Clindamycin
One product on this shelf: Cleocin 150 mg tablets, the brand-name version of clindamycin from Pfizer. This lincosamide antibiotic is used for serious Bacterial Infections and Gynaecological Infections.
Key points
- Clindamycin carries a boxed warning for severe colitis caused by Clostridioides difficile, which may end fatally. It should be reserved for serious infections where less toxic Antibiotics are inappropriate.
- C. difficile-associated diarrhoea can appear over two months after the course ends, so watery or bloody stools weeks later still warrant medical attention.
How does Clindamycin work?
Clindamycin stops bacteria from making the proteins they need to grow. It binds to a specific part of the bacterial ribosome, the cell’s protein-building machinery, and blocks synthesis. The effect is mostly to halt growth rather than kill outright, though high concentrations can slowly kill sensitive strains. The liver breaks clindamycin down mainly through the CYP3A4 enzyme, a pathway that processes many medicines, so drugs that affect it can change how long the antibiotic stays active in your body.