Cleocin vs. Vancomycin Hydrochloride

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

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

Vancomycin is indicated for penicillin-allergic patients, for patients who cannot receive or who have failed to respond to other drugs, including the penicillins or cephalosporins.

Cleocin and vancomycin hydrochloride belong to different antibiotic drug classes. Cleocin is a lincomycin antibiotic and vancomycin hydrochloride is a glycopeptide antibiotic.

Common 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 Vancomycin Hydrochloride include:

• serious allergic reactions (anaphylactoid reactions),
• including low blood pressure,
• wheezing,
• indigestion,
• hives, or
• itching.
• Rapid infusion of Vancomycin may also cause flushing of the upper body (called "red neck" or "red man syndrome"),
• dizziness,
• low blood pressure, or
• pain and muscle spasm of the chest and back.

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

Vancomycin is an antibiotic indicated for the treatment of serious or severe infections caused by susceptible strains of methicillin-resistant (beta-lactam-resistant) staphylococci. Vancomycin is indicated for penicillin-allergic patients, for patients who cannot receive or who have failed to respond to other drugs, including the penicillins or cephalosporins, and for infections caused by Vancomycin susceptible organisms that are resistant to other antimicrobial drugs.

Cleocin may interact with other neuromuscular blocking agents or erythromycin.

Vancomycin hydrochloride may interact with cidofovir, drugs that may harm the kidneys (amphotericin B, cisplatin, polymyxin, colistin, aminoglycosides such as gentamicin, tobramycin), other antibiotics, and live bacterial vaccines.

Apply a thin film of Cleocin T Topical 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 usual daily intravenous adult dose of Vancomycin is 2 g divided either as 500 mg every 6 hours or 1 g every 12 hours. Vancomycin may interact with anesthetic agents, or other potentially neurotoxic and/or nephrotoxic drugs (such as amphotericin B, aminoglycosides, bacitracin, polymyxin B, colistin, viomycin, or cisplatin). Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when prescribed. Vancomycin passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.