This article discusses Clindamycin vs Flagyl, its uses, interactions, similarities and differences, dosages, and more. Antibiotics are usually used to cure infections caused by bacteria and parasites. Flagyl is a potent antibiotic used to treat many parasitic and bacterial diseases. This antibiotic medication will not treat flu, common cold, or viral infections and is available as a cost-friendly generic version.
Similarly, Clindamycin is an antibiotic medication that treats bacterial overgrowth in the vagina. Cleocin is a form of Clindamycin that comes as a suppository or ovule to be inserted into the vagina. Cleocin can be pricey because it can only be purchased as a brand-name antibiotic.
What is Clindamycin?
Clindamycin is typically available as one clindamycin hydrochloride, nicotinamide, or phosphate. These three salts possess similar antimicrobial properties and are highly effective against infectious bacteria. Once absorbed inside the body or on the skin, these salt forms of the medication are quickly converted to active Clindamycin by a process called hydrolysis.
Clindamycin is available in different forms, including oral, topical, or suspension. Clindamycin nicotinamide is usually used in the topical form of the antibiotic, while clindamycin phosphate salts are used for intramuscular and intravenous formulations. Oral forms of the medication are typically made from clindamycin hydrochloride. Clindamycin vaginal creams are usually made from Clindamycin phosphate.
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What is Flagyl?
Metronidazole is Flagyl, an antibiotic that eliminates bacteria and treats parasitic and bacterial diseases. Metronidazole eliminates infections caused by bacteria or parasites in the vagina, blood, heart, stomach, liver, joints, skin, respiratory tract, nervous system, and other body parts.
Flagyl can also be recommended to treat certain sexually transmitted diseases and recurrent bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis is a vaginal infection triggered by an excess of harmful bacteria in the vagina. Doctors usually prescribe oral Metronidazole or Metronidazole vaginal cream to treat bacterial vaginosis. Metronidazole is considered in the class of nitroimidazole antimicrobials, and it treats infections by blocking the growth of bacteria in the affected site.
Clindamycin vs Flagyl: What do they treat?
Clindamycin and Flagyl are antibiotic medications used to treat bacterial diseases in the vagina, including bacterial vaginosis.
Flagyl, or Metronidazole, can treat many diseases caused by specific bacteria and parasites. Metronidazole will not work for infections caused by viruses, common flu, or cold. Similarly, Clindamycin will not work for flu, common cold, or viral infections.
Clindamycin treats intra-abdominal infections, gynecological infections, joint and bone infections, septicemia, and skin and skin structure diseases. This medication has been used in obstet gynecol therapy for over 20 years.
On the other hand, Flagyl treats bacterial and parasitic infections in the blood, heart, joints, liver, urinary tract, respiratory system, nervous system, and other body parts.
Metronidazole treats the following diseases:
- Skin infections
- Brain infections
- Heart infections
- Parasitical infections in the intestines (amebiasis)
- Sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis
- Bacterial vaginosis
Warnings to note before taking Clindamycin and Flagyl
There are specific points and warnings to note before taking Clindamycin and Flagyl. These medications have minimal adverse effects on patients but can interact with certain medicines, foods, and health conditions.
You should avoid Clindamycin if you’re allergic to lincomycin and Clindamycin. Patients must ensure to discuss with their doctors before using antibiotics. They must inform their healthcare professionals if they’ve ever had the following:
- liver disease
- allergic skin reaction, or eczema
- colitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Intestinal disorder
- Asthma
- Allergic reaction to aspirin
- Allergic reaction to yellow food dye
People using Metronidazole must inform their healthcare professionals if they’ve ever had the following:
- Taken alcohol in the last 3 days
- Taken foods or medications containing propylene glycol in the previous 3 days
- Used disulfiram (Antabuse) in the last 14 days
- You’re allergic to metronidazole, tinidazole, and secnidazole
Before using Metronidazole, patients should also let their doctors know if they’ve had;
- liver disease
- kidney disease
- heart rhythm disorder
- Crohn’s disease or intestinal disorder
- anemia or blood disorders like a low white blood cell
- a fungal infection on any body part
- nervous system disorder
Patients should also inform their doctors if they’re pregnant, as Flagyl can harm an unborn baby.
Metronidazole is not fit for use in the first trimester of pregnancy. Furthermore, Metronidazole is not approved to be used by girls who haven’t started seeing their periods.
How to use Clindamycin vs Flagyl
Clindamycin and Flagyl are potent antibiotics prescribed to treat bacterial and parasitic infections. When using these medications, patients must follow their healthcare professional’s recommendations and dosing instructions. Reading and following the instruction sheets or medication guides with the medication’s label is equally essential.
How to use Clindamycin and Flagyl
Clindamycin and Flagyl are available in different forms, including oral, liquid, and suppository. Clindamycin oral is formulated to be taken by mouth.
Liquid Clindamycin and Flagyl are used as an infusion into the bloodstream through a vein or injected into the muscle as an injection. A qualified healthcare provider must administer the injection.
Clindamycin vs Flagyl can be taken with a full glass of water to avoid throat irritation. Patients can measure the appropriate quantity of the liquid medication using a dosing syringe or dose-measuring device instead of a kitchen spoon.
It is crucial to use Clindamycin and Flagyl for the duration prescribed by a doctor, even if active symptoms abate quickly. Skipping or misusing these medications can heighten the risk of developing resistance to the drug.
Side effects of Clindamycin and Flagyl
Like most medications, antibiotics can cause specific side effects when used. For instance, Clindamycin and Flagyl can cause severe diarrhea. Patients with watery or bloody diarrhea must immediately stop using these medications and inform their doctors.
Other side effects of Clindamycin include hives, inflammation of the throat or face, severe skin reaction, fever, sore throat, burning eyes, and red or purple skin rash, causing blisters and peeling.
Patients using Clindamycin must inform their doctors if they notice symptoms like fever, swollen glands, flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, weakness, strange bruising, or skin rash.
Patients using Flagyl must look out for signs of an adverse reaction to the medication. Some patients may experience hives, itching, a tingling sensation, joint pain, dry mouth, stuffy nose, difficulty breathing, swelling in the throat and face, or a severe skin reaction.
Patients should inform their doctors if they notice the following:
- difficulty urinating
- Confusion
- dizziness
- Unusual vaginal itching
- Strange vaginal discharge
- swollen gum
- difficulty swallowing
Clindamycin and Flagyl Drug Interactions
Like every medication, there are counterindications to note when using Flagyl or Clindamycin. Patients must inform their healthcare experts of all the drugs they’re taking before using Clindamycin or Flagyl to avoid severe complications from drug interactions.
Flagyl is known to have interactions with the following medications;
- asthma medication
- blood or heart pressure drugs
- busulfan or other medicines that treat cancer
- antidepressants
- antipsychotic medications or lithium
- medications that cure malaria, HIV
- blood thinners like Coumadin, warfarin, and Jantoven.
Eighty-five medications interact with Clindamycin, with 6 significant interactions, 77 moderate interactions, and 2 minor interactions. Some of the medicines include the following:
- Aspirin Low Strength (aspirin)
- Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate)
- Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
- Claritin (loratadine)
- CoQ10 (ubiquinone)
- Cymbalta (duloxetine)
- Eliquis (apixaban)
- Fish Oil (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids)
- Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine)
- Flonase (fluticasone nasal)
- Lasix (furosemide)
- Lipitor (atorvastatin)
- Lyrica (pregabalin)
Read Also: Does Flagyl Treat Chlamydia?
Frequently Asked Questions
Clindamycin is a potent broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat severe bacterial infections. This medication treats life-threatening skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. According to Clin Infect Dis (Clinical Infectious Diseases), using this medication in clinical trials for streptococcal infections is contentious. However, it is a highly potent antibiotic.
Clindamycin and Flagyl are potent antibiotics prescribed to treat bacterial and parasitic infections. Both antibiotics effectively treat infectious conditions and eliminate excess bacteria causing infections. Furthermore, Flagyl is available as a low-cost generic medication, while Clindamycin is typically available as a brand-name medication.
