printing the letter re clindamycin. I had a far more serious reaction to the drug. Why is it still on the market and why do dentists prescribe it?

I had a root canal done at the end of January of this year. The dentist prescribed clindamycin. I began to have serious diarrhea and three days later called 911 and the paramedics took me to the hospital. After I was examined in their emergency department, they transported me by ambulance to Kaiser Hospital.

I spent a week in the hospital with C. diff and finally went home with a prescription for Vancomycin. This prescription was for a six week period, followed by an additional six week session and when the diarrhea returned again, for an additional six week session. I think I am finally on the way to recovery. It was interesting to see that this wasn't an isolated case.

I am taking clindamycin as a preventative measure, after a tooth extraction. It seems I feel really terrible within about 20 minutes of taking it. I get very tired, achy, mild sore throat and ear pain. It may be from the extracted tooth, but maybe not, because it wasn't infected and is healing normally.

I have also felt depressed. Are these side effects reported with this antibiotic? All I see are diarrhea/GI side effects. Thanks.

I had an infection in a tooth and the dentist prescribed Clindamycin. Awful stuff. Every time I took a dose I got sick to my stomach if I didn't make sure to eat crackers with it. It took almost the entire week of dosage to make the toothache go away. I took the last pill two days ago.

Now, I have terrible diarrhea and skin that feels like it's on fire with a rash that is getting worse. The itching is unbearable. I had researched the possible side effects when I first got the prescription and started taking pro-biotics right away to make sure that I didn't get the diarrhea. Obviously, that didn't work. Thanks much to the "Mom" who wrote to tell about the yogurt. My husband is on his way to the store now.

I found a site that shows the results of 12 clinical trials for Clindamycin. Of the 126 people who participated in the trials, 62 ended up with diarrhea. 80 ended up with an itchy rash.
WHY IS THIS STILL ON THE MARKET???

I was prescribed Clindamycin following a root canal and had to stop the medication after 4 days due to severe heart burn (that was stated as a possible serious side effect in the info given to me by the pharmacist). After stopping the medication it took a couple of days for the heartburn to subside. 2 1/2 weeks later I had diarrhea, fever, chills, and body aches and presumed I was getting the flu.

The other symptoms subsided within a few days but the diarrhea continued for a week. After see my doctor she confirmed it was C difficle as a result of the Clindamycin. She now prescribed Flagyl for the C difficle.

I had an IV of Clindamycin in the ER followed by a ten day course of the antibiotic to clear up an ear infection.

I developed diarrhea within a few days of taking the drug but was instructed I needed to continue the full course of the drug.

One week after treatment was still having diarrhea and abdominal discomfort, I was put on Flagyl (metronidazole) for ten days. The diarrhea disappeared within three days and abdominal pain subsided. I was put on the BRAT diet Bananas, Rice, Yogurt and Tea. It was all I could eat.

Three days after the Flagyl treatment the diarrhea and abdominal discomfort, now severe reappeared. A stool test was then done negative for C Diff.

I was put back on Flagyl for 21 days. I was sent for a Cat Scan, which revealed minor issues but no outstanding problems. I was then sent for a colonoscopy which again revealed nothing outstanding. Biopsy taken from colon was negative. Blood work for other potential conditions all negative.

Still not right a week after colonscopy was put back on Flagyl again for 10 days and currently still on, abdominal pain minimal, no diarrhea, but gastro system still not functioning properly.

Be careful very careful when prescribed Clindamycin.

My 19 yo college-aged son was rxed Clindamycin by a podiatrist after tx for his foot infection. He has Type 1 Diabetes (insulin pump) since age 9 and also Hypothyroidism. WELL he had a severe allergic reaction with full body rash and general weakness. That was over 2 months ago...

We've tried acidophilus and Florastor...no help.... His appetite post-rx decreased rapidly and he has lost 15 lbs in 2 months, also had increased fatigue, muscle weakness and diarrhea. Now his MDs are saying that due to severe reaction, this may have triggered onset of Addison's disease and/or diabetic gastroparesis. As you can guess we are VERY DISTRAUGHT about why this happened and why this medication remains on the market!!!

HELP! Words cannot express how badly I feel about bringing my diabetic son to the podiatrist and having this happen. PLEASE BAN THIS MEDICATION ASAP!!!

I had a bad tooth infection (the dentist wanted to pull the tooth), and I couldn't eat much with the tooth pain. He prescribed Clindamycin. I'm relatively stubborn 44 year old with a rock hard gut. Around the same time I was taking the Clindamycin, I was constipated, some diarrhea, and horrible cramping.

I wasn't allergic to antibiotics so I didn't think of that. I ate prunes, fiber and anything to relieve the constipation, but it caused more pain. My wife wanted me to go to the hospital, but I didn't think it was serious enough. Then it felt like someone shot a flaming spear through my lower left abdomen (that floored me), and I had my wife call 911.

I had been on other medications for other conditions, and told the hospital that I never had so much as a stomach ache and that the only new drug was the clindamycin. They admitted me and found I had a perforation in my colon that led to diverticulitis.

I spent 6 days in the hospital, then I changed doctors and got a stronger antibiotic. The pain subsided so I said that I wanted to go home. The put a pick line in my arm (a tube for the IV), that leads near the heart. I plug Zyson antibiotics into it and run the tube down my shirt and in my pocket (the cannister has gas in it).

I've been out of the hospital for almost 3 weeks with no pain, but I can't eat normal food, I'm still on antibiotic IVs, I've gotten 5 CT Scans (like 400 X-rays each), and it shows improvement, but a way to go, so I have no idea when this will be over. I figured today that I would check on this drug, and although it wasn't exactly the side effect listed, and I'm not 100% sure the drug caused it, I don't know what to do. Even though I'm out of the hospital, I can't do anything heavy with my good arm because it tears the pick line out.

I never had an intestinal issue in my life, and judging by the posts here, I can't think of anything else, but if anyone knows of side effects like this, please let me know.

Thanks

I was prescribed clindamycin for a tooth abscess, which cleared up right away. I took yogurt with it from the start, so had no major problems until I finished the prescription. I then developed heartburn (severe) and a rash, which cleared up with treatment. However, my digestive system has now been messed up for 4 months.

I have had a colonoscopy and several lab tests. No colitis was found, but I am still having frequency, despite daily probiotics and daily immodium. Now I have developed arthritic pain in places I never had it before. Does anyone know if there could be a connection between the clindamycin and joint pain?

I was given Clindamycin after a tooth extraction. I now wish I had the tooth back. At first the rash and I went right to the doctor, she threw the pills away and said the rash would probable get worse before it got better. 3 days latter my husband dragged me to the doctors again (sometimes having a high threshold of pain works against you). I had been in bed for 2 days and he says he went to bed with his wife and woke up with Barney the Dinosaur.

The rash was from head to toe, the itching unbearable. The Doctor sent me straight to the emerg. One look and they hooked me right up to an I.V. full of steroids. This got me out of bed but did not change the rash much. Then they had to check for kidney and liver failure. So far so good.

They sent me home that night and told me to come back the next day. That day I was told my urine had blood and other deposits in it, and they were going to give more steroids but it raised my blood sugar too high. They say maybe 2 weeks or so for the rash to go away . Yes, really wish I had that old tooth back now. ITCH ITCH ITCH.

I have been taking 300mg of Clindamycin a day for 6 months now, to try and prevent a recurring gland infection. I read similar awful accounts about this drug online beforehand, so have been taking probiotic yogurt daily and have had no problems other than going to toilet half an hour after taking each pill.

Believe me, it took some guts to take it after reading reports like this, but the infection is serious and deadly and the other antibiotics were not suitable, and I'm here to balance out the other reports, as some people have no choice but to try it.

Obviously some people have terrible side effects and should stop clindamycin immediately - I'd recommend they also take probiotics for months afterwards too. It is a fact of life that all drugs have serious side effects for some people, and if there is a lesson to be learned, it is this - only take drugs that are absolutely necessary and be on the lookout and on google for side effects. Believe me, my family learned the hard way with Zyrtec.