Cleocin vs. Penicillin

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

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

Cleocin and penicillin belong to different antibiotic drug classes. Cleocin is a lincomycin antibiotic and penicillin is a penicillin antibiotic.

Side effects of Cleocin and penicillin that are similar include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach/abdominal pain, and skin rash or itching.

Side effects of Cleocin that are different from penicillin include joint pain, vaginal itching or discharge, heartburn, sore throat, and changes in bowel habits (especially in older adults).

Side effects of penicillin that are different from Cleocin include stomach upset, hives, and black "hairy" tongue.

Cleocin may interact with other neuromuscular blocking agents and erythromycin.

Penicillin may interact with probenecid.

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 Penicillin include:

• injection site reactions (pain, redness, swelling, bruising, or irritation),
• twitching or muscle spasm,
• overactive reflexes,
• mild skin rash,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• upset stomach,
• diarrhea,
• black or hairy tongue,
• fever,
• chills,
• muscle pain,
• headache,
• fast heart rate,
• hyperventilation,
• flushing,
• low blood pressure, and
• allergic reactions (including itching, rash, and anaphylaxis).

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

Penicillin is an antibiotic used to treat severe infections including strep and staph infections, diphtheria, meningitis, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Penicillin G potassium is available in generic form.

Cleocin may interact with other neuromuscular blocking agents or erythromycin.

Penicillin may interact with other antibiotics, aspirin, phenylbutazone, sulfonamides, indomethacin, thiazide diuretics, furosemide and ethacrynic acid. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you take.

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 dosafe of Penicillin is dependent upon what it is being used to treat.