Clindamycin hydrochloride
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about CLEOCIN. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking CLEOCIN against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What CLEOCIN is used for
Clindamycin (the active ingredient in CLEOCIN) is an antibiotic.
It is used to treat infections in different parts of the body caused by bacteria.
This medicine works by killing or stopping the growth of the bacteria causing your infection.
It will not work against viral infections such as colds or flu.
Cleocin is recommended for patients who are allergic to penicillin or patients for whom penicillin is not suitable.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
This medicine is not addictive.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
This medicine is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
Before you take CLEOCIN
When you must not take it
Do not take CLEOCIN if you have an allergy to:
any medicine containing clindamycin or lincomycin
lactose monohydrate or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
shortness of breath
wheezing or difficulty breathing
swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
rash, itching or hives on the skin
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
severe diarrhoea associated with the use of antibiotics
severe liver disease
severe kidney disease
any gastrointestinal (stomach or gut) problems
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding.
Clindamycin crosses the placenta therefore Cleocin should only be used in pregnancy if clearly needed.
Cleocin capsules are not recommended during breastfeeding.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking CLEOCIN.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and CLEOCIN may interfere with each other. These include:
erythromycin, a medicine used to treat bacterial infections
rifampicin, a medicine used to treat bacterial infections
medicines used for muscle relaxation in anaesthesia
These medicines may be affected by CLEOCIN or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
How to take CLEOCIN
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the box/bottle, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
Your doctor will tell you how many capsules you need to take each day. This may depend on your condition and whether or not you are taking any other medicines.
The usual adult dose of Cleocin is one capsule of 150 mg taken four times a day. The number of capsules may increase with more serious infections. Your doctor will tell you how long to take your capsules.
Cleocin capsules are not recommended in children for formulation reasons.
How to take it
Swallow the capsules whole with a full glass of water.
When to take it
Take your medicine at about the same time each day.
Taking it at the same time each day will have the best effect. It will also help you remember when to take it.
It does not matter if you take this medicine before or after food.
How long to take it
Following are some examples from the Usability Guidelines. Choose whichever is appropriate or amend as necessary.
Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you.
This medicine helps to control your condition, but does not cure it. It is important to keep taking your medicine even if you feel well.
Continue taking your medicine until you finish the pack.
Stop using this medicine when the redness and itching have gone.
If you forget to take it
If it is almost time your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much CLEOCIN. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Keep telephone numbers for these places/services handy.
Have the Cleocin box or this leaflet available to give details if needed.
While you are using CLEOCIN
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking CLEOCIN.
Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who treat you that you are taking this medicine.
If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon or anaesthetist that you are taking this medicine.
It may affect other medicines used during surgery.
If the symptoms of your infection do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse, tell your doctor.
If you get severe diarrhoea, tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse immediately. Do this even if it occurs several weeks after you have stopped taking Cleocin.
Diarrhoea may mean that you have a serious condition affecting your bowel. You may need urgent medical care.
Do not take any medicines for diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor.
If you get a severe skin rash tell your doctor immediately. Do this even if the rash occurs after Cleocin has been stopped.
A severe skin rash may mean you are having an allergic reaction to Cleocin. You may need urgent medical care.
If you get a sore, white mouth or tongue while taking or soon after stopping Cleocin, tell your doctor. Also tell your doctor if you get vaginal itching or discharge.
This may mean you have a fungal/yeast infection called thrush. Sometimes the use of this medicine allows fungi/yeast to grow and the above symptoms to occur. Cleocin does not work against fungi/ yeast.
If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine.
It may interfere with the results of some tests.
Keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked.
Your doctor may do some tests from time to time to make sure the medicine is working and to prevent unwanted side effects.
Things you must not do
Do not take CLEOCIN to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not stop taking your medicine or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor.
If you stop taking it suddenly, your condition may worsen or you may have unwanted side effects.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking CLEOCIN.
This medicine helps most people with bacterial infections, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
oral thrush – white, furry, sore tongue and mouth
vaginal thrush – sore and itchy vagina and/or discharge
stomach cramping
stomach discomfort
inflammation of the food pipe; discomfort or/and pain of the food pipe
loss or distorted sense of taste
nausea and/or vomiting
heartburn
diarrhoea
loss of appetite
skin rash; irritation of the skin
joint pain and swelling
Tell your doctor, tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:
sudden signs of allergy such as rash, itching or hives on the skin, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, shortness of breath, wheezing or trouble breathing
moderate or severe skin rash or blisters often with flu-like symptoms
enlarged lymph glands and/or fever
diarrhoea, usually with blood and mucus, stomach pain and fever
yellowing of the eyes or skin, also called jaundice
The above list includes serious side effects that may require medical attention or hospitalisation. Serious side effects are rare.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people.
After finishing it
Tell your doctor, tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following side effects, particularly if they occur several weeks after stopping treatment with CLEOCIN:
severe stomach cramps;
watery and severe diarrhoea which may also be bloody;
fever, in combination with one or both of the above.
Cleocin capsules can cause some bacteria, which are normally present in the bowel and normally harmless to multiply and therefore cause the above symptoms. You may need urgent medical attention. However this side effect is rare.
Do not take any medicine for diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people.
Some of these side effects (for example, abnormal blood test results and certain kidney and liver conditions) can only be found when your doctor does tests from time to time to check your progress.
After using CLEOCIN
Storage
Keep your CLEOCIN capsules in their original pack until it is time to take them.
If you take the capsules out of the pack they may not keep well.
Keep your capsules in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store CLEOCIN or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where children cannot reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Product description
What it looks like
CLEOCIN capsules are available in 150 mg strength. The opaque, white capsules are marked with "Clin 150" and "Pfizer" in black. They are available in blister packs of 24 capsules.
Ingredients
CLEOCIN contains 150 mg of clindamycin hydrochloride as the active ingredient.
lactose monohydrate
magnesium stearate
maize starch
purified talc
gelatin
titanium dioxide
edible black ink
Supplier
