Clindamycin is used for:

Treating serious infections caused by certain bacteria. It is not used to treat meningitis.

Clindamycin is a lincomycin antibiotic. Clindamycin kills sensitive bacteria by stopping the production of essential proteins needed by the bacteria to survive.

Do NOT use Clindamycin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Clindamycin or to lincomycin
• you have antibiotic-associated colitis, Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, or meningitis

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Clindamycin :

Some medical conditions may interact with Clindamycin. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have diarrhea, a gastrointestinal (bowel) disease, liver disease, or are allergic to tartrazine

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Clindamycin. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Nondepolarizing muscle relaxants (eg, vecuronium) or succinylcholine because the actions and side effects of these medicines may be increased
• Erythromycin because the effectiveness of Clindamycin may be decreased

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Clindamycin may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Clindamycin :

Use Clindamycin as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Clindamycin may be taken with or without food.
• Clindamycin should be taken with a full glass of water (8 oz/240 mL).
• Clindamycin works best if it is taken at the same time each day.
• To clear up your infection completely, continue using Clindamycin for the full course of treatment even if you feel better in a few days.
• If you miss a dose of Clindamycin , take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Clindamycin.

Important safety information:

• If severe diarrhea, stomach pain/cramps, or bloody stools occur, contact your doctor at once. This could be a symptom of a serious side effect requiring immediate medical attention. Do not treat diarrhea without consulting with your doctor.
• Clindamycin is effective only against bacteria. It is not effective for treating viral infections (eg, the common cold).
• It is important to use Clindamycin for the full course of treatment. Failure to do so may decrease the effectiveness of this treatment and may increase the risk that the bacteria will no longer be sensitive to Clindamycin and will not be able to be treated by this or certain other antibiotics in the future.
• Long-term or repeated use of Clindamycin may cause a second infection. You may need to start another medication to treat the second infection. Contact your doctor if you suspect a second infection.
• Some of these products contain the dye tartrazine (FD&C Yellow No. 5), which can cause allergic reactions in certain patients. If you have previously had allergic reactions to the dye tartrazine, contact your pharmacist to determine if the product you are taking contains the dye tartrazine.
• LAB TESTS, such as liver function, kidney function, or complete blood counts, may be performed to monitor progress. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• Use Clindamycin with caution in the ELDERLY because they may be more sensitive to its effects, especially diarrhea. Monitor carefully for changes in bowel frequency.
• When Clindamycin is administered to CHILDREN (birth to 16 years) appropriate monitoring of organ system functions is recommended.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you plan on becoming pregnant, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Clindamycin during pregnancy. Clindamycin is excreted in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you are using Clindamycin , check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.

Possible side effects of Clindamycin :

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Infrequent urination; mild diarrhea; nausea; vomiting.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); severe or continuing diarrhea; severe stomach cramps/pain; stools/diarrhea with mucus or blood; yellowing of skin or eyes.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).