Clindesse (clindamycin phosphate) is an antibiotic is used to treat a certain type of vaginal infection (bacterial vaginosis) in women who are not pregnant.
These symptoms may be due to a new vaginal infection (e.g., yeast/fungal infection)
Contact your doctor if you notice a change in vaginal discharge or other new vaginal symptoms.
Dosage for Clindesse
The recommended dose is the complete contents of a single pre-filled applicator containing 5 g of Clindesse cream administered once intravaginally at any time of the day.
What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Clindesse?
Clindesse may interact with other drugs. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.
Clindesse During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
During pregnancy, Clindesse should be used only when prescribed. It is unknown if the medication in Clindesse passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.
Additional Information
Our Clindesse (clindamycin phosphate) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.
Clindesse Consumer Information
SIDE EFFECTS: Although uncommon, mild stomach upset may occur. If this effect persists or worsens, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Infrequently, vaginal discomfort/burning/itching/discharge may occur or worsen. These symptoms may be due to a new vaginal infection (e.g., yeast/fungal infection). Contact your doctor if you notice a change in vaginal discharge or other new vaginal symptoms.
Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
A very small amount of this medication may be absorbed into your blood and may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea) due to a type of resistant bacteria. This condition may occur during treatment or weeks to months after treatment has stopped. Do not use anti-diarrhea products or narcotic pain medications if you have any of the following symptoms because these products may make them worse. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop: persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, blood/mucus in your stool.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US -
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
The data described below reflect exposure to Clindesse in 368 patients. Clindesse was studied in three clinical studies: placebo-controlled (n=85), active-controlled (n=263), and single-arm (n=20). The population was female, aged 18 to 78, who were diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis. Patient demographics in the trials were 51% Caucasian, 36% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 3% Asian, other or unknown. All patients received 100 mg clindamycin phosphate cream intravaginally in a single dose.
Of the 368 women treated with a single dose of Clindesse, 1.6% of the patients discontinued therapy due to adverse reactions. Adverse reactions occurred in 126 of 368 patients (34%) treated with Clindesse and in 32 of 85 patients (38%) treated with placebo.
Adverse reactions occurring in ≥2% of patients receiving Clindesse in the placebo-controlled clinical trial are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Adverse Reactions Occurring in ≥2% of Clindesse-Treated Patients and at a Higher Rate than Placebo-Treated Patients
Adverse Event
Clindesse N=85 n %
Placebo N=85 n %
Vaginosis fungal NOS*
12 (14)
7 (8)
Headache NOS
6 (7)
2 (2)
Back Pain
4 (5)
1 (1)
Constipation
2 (2)
0 (0)
Urinary tract infection NOS
2 (2)
0 (0)
N = number of patients in intent-to-treat population n (%) = number and percentage of patients with reported adverse reaction NOS = not otherwise specified
The use of clindamycin may result in the overgrowth of non-susceptible fungal organisms in the vagina and may require antifungal treatment
Other reactions reported by <1% of those women treated with Clindesse include:
Clindesse affords minimal peak serum levels and systemic exposure (AUCs) of clindamycin compared to an oral or intravenous dose of clindamycin [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. Data from well-controlled trials directly comparing clindamycin administered orally to clindamycin administered vaginally are not available.
The following additional adverse reactions and altered laboratory tests have been reported with the oral or parenteral use of clindamycin:
Hematopoietic: Transient neutropenia (leukopenia), eosinophilia, agranulocytosis, and thrombocytopenia have been reported. No direct etiologic relationship to concurrent clindamycin therapy could be made in any of these reports.
Hypersensitivity Reactions: Maculopapular rash, vesiculobullous rash, and urticaria have been observed during drug therapy. Generalized mild to moderate morbilliform-like skin rashes are the most frequently reported of all adverse reactions. Cases of erythema multiforme, some resembling Stevens-Johnson syndrome, have been associated with clindamycin. A few cases of anaphylactoid reactions have been reported.
Liver: Jaundice and abnormalities in liver function tests have been observed during clindamycin therapy.
Musculoskeletal: Cases of polyarthritis have been reported.
Renal: Although no direct relationship of clindamycin to renal damage has been established, renal dysfunction as evidenced by azotemia, oliguria, and/or proteinuria has been observed in rare instances.
Postmarketing Experience
The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of Clindesse. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.
&Copy; Clindesse Patient Information is supplied by Cerner Multum, Inc. and Clindesse Consumer information is supplied by First Databank, Inc., used under license and subject to their respective copyrights.
