Clindamycin and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Sea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 12, 2017

For Bone infection "Had a raging toothache in a tooth that had a root canal several years prior. Dentist thinks a hidden canal may not have been cleared, but it could also have been sinusitis, as the toothache coincided with a bad head cold. Anyway, I am allergic to most narcotic painkillers, so could only go with mega doses of ibuprofen to make it tolerable, and he prescribed clindamycin for the infection, as I am also allergic to most penicillins. 300 mg 4x/day. Started to feel pain relief after the 7th-8th dose (i.e., 40 hours). See lots of scary side effects here, but haven't had them yet myself. Just take with meals and lots of water. A little loose stool, but I'll take that over the tooth pain any day."

• Cou...
• January 24, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "I took this medicine after I had a lower wisdom tooth removed. I read the label on the bottle, and it warned me not to lay down, so I never experienced any heartburn. I took 3 pills 8 hours apart as recommended. Day 7, I woke up with a rash on my abdomen, back, chest, and upper thigh. I immediately stopped taking it (I know you should never stop taking an antibiotic and finish until gone), but there was no way I was going to risk it. About a week after stopping the medicine, I've been experiencing terrible diarrhea. I never took a probiotic. I would definitely suggest one if you're taking this medicine. Waiting to see if it clears up on its own."

• Bad...
• November 25, 2014

For Bacterial Infection "My dentist prescribed me this after having a tooth pulled. After the first day on this medication, I woke up around 2 am with diarrhea. I've been on it for a week now and still have diarrhea numerous times throughout the day. I've lost 4 pounds because of it. Also, it's left a small rash around my pubic area that hurts and itches like crazy, making it painful to use the bathroom and wipe."

• Ben...
• May 29, 2020

For Bacterial Infection "I'm on 21 days of antibiotics for a tooth infection that wouldn't go away. 1 week on amoxicillin and 2 weeks on clindamycin (300 mg every 4 hours). I actually have 3 days left, but I'm doing quite well. My advice: talk to a pharmacist and check online what to do while taking clindamycin because it can be quite harmful. I bought a ton of probiotic dairy-free yogurt and probiotic capsules (5 billion strength). With every dose of clindamycin, I would eat a small meal, usually gluten-free toast and something else (maybe an egg for protein), and have a serving of gluten-free yogurt and drink at least 500 ml of water when taking the clindamycin. After 2.5 hours, I eat another small meal and take a probiotic capsule. I didn't eat anything heavy or hard to digest. Basically, my diet consists of gluten-free bread, an egg or two a day, cereal, soy milk, and dairy-free yogurt, and lots of water. Sounds like a bland diet, but it's served me well. I'm on day 18 of 21 with this stuff and only now having mild diarrhea."

• Mis...
• October 28, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "I was prescribed 300 mg of clindamycin every 6 hours for 5 days for several teeth that became infected after being broken and crowned as a kid. I was terrified to take it after reading about it, but I have not had any terrible side effects. Some very mild bloating and gas, but all antibiotics do that to me. Just take it with a snack and a glass of water, and take a good probiotic capsule several hours after each antibiotic capsule. This will help A LOT if you want to avoid diarrhea and a yeast infection. I would also take probiotics for a week or two after finishing the clindamycin to help restore your body's good intestinal flora and bacteria."

• che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "I knew the side effects of this medication and the potential for stomach issues, but I was diagnosed with cellulitis in one of my eyes and did not want to end up with meningitis. The first few days were rough with a lot of heartburn and diarrhea, but as so many other people have mentioned, this can be managed by taking it after or with a meal, eating foods that are not acidic, and drinking a lot of water. The good news is that only after 4 hours and the first dose, the swelling started to disappear. It sucks to take it, but it works."

• Rom...
• July 23, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "Took 300 mg 3x a day following root canal. No side effects except mild diarrhea, which went away within 3 days after stopping the meds. Cleared up the infected area nicely. Happy with results. Ate yogurt every day."

• ATB...
• September 12, 2013

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "It works fine for me. It squashed cellulitis of the face. My doctor says it was most likely an MRSA bacteria and that most infections of this type are these days. Side effects are mild diarrhea, some abdominal pain, and an unnatural taste in the mouth for about 2 hours after taking. The taste is not repulsive to me; it is easily tolerated."

• Im ...
• October 6, 2015

For Surgical Prophylaxis "I'm just 2 capsules (150 mg) into a week's prescription. I'm having dental implants, and this is to prevent bone infection. Based on the stories here, it's powerful enough to prevent even worse problems! No side effects so far. Scary to read about these issues, so thanks to all for the heads-up! I eat yogurt every day for breakfast anyway but will now up my intake to 3 times a day... yogurt for dessert after every meal! Will keep you posted if anything changes. One week later: The meds are finished, and I had no problems! No diarrhea, no nausea, no infection. I was lucky! But I took each pill with a full glass of water, never lay down right after taking it, and I ate plain yogurt 3 times a day, every day, to keep my intestines happy. Good luck."

• kig...
• August 23, 2014

For Bacterial Infection "I was prescribed this for a severe case of tonsillitis, and it gave me horrible chest pains. The bad taste in my mouth and the diarrhea is tolerable, but the chest pains are horrid. I get pains whenever I take it and now whenever I eat as well. My dosage is 4 capsules every 8 hours. Taking probiotics once a day definitely helps with the diarrhea."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2015

For Bacterial Vaginosis "Went through Flagyl first. Didn't clear it. This worked. I don't believe I had too many side effects. Some diarrhea. Be careful though, this is powerful. I ended up with C. Diff. TAKE PROBIOTIC with this! Florastor - I highly recommend it."

• Anonymous
• May 30, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "I debated whether or not to take this drug because of the warning of potential C. diff infection. I had a root canal on a molar that left me in pain with swelling and numbness of my lip and chin. My endodontist suspected infection, so she prescribed penicillin. After a week of taking it, there was no change, so she prescribed clindamycin. I have been taking 300 mg 3 times a day for 7 days now, and thank God the worst side effect is fatigue, and my stomach hurts... almost like a 'raw' kind of feeling. No diarrhea or nausea! It seems to have taken the swelling down, so hopefully the infection is on its way out. I will say that I have been diligent in taking 2 probiotics a day, and I drink 8 oz. of water with every dose!"

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2018

For Bacterial Vaginosis "I refuse to take Flagyl because it gives me the worst side effects, and I feel like I’m dying, LOL. But I will tell you what side effects I have had with this medicine. I have had loose stool, but it’s not too bad, I can deal with it, and I’m not in pain. I just go to the bathroom easier, and sometimes I get heartburn, but it doesn’t last long. Overall, this is the best medication I have taken for bacterial vaginosis. I really haven’t had too many problems. I’ve been a little tired, but I’m always tired - I’m a mom, LOL. I don’t see why there are so many people making bad reviews on this medicine because it’s so much better than Flagyl."

• Anonymous
• October 31, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I believe I am on day six of this antibiotic, clindamycin, and I have only seen a slight change in an extremely infected cat scratch. Still super sore and red, but the only thing I’d warn people about is to not lay down for at least ten minutes to half an hour after taking. I did it tonight, and it was the worst chest pain ever. I don’t believe I’ve ever had heartburn, but this was probably way worse than that anyway. Felt like my whole esophagus was on fire. Extremely uncomfortable. I also have horrible stomach issues and IBS, so I’m surprised I haven’t had the diarrhea side effect yet. But it’s too soon to say I won’t."

• Tyl...
• February 16, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "I took this medicine for about 3 days - 4 times a day. I notice that I have severe chest pains, and I'm only 19. So I let it go on, and it got way worse!!! I started to have very bad diarrhea. I thought nothing of it until I began seeing blood in my stools. I went to the hospital as everything progressed, and they told me to stop taking the medication and prescribed me a medication that can reverse these symptoms. I advise everyone who reads this to not take this medication. And really, if they can report all of these issues, why has this medication stopped being produced? It makes no sense to produce a medication that is virtually going to kill you?"

• Nan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "Was put on clindamycin 300 mg HCL for a tooth infection. Do not take this drug. Took for 14 days. I now have a C. diff infection. Bloody diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain the worst ever. Ended up in ER with intravenous fluids. Can't eat, it hurts too bad. Why would doctors prescribe this dangerous drug for someone? Eats up all the good bacteria and leaves all the bad. Been really sick, it is unbelievable. Remove this drug from the market. Quit making people sick. Never again will I take this worst thing, this can come back."

• Sca...
• January 13, 2020

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "This is my true experience! This is an awful drug. I developed a severe infection after a tooth extraction. Family physician who sent me to the emergency, fearing a deep space infection. Incredibly grateful to him for his care and integrity of human life. I get to the emergency, and I'm put on IV clindamycin. The doctor tells me how great the drug is and says nothing about the side effects. I return the next day to the hospital for a second round of clindamycin, doctors still did not consider my bowel condition, and when I say I'm itchy and burning, I'm ignored. Then given a prescription to fill for the drug and begin taking orally at home. Three days later, I go back to the emergency. Days later, loose stools continue to get worse. Clear jelly-like matter and mucus alternating are coming out. I return to the emergency nine days later, I'm told I have the flu. I tell the doctors about the drug... they ignore me. Send me home. It's nineteen days now, and I feel like my bowel is going to explode. Going back to the emergency."

• Dom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2019

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Took this 300 mg three times a day for 10 days. My infection was gone after about 48 hours. Minimal side effects. Maybe a little diarrhea, but that’s it. I took it with yogurt. I don’t swallow pills, so I had to empty the capsule. DO NOT mix with the yogurt. This is the worst tasting stuff you can imagine. You will need to put a little in the middle of a spoonful of yogurt to down this."

• Not...
• February 21, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "Did what it was supposed to. I went from being in the worst pain of my life to being in no pain in about 3 days. Works very well. Took it with water and probiotic yogurt as you're supposed to do, and as a result, I had no side effects. Pay no attention to all of the negative reviews complaining about indigestion, diarrhea, and heartburn. If you take the medication properly and follow your pharmacist's orders, you won't have any problems. I don't think it's smart to advise other people not to take potentially life-saving medication because you weren't able to listen to instructions. Just take it with plenty of water and probiotic yogurt, and you'll be just fine."

• Inp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I have an infected leftover tooth root that the dentist missed (shocker) from extraction years ago. Hurt like a bad toothache. Dentist x-ray showed root so close to nerves under the gum, maybe touching. Said I need oral surgery to remove it because they were afraid they might damage nerves. Prescribed 14 days of clindamycin 300 mg at a dose of 1 every 8 hours. I was given this 3 days ago, then 1 hour after I took the first one, the pain almost doubled. Pain dies down some at times between doses, but every time I take another pill within an hour, the pain doubles. Unbearable pain. Now it radiates into my neck, upper gums, left side of the tongue, and some of the left jawbone. No stomach issues or diarrhea yet. Just incredible pain. Bad before, but it now feels like somebody is digging in my jaw with a screwdriver. It's really bad. Waiting now for a call from the dentist. Whatever he says, I might try 1 more, but if I get that worse pain after I take it again, I'm not taking another ever again. This is ridiculous."

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2022

For Bacterial Infection "First and foremost, this was my first time ever taking Clindamycin. I had an ear infection, and I was on a round of Augmentin from 12/19 till 12/29 for a double ear infection, and my left ear healed, but my right ear did not. Went back to the doctor and was prescribed a 10-day round of Clindamycin - take 4 times a day. I set alarms for myself every 6 hours, and I do wake up around 4 or 5 a.m. to take my first dose of the day. I've learned a trick with taking this to avoid the heartburn and side effects. Eat something small, drink 8 ounces of water, take the pill, then eat another small portion and drink another 8 ounces of water! I have yet to have any side effects since doing this. No diarrhea, no upset tummy! Within 48 hours of being on the medication, I could tell a difference. 10/10 would recommend. Remember, everyone does different with antibiotics. Don't let one horrible review scare you!"

• Qui...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "I have quinsy, which is also known as a peritonsillar abscess. I was put on this medication, 300 mg x 4 daily. I am having a not too bad experience with this. I already suffer from dry skin in the winter, and it made it a bit worse. I have had to moisturize like crazy. One day I took it before bed on an empty stomach, and I had massive heartburn, and I never get heartburn. I didn't even know what the pain was until I described it to my wife. It took me 10 Tums and about 30 minutes for it to get to a point where I could sleep. Since then, I have been fine if I take it with food and lots of water, and I don't go lying down right after taking either. The loose stool is to be expected as with most antibiotics, but it wasn't as bad as the last antibiotics I had."

• dlu...
• October 1, 2010

For Bacterial Infection "I was prescribed this medication for a tooth infection - 300 mg 4 x day starting with a double dose as soon as I got home. The night I took the first 2 pills, I immediately had several bouts of diarrhea. The next day, when I moved down to 1 pill 4 x daily, I had more normal bowel motions. I did, however, stupidly take it close to bedtime and without heeding the warning re: lying down. I woke up with the worst heartburn/chest pain. I just finished my pills and look forward to no more heartburn."

• Tum...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "The diarrhea started on the first day I started taking clindamycin and has lasted for about a week after the last dose and continues. I didn’t feel nauseated during the time I took it (with meal and water), but now I do. I’m due for another round of clindamycin for this tooth abscess, but I don’t think I can handle it. The pain in my tooth has subsided, but this is the cost? My appetite is gone, and I haven’t been normal for two weeks. Gonna start probiotics instead. But by golly: Don’t assume that if a grandparent is allergic to penicillin, it makes you allergic too. I should have taken an allergy test beforehand so I could have taken amoxicillin instead! This wasn’t even a severe tooth infection."

• bab...
• October 6, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "Had an old root canal that was giving me so much pain. Went to the dentist, and they did an X-ray. The dentist prescribed Clindamycin HCL 300 mg every 6 hours until gone. So, it is about 7 days' worth. It totally fixed the pain and infection. However, the side effects of diarrhea, headaches, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, dehydration (if you don't drink tons of water) were not worth it to me. I've learned that an antibiotic prescribed needs to be discussed with the patient for side effects first! My physician and yours should also discuss how to ride the waves of the side effects and monitor you. You may decide not to take the antibiotic and want to try something else. This should be an informed choice that you make with your doctor as a team."