Clindamycin phosphate
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about clindamycin injection.
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 clindamycin injection against the benefits this medicine is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN is used for
Clindamycin is an antibiotic. It is used to treat infections in different parts of the body caused by bacteria.
Clindamycin works by killing or stopping the growth of bacteria causing your infection.
Clindamycin will not work against viral infections such as colds or flu.
CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN injection is recommended for patients who are allergic to penicillin or patients for whom, in the judgment of the doctor, penicillin is inappropriate.
Your doctor may have prescribed CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN injection for another reason.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why clindamycin has been prescribed for you.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN is not addictive.
Before you are given CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN Injection
When you must not take it
You should not be given CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN injection if you have an allergy to:
clindamycin or lincomycin
any of the other ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet (see 'Product Description')
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
shortness of breath
wheezing and 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 are given it
Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to any 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
bowel disease
any gastrointestinal (stomach or gut) problems
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, do so before you are given clindamycin injection.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN may interfere with each other. These include::
the antibiotic, erythromycin
medicines used for muscle relaxation in anaesthesia
These medicines may be affected by clindamycin or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicine or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor or pharmacist may have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
How CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN is given
Usually clindamycin injection will be given to you intramuscularly (into a muscle) or intravenously (into the vein by drip) in a hospital by a healthcare professional.
Your dose and how it should be given to you will be determined by your doctor or your pharmacist. If given intravenously, clindamycin injection will be mixed with the appropriate amount of diluent before use. This will be prepared by your pharmacist or health care professional.
It is important that you complete the full course prescribed by your doctor so that all of the bacteria causing your infection will be killed. If the course is not completed, these bacteria may continue to grow and multiply so that your infection may not clear completely or may return.
In case of overdose (if you are given too much)
Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you think that you or anyone else may have been given or has self-injected too much of this medicine. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Keep the telephone numbers for these services handy. Have the CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN Injection box or this leaflet available to give details if needed.
While you are being given this medicine
Things you must do
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 the clindamycin injection has been stopped.
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 CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN Injection has been stopped.
A severe skin rash may mean you are having an allergic reaction to CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN Injection. You may need urgent medical care.
If you get a sore, white mouth or tongue while being given this medicine or soon after clindamycin injection has been stopped, 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 clindamycin allows fungi/yeast to grow and the above symptoms to occur.
Clindamycin does not work against fungi/yeast.
If you become pregnant while you are being given clindamycin, tell your doctor.
If you are about to start taking any new medicines, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are being given clindamycin.
Tell all doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are being given CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN injection.
Things you must not do
Do not give clindamycin injection to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Clindamycin should not be given to treat any other complaints unless instructed by your doctor.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN.
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.
It can be difficult to tell whether side effects are the result of taking CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN, effects of your condition or side effects of other medicines you may be taking. For this reason it is important to tell your doctor of any change in your condition.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Do not be alarmed by the following list of side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
stomach pain, cramps or discomfort
nausea and/or vomiting
diarrhoea
skin rash; severe irritation of the skin
vaginal thrush - sore and itch vagina and/or discharge
low blood pressure (feeling of dizziness or light-headedness)
joint pain and swelling
pain, swelling, redness or formation of an abscess at the site of the injection
loss or distorted sense of taste
Tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you experience any of the following:
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
pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in vein or pain and swelling in leg
chest pain, shortness of breath and/or fainting
These are very serious side effects.
You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
After finishing it
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following side effects while you are being given clindamycin injection or several weeks after treatment has stopped:
severe stomach cramps;
watery and severe diarrhoea which may also be bloody;
fever, in combination with one or both of the above.
CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN injection can cause some bacteria, which are normally present in the bowel and normally harmless to multiply and therefore cause the above symptoms.
These are rare, but serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.
Do not take any medicine for diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell.
Some of these side effects (for example, abnormal blood test results and certain liver conditions) can only be found when your doctor does tests from time to time to check on your progress.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
After using this medicine
Storage
CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN Injection will normally be stored in a hospital. It should be stored below 25°C.
Product description
What this medicine looks like
CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN injection appears as a clear colourless solution and comes in 2 mL or 4 mL glass vials with rubber stopper and aluminium flip off seal.
Ingredients
The active ingredient in CLINDAMYCIN MYLAN injection is clindamycin-2-phosphate.
It also contains, disodium edetate, sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and water for injections.
It does not contain benzyl alcohol.
