Cleocin vs. Erythromycin

• Are Cleocin and Erythromycin the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Cleocin?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Erythromycin?
• What is Cleocin?
• What is Erythromycin?
• What Drugs Interact with Cleocin?
• What Drugs Interact with Erythromycin?
• How Should Cleocin Be Taken?
• How Should Erythromycin Be Taken?

Cleocin (clindamycin hydrochloride) and erythromycin are antibiotics used to treat various infections caused by bacteria.

Cleocin and erythromycin are different types of antibiotics. Cleocin is a lincomycin antibiotic and erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic.

Common side effects of Cleocin include:

• dizziness,
• lightheadedness, and
• an increased amount of urine, especially during the first few days as your body adjusts to the medication.

Other side effects of Cleocin include:

• burning,
• itching,
• dryness,
• redness,
• oily skin,
• skin peeling, or
• other irritation of treated skin.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Cleocin including:

• severe redness, itching, or dryness of treat skin areas; or
• diarrhea that is watery or bloody.

Common side effects of Erythromycin include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• abdominal pain, and
• loss of appetite.

Cleocin (clindamycin) is an antibiotic used to treat severe acne. Cleocin T is available in generic form.

Erythromycin Base Filmtab (erythromycin) is macrolide antibiotic used to treat people that are infected with organisms susceptible to erythromycin. Some of the diseases Erythromycin Base Filmtab treats are mild to moderate upper and lower respiratory tract infections, listeriosis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), skin infections and many others.

Cleocin may interact with other neuromuscular blocking agents or erythromycin.

Erythromycin Base Filmtabs may interact with ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, benzodiazepines, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, sildenafil, cyclosporine, carbamazepine, tacrolimus, alfentanil, disopyramide, rifabutin, quinidine, methylprednisolone, cilostazol, vinblastine, bromocriptine, cisapride, pimozide, astemizole, terfenadine, hexobarbital, phenytoin, valproate, and astemizole. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before using Erythromycin Base Filmtab; it is unknown if it will affect a fetus. Erythromycin Base Filmtab passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Apply a thin film of Cleocin twice daily to affected area. Cleocin T may interact with erythromycin topical or erythromycin taken by mouth. Tell your doctor all medications you are taking. The dose of Cleocin HCl for adults is 150 to 300 mg every 6 hours. For more severe infections is 300 to 450 mg every 6 hours. The dose of for pediatric patients is 8 to 16 mg/kg/day divided in three or four equal doses. For more severe infections, 16 to 20 mg/kg/day divided in three or four equal doses.

The adult dose of Erythromycin Base Filmtab is one 250 mg tablet 4 times per day with a maximum dose of 4 grams per 24 hours while the 500 mg tablet is twice a day (total doses over 1 gram per day should be divided into 4 doses per 24 hours). Pediatric doses range from 30 to 50 mg/Kg/day (milligrams per Kilogram per 24 hours), but should not to exceed 4g per day. Patients are advised to take Erythromycin Base Filmtab tablets without food, at least ½ hour up to 2 hrs (the preferred time interval) before eating food.