Gastrointestinal side effects following clindamycin and lincomycin treatment—a follow up study

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Abstract
Clindamycin or lincomycin treatment was given to 368 patients, 334 for established bacterial infections and 34 as prophylaxis. The majority of infections were related to the gastrointestinal tract (271 patients), genital tract (34 patients) and bone (26 patients). Where clinical and bacteriological assessment was possible, the cure rates were 81% for clindamycin and 79% for lincomycin. Antibiotic-induced diarrhoea was seen in 43 (12%) of patients and it was more common in women than men, in the over 60 years old age group and in gastrointestinal and bone infections. Normal bowel function was recovered by 39% of patients with diarrhoea while still receiving the antibiotic therapy. No significant changes were seen in the faecal flora that could be related to diarrhoea. Long-term follow-up of 280 patients showed that only 5 (1.8%) had persisting gastrointestinal tract symptoms and no abnormality was found on radiological or sigmoidoscopic examination. No cases of pseudomembranous colitis were seen. In this group of patients, clindamycin or lincomycin therapy was not associated with persisting bowel dysfunction or disease even when diarrhoea developed during treatment.

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