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Clindamycin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of clindamycin include drug hypersensitivity, diarrhoea, and rash, based on 44,104 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Clindamycin side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for clindamycin.

1
Drug Hypersensitivity10.1%4,448
2
Drug Ineffective7.1%3,130
3
Diarrhoea5.6%2,468
4
Rash5.4%2,396
5
Nausea4.8%2,122
6
Off Label Use4.3%1,880
7
Pain4.1%1,808
8
Fatigue3.9%1,712
9
Acute Kidney Injury3.7%1,611
10
Chronic Kidney Disease3.5%1,531
11
Dyspnoea3.3%1,469
12
Pruritus3.1%1,369
13
Pyrexia3.0%1,333
14
Headache2.9%1,293
15
Vomiting2.8%1,237

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that clindamycin caused these reactions.

Report severity

70.5%Serious31,113 reports
34.4%Hospitalizations15,161 reports
7.5%Fatal3,315 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Clindamycin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside clindamycin. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Vancomycin3.6%1,586
2
Ciprofloxacin3.4%1,478
3
Omeprazole3.2%1,416
4
Esomeprazole2.9%1,287
5
Amoxicillin2.9%1,276
6
Pantoprazole-sodium2.8%1,256
7
Sodium-oxybate2.7%1,205
8
Adalimumab2.5%1,118
9
Metronidazole2.5%1,084
10
Levofloxacin2.4%1,073
11
Doxycycline2.4%1,055
12
Ceftriaxone-sodium2.0%904
13
Lansoprazole2.0%886
14
Lenalidomide2.0%880
15
Benzoyl-peroxide1.7%758

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen16.3%7,176
2
Ergocalciferol9.4%4,155
3
Albuterol9.3%4,082
4
Aspirin8.7%3,816
5
Prednisone8.3%3,668
6
Levothyroxine-sodium8.0%3,516
7
Furosemide7.9%3,505
8
Omeprazole7.9%3,488
9
Gabapentin7.5%3,323
10
Ondansetron7.5%3,306
11
Ibuprofen7.5%3,300
12
Fluticasone7.0%3,099
13
Oxycodone6.6%2,916
14
Amlodipine6.5%2,856
15
Atorvastatin-calcium6.0%2,647

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports clindamycin side effects

58.9% of clindamycin adverse event reports involve female patients and 33.7% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 61%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female58.9%
Male33.7%
Unknown7.5%

Age group

< 21.4%
2–112.7%
12–174.4%
18–6460.8%
65+30.7%

What is clindamycin used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking clindamycin when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal DistensionAbdominal Hernia RepairAbdominal InfectionAbdominal PainAbdominal Wall AbscessAbnormal Uterine BleedingAbortion InducedAbortion InfectedAbscessAbscess BacterialAbscess DrainageAbscess GumAbscess JawAbscess Limb

Showing 15 of 1,780 indications

Clindamycin brand names and reporting trend

Clindamycin is sold under brand names including Cleocin Phosphate, Cleocin.

Brand names

Cleocin Phosphate3,899
Cleocin49

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking clindamycin with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.