Clindamycin and Heartburn: What Users Say (Page 4)

• acc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 25, 2018

For Bone infection "I had a tooth infection that spread into the bone and was making me ill. The dentist extracted the tooth and cleaned it up, put me on clindamycin 150 mg every 6 hours for a week. I looked here first and was scared to take it - almost emailed him to ask for a different antibiotic, but I tried it and it seems to be working! It didn't give me heartburn or diarrhea, I'm just tired, but that could be the pain meds and healing."

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2019

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Clindamycin caused excruciating esophageal and gastric pain, nausea, and a general feeling that I was going to die. I woke up in the middle of the night with extreme chest pain and couldn't even get out of bed, and eventually passed out. I was genuinely surprised to be alive when I woke up the next morning. I could only get through three days before the side effects became this severe, and they only got worse and worse. It took more than 8 months to fully recover, and I was living with severe heartburn, weakness, nausea, and inability to eat or drink without severe pain. Thousands of dollars of tests, additional drugs, probiotics, and self-medication later, it eventually got better. Upper endoscopy revealed severe gastritis, which I know was directly caused by clindamycin. Never again."

• Roc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I was prescribed clindamycin for parotitis, which is a bacterial infection. On day 2, I had the worst heartburn and burning in my throat that nothing could relieve. I was told by my doctor to stop the medication, but I still have severe heartburn and throat pain. This is the worst experience I've ever had and do not recommend this medication for anyone."

• Kis...
• June 22, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "I'm taking this for strep throat, 10 days, 3x a day. At first, it worked fine, felt like it was helping. Now I'm almost done, and these last few days have been awful. I have bad heartburn. It hurts from my stomach to my throat. It burns. My stomach hurts to move, feels like bad gas, and my throat hurts to swallow anything. It's hard to drink."

• Alb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I began taking this yesterday for an infection due to a wisdom tooth extraction. I called my surgeon after just 3 doses and asked him to switch my prescription. Shortly after taking my first pill, I got awful heartburn. My entire body and organs felt terrible. It's been 13 hours after taking my last dose of it and I still have awful chest pain. This should be used as a last resort antibiotic."

• Ugh...
• August 17, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "I had a bad skin infection that turned into a blood infection rather quickly. While this antibiotic kicked its ass, it also kicked mine. I was on 500 mg 3 times a day for about 2 weeks (starting off with IV and then when I was discharged, pills). The side effects I experienced were like a living hell. I'd rather cut off my leg than take them again. Heartburn, metallic taste, my skin started peeling off on my hands, face, and legs. My eczema broke out terribly, but my acne cleared up, so there's that. But the worst part was the diarrhea and nausea. I feel so faint and tired, 24/7, no appetite, and my stomach feels like I have bowling balls in it. I've been vomiting almost every day along with nonstop diarrhea. It works. But it's HELL, even after you stop."

• Anonymous
• January 30, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "Does its job, but about 5 days in, I'm having extreme heartburn, chest, and back pain. It's really painful, worst I've ever had. I thought about going to the hospital, but I'm drinking some warm tea, trying to take deep breaths."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2022

For Sinusitis "Went to the ER for a sinus infection. The doctor prescribed me amoxicillin, even though I told her I was allergic to it, so the pharmacy switched it to clindamycin. The first two days were okay, and the pressure in my head was going away, so I thought it was working, except for the extreme heartburn. On the third day, I started vomiting, and my head felt like it was going to explode. Then that night, I woke up, and my body felt like it was on fire, and I was itchy and broke out in very bad hives. My body started swelling up badly, and I ended up back in the ER."

• Yog...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "First off, if you have difficulty swallowing capsules, you will have a hard time with this medicine. I have no problem with normal coated tablets and pills, but found it extremely hard to swallow due to it being in a capsule. After 3-4 days of no issues of the 300 mg dose for reoccurring strep, I had an awful reaction. After I struggled to get it down, I quickly (5-10 minutes) started to feel a strong heartburn/acid reflux feeling in my chest. This is common for me, so I just took some Tums like I normally would and thought I'd be fine. After about 15-20 mins, it still wasn't gone, and I started to feel extremely nauseous and had to run to the bathroom and proceeded to vomit quite violently. So I stopped taking the medicine."

• MsL...
• April 9, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "I'm taking clindamycin for a tooth infection. The first day I took the pill, I drank a smoothie with it and didn't lay down for a while. I didn't have any problems at all, no heartburn, no irritated throat, and no stomach pain. It's how you take the medicine and what you take it with."

• Roc...
• May 26, 2014

For Bone infection "I am currently taking 330 mg capsules after one of my dental implants failed to take, and the doc thinks there is an infection. I don't know that the medicine is helping that condition, there never has been any pain, swelling, or drainage. However, as many others, the 'heartburn' is like I've never experienced. I tolerate pain pretty well, but I was on the verge of tears when I climbed into bed one night. I honestly thought it might be an oncoming heart attack. I found taking ibuprofen with the capsule headed off much of the bother. I saw nothing listed in the side effects list that came with the medicine, but it is frequently mentioned here."

• Mik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2017

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Prescribed clindamycin for stubborn skin infection. I have a great (medical) doctor, whose base is a teaching hospital. I asked my doctor if clindamycin had side effects. She said some develop digestive irritation and started me on yogurt, three times daily, for five days before medication start, then twice daily while taking the antibiotic. Following this advice, plus plenty of water (like at least one 'Big Gulp' size ingested with pills), I had no side effects--and I've suffered excruciating (antibiotic) side effects mirroring leg amputation sans morphine while giving birth. Yes--that bad! The day I skipped my regimen, I had mild diarrhea and heartburn only. This discomfort had me back on yogurt and water, and zero side effects."

• lou...
• April 15, 2018

For Bacterial Infection "Real-world experience: this is a great antibiotic if you are allergic to penicillin. I gave this an 8 because no medication is perfect. Some real simple, easy-to-follow instructions to help lessen any side effects: 1. Take with plenty of water, 16 oz minimum. 2. If you get an upset stomach, take your next doses with a meal or snack (I've taken it with food to ensure no issues). 3. Do NOT lay down after taking clindamycin, wait at least an hour or more. 4. Ties into #3: schedule your doses accordingly and do NOT miss a dose. 5. The most common dose is a 300 mg pink capsule, if you have trouble swallowing big pills, try asking for 2x 150 mg capsules instead of the 300 mg capsule (the pink capsule is a bit of a 'horse pill,' even though it's a gel cap). All in all, any real side effects are stomach-related (gas, loose stools, and heartburn). If those side effects are too intense for you, please ask your doctor for another antibiotic ASAP. Hope this helps."

• Anonymous
• January 3, 2012

For Bacterial Infection "On the third day of taking it, I woke up with heartburn and felt awful the entire day. Headache, feverish, nausea, and aches. I stopped taking the medicine and will not take it again. I have not taken a pill since Sunday night at 10:30 pm. It's Tuesday morning, and I still have heartburn."

• Ari...
• July 28, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "Prescribed 300 mg 3x a day for five days. Take during a normal-sized meal. Side effects have been occasional diarrhea and now the worst chest pain/heartburn. Took the medicine before bed, didn't lie down until later, but woke up with incredible pain in my chest that spread. Before reading these posts, the chest pain was so bad I was ready to go to the ER. Unsure how long this heartburn will last, otherwise, this antibiotic did its job and the infection is mostly gone. Very effective. Still have a couple more days to go."

• J L...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2021

For Bacterial Infection "Had to be on this to treat a bad abscess from a tooth infection. This stuff worked 100%, but I had such bad heartburn it was unreal. I was on the floor crying, it hurt so bad. And whatever side effects it says it gives you, it 1000% does."

• can...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2019

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I had a tooth infection, and I'm allergic to most antibiotics, so my doctor told me he had to give me 'one that would be hard on the stomach.' As someone who is afraid of vomiting, I decided to research it, and let me tell you... these reviews terrified me. However, I can say that this medication was (mostly) okay! I was taking it three times a day. Each time I'd take it, I'd drink a bottle of water and eat a piece of toast. They recommend not to lay down for 10 minutes after taking it-- wait longer. I attempted to lay down after 20 minutes and had the worst burning in my esophagus ever, and that's coming from someone with GERD who is no newbie when it comes to heartburn. I waited 45 minutes to an hour after that and had no issues until the last day. At the end of my script, I began breaking out in hives, then had the worst heartburn I could ever imagine anytime I tried to lay down. While I didn't face the typical stomach issues, the heartburn was enough to make me wary to ever take this medication again."

• LVC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2019

For Bacterial Infection "I am taking clindamycin 300 mg every 6 hours for an infected bug bite. Currently, it has been six days since I started the meds, and overall it has been good. The most important thing is that the infection has gotten much better. However, I do remember the first night I got severe headaches, and I also have been experiencing mild diarrhea. I recommend anyone taking this to drink a lot of water to avoid severe diarrhea, also, do not lay down for at least 20-30 minutes after taking it, as many others have been reporting heartburn if they lay down right away."

• Mjr...
• April 2, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "I have taken clindamycin a few times as it's the only antibiotic I am not allergic to. This time I'm taking it for a recurring bladder infection, 300 mg every 6 hours. I have MS, so discomfort in my tummy is a normal thing for me. One day in, and my bladder infection is so much better. This is the absolute best antibiotic I have taken for a bladder infection. The heartburn and yuck taste in your mouth is unpleasant but temporary. You know doubt will end up with a yeast infection from this antibiotic because it kills ALL bacteria, good and bad. But because it works quickly, the side effects are worth it."

• pin...
• August 18, 2017

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "This has honestly been one of the worst experiences with medicine I've ever had. Dr. prescribed me 300 mg of this medicine, three times a day. First, no issues. I took my second pill with some yogurt and bread since it was later into the night. I sat up for about 20 minutes as the bottle says not to lay down for at least 10 minutes after taking. I woke up about 45 min with the worst pain in my chest and back, sharp burning pain, excruciating heartburn pain, and constant large painful burps. I seriously thought I was dying and almost went to the ER. After two pills, I stopped. It's been 2 days, and now it hurts to swallow down in my esophagus like there is a chemical burn. Feel like I have the flu all over. NEVER AGAIN."

• Eli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2016

For Bacterial Infection "This is the worst antibiotic ever. I had a tooth which got infected. Expect severe heartburn, back pain. Anywhere that you have ever injured flares up. Stomach issues, flu-like symptoms. I had chills then got hot. Minimal exercise and could not breathe. Ask your physician for another medication. It's not worth it. Try something else first. My eyelashes itch. It's bad."

• Anonymous
• February 13, 2011

For Surgical Prophylaxis "I was prescribed clindamycin by my oral surgeon as a prophylactic antibiotic before having my wisdom teeth extracted. Neither the doctor, pharmacist, nor the drug fact sheet indicated that it could cause severe heartburn or chest pains. Within a day of taking clindamycin, I had developed clenching chest/esophageal pain and heartburn. My doctor extended my clindamycin script to fight these symptoms. I went to the E.R. this morning for fear that my artificial pulmonary valve was infected. I was told to take Maalox. After stopping my clindamycin dosage (I have already finished all that were initially prescribed), my fever has broken, rash went away, and I feel drastically better."

• I...
• May 20, 2017

For Bacterial Infection "I started taking 300 mg originally after an infected tooth extraction. My 1st round with this medication was fine, no issues nor side effects. I was prescribed a large quantity, so I had quite a bit left over once my infection was gone. A month later, I have an upper respiratory infection or bronchitis. I can't take off work, so going to the doctor for me is not an option. The 2nd time I began taking this antibiotic, I changed absolutely nothing in how I administered it. Within 2-3 minutes of taking it, I had the worst heartburn, stomach burning, feels like I have something lodged in between my breast and my esophagus. Seven hours in, a bottle of Tums, four cups of milk later, I'm still on fire! To tell someone to 'suck it up' is VERY abhorrent, you haven't felt these side effects."

• Ups...
• December 29, 2018

For Bacterial Infection "I have several health conditions and ended up getting an abscess in my nose that, due to my health issues, I couldn’t fight off. The swelling became severe and up to the whole right side of my face, which started becoming severely deformed. I went to the ER and was given this through an IV and handled it okay (I have an amoxicillin and Cephalosporin allergy). I was given 7 days of antibiotics to take every 6 hours. The side effects are awful. Within the first few days, I developed a horrible rash on my face, but the medicine was helping, so I continued it. My stomach is completely screwed up, I’m horribly nauseous half the time, and I’m almost done now, but this is the second time I’ve had excruciating heartburn. The only reason I’m giving this 3 stars is that it’s the only thing that made the severe swelling in my face go away. I was starting to panic and saw this forum with other people who are also experiencing this, I hope the pain goes away soon."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2015

For Bacterial Infection "Given for amoxicillin non-respondent strep/tonsillitis. This is my 4th day. Infection immediately started diminishing. I have had the worst heartburn and indigestion imaginable. I was not warned about the water or not laying down until I read these posts. Hopefully that helps because I am miserable and still have 6 days to go!!! :("