clindamycin (as hydrochloride)
Capsules 150 mg
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
Please read this leaflet carefully before you start taking Clindamycin BNM.
This leaflet answers some common questions about Clindamycin BNM. It does not contain all the available information. The most up-to-date Consumer Medicine Information can be downloaded from www.ebs.tga.gov.au.
Reading this leaflet does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Clindamycin BNM against the benefits this medicine is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may want to read it again.
What Clindamycin BNM is used for
Clindamycin BNM contains clindamycin, an antibiotic. Clindamycin is used to treat bacterial infections in different parts of the body.
It works by killing or stopping the growth of the bacteria causing your infection.
Clindamycin BNM will not work against viral infections such as colds or flu.
Clindamycin BNM is recommended for patients who are allergic to penicillin or patients for whom penicillin is not suitable.
Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why it has been prescribed for you.
Clindamycin BNM is available only with a doctor’s prescription.
Clindamycin BNM is not addictive.
Before you take Clindamycin BNM
Clindamycin BNM is not suitable for everyone.
When you must not take it
Do not take Clindamycin BNM if you are allergic to any medicine containing clindamycin, lincomycin (a very similar antibiotic), or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Do not take it after the expiry date (‘EXP’) printed on the pack. If you take it after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.
Do not take it if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:
- diarrhoea, especially severe diarrhoea associated with fever, stomach pain or cramps, or passage of blood and mucous
- a history of gastrointestinal (stomach or gut) problems, particularly colitis (inflammation of the large bowel)
- severe liver or kidney problems
- a history of allergies (e.g. asthma, hay fever or eczema)
- lactose intolerance
- kidney disease
Tell your doctor if you are over 60 years old. Diarrhoea and inflammation of the large bowel occur more frequently and may be more severe if you are over 60 years old.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Since the active ingredient in Clindamycin BNM crosses the placenta, it should be used in pregnancy only if clearly needed. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of using it if you are pregnant.
Do not breast-feed if you are taking this medicine. The active ingredient in Clindamycin BNM passes into breast milk and there is a possibility that your baby may be affected.
Do not give Clindamycin BNM to children. Clindamycin BNM is not recommended in children for formulation reasons.
If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, tell them before you start taking Clindamycin BNM.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Tell any healthcare professional who is prescribing a new medicine for you that you are taking Clindamycin BNM.
Some medicines and Clindamycin BNM may interfere with each other. These include:
- medicines used to relax muscles
- erythromycin or rifampicin, an antibiotic (medicine used to treat infections).
If you have bowel problems, do not take opioid pain medicines or medicines for diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor. These medicines may make your bowel problems worse.
The above medicines may be affected by Clindamycin BNM, or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of Clindamycin BNM, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Clindamycin BNM.
How to take Clindamycin BNM
Read the label carefully and follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the pack, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
The standard adult dose is one capsule every six hours (i.e. 4 times a day). Your doctor may increase this dosage for more serious infections.
Clindamycin BNM is not recommended in children for formulation reasons.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure of the correct dose for you. They will tell you exactly how much to take. This depends on your condition and the type of infection.
If you take the wrong dose, Clindamycin BNM may not work as well and your problem may not improve.
Swallow the capsules whole with a full glass of water and in an upright position. The content of Clindamycin BNM capsules may irritate your food pipe, therefore it is important they are swallowed without getting stuck.
When to take it
Take Clindamycin BNM with or without food (it does not matter), every six hours or as advised by your doctor.
How long to take it
Continue taking the capsules until you finish the pack or until your doctor tells you to stop. Check with your doctor if you are not sure how long you should be taking it.
Do not stop taking Clindamycin BNM because you are feeling better. If you do not complete the full course prescribed by your doctor, some of the bacteria causing your infection may not be killed. These bacteria may continue to grow and multiply, so your infection may not clear up completely or it may return.
If you forget to take it
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take the next dose when you are meant to.
Do not try to make up for missed doses by taking more than one dose at a time. This may increase the chance of getting an unwanted side effect.
If there is still a long time to go before your next dose, take it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking it as you would normally.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for hints.
While you are taking Clindamycin BNM
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Clindamycin BNM. Likewise, tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking this medicine.
Tell your doctor if the symptoms of your infection do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse.
If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
If you develop severe diarrhoea, tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Do this even if it occurs several weeks after you have stopped taking Clindamycin BNM. Do not take any medicines for diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor. Diarrhoea may mean that you have a serious condition affecting your bowel. You may need urgent medical care.
If you get a severe skin rash tell your doctor immediately. Do this even if the rash occurs after Clindamycin BNM has been stopped. A severe skin rash may mean you are having an allergic reaction to Clindamycin BNM. You may need urgent medical care.
Tell your doctor if you get a sore, white mouth or tongue while taking or soon after stopping Clindamycin BNM. Also tell your doctor if you get vaginal itching or discharge. This may mean you have a fungal/yeast infection called thrush. Sometimes the use of antibiotics allows fungi/yeast to grow and the above symptoms to occur. Clindamycin BNM does not work against fungi/yeast.
Your doctor may want to carry out liver and kidney function tests or blood counts during long-term treatment.
Things you must not do
Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you. This medicine is only intended for the use of the person it has been prescribed for.
Do not take Clindamycin BNM to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Clindamycin BNM affects you. Make sure you know how you react to it before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous.
In case of overdose
If you take too much
Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26), or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Clindamycin BNM.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
If you take too many capsules, you may notice some of the following signs and symptoms of overdose:
- severe diarrhoea, usually with blood and mucous, stomach pain, fever (symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis, an inflammation of the large bowel)
- skin rash.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Clindamycin BNM.
Like all medicines, Clindamycin BNM may occasionally cause side effects in some people. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- nausea and/or vomiting
- itching of the skin
- taste disturbance or loss of taste.
These side effects are usually mild.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following:
- stomach pain or cramping
- diarrhoea
- inflammation of the food pipe, or ulcers and/or pain in the food pipe
- heartburn
- skin rash, hives, irritation of the skin
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
- oral thrush (white, furry, sore tongue and/or mouth)
- vaginal thrush (discharge and itching in the vagina)
- painful or swollen joints.
These may be serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.
Tell your doctor immediately if you develop the following symptoms while you are taking Clindamycin BNM, or several weeks after you have finished taking it:
- severe stomach cramps
- severe diarrhoea (sometimes with blood and mucous)
- fever, in combination with one or both of the above.
These are symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis, an inflammation of the large bowel, which may require urgent medical care.
Tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
- serious allergic reaction (swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing)
- severe skin reactions accompanied by fever and chills, aching muscles and generally feeling unwell.
- enlarged lymph glands and/or fever
- swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet, decreased urine output, irregular heartbeat, and confusion
- chest pain, and/or shortness of breath.
These are very serious side effects; you may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Some of these side effects (for example, abnormal blood test results and certain kidney and liver conditions) can only be found when your doctor does tests from time to time to check on your progress.
After taking Clindamycin BNM
Storage
Keep your capsules in the pack until it is time to take them. If you take the capsules out of the pack they may not keep well.
Keep Clindamycin BNM in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom, near a sink, or on a window sill. Do not leave it in the car. Heat and damp can destroy some medicines.
Keep it and any other medicine where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Do not keep Clindamycin BNM past its expiry date.
Disposal
Return any unused medicine and any medicine past its expiry date (as shown on the labelling) to your pharmacy.
Product description
What it looks like
Clindamycin BNM is available in blister packs of 24 or 100 capsules. The capsules have a powder blue opaque cap and a purple transparent body.
Ingredients
Active ingredient:
- Clindamycin hydrochloride, equivalent to 150 mg of clindamycin per capsule
Inactive ingredients:
- Lactose monohydrate
- magnesium stearate
- maize starch
- purified talc
- gelatin
- titanium dioxide
- carmoisine
- indigo carmine
- patent blue V.
Clindamycin BNM contains lactose.
Clindamycin BNM does not contain sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
Sponsor details
Boucher & Muir Pty Ltd
Level 9, 76 Berry Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
AUST R 219946
Date of preparation
This leaflet was prepared on 02 March 2022.
Published by MIMS April 2022