Should I stop taking my antibiotic?
I'm taking clindamycin for a gum infection due to wisdom tooth removal. I've been taking 300 mg three times a day. Today is the fourth year I've been taking it. For the past two days I've been have cramps. They feel like menstrual cramps and are in indistinguishable area of my body where I feel menstrual cramps, but it's not that time of the month. I enjoy no other symptoms. I'm very worried about the side effects of this medication. I do not want my large intestine to go and get infected.
So should I call my oral surgeon and ask for a new antibiotic? He's provided me medications that hold made me sick before which makes me question his judgement. Should I jump to my doctor?
Answers:
Don't stop taking it before you talk to the doctor. If you do, the bacteria that are nearby now might develop resistance to the drug, making it harder to treat.
It's a common side-effect of clinda - but, it is a drug of choice for oral infections! Don't stop taking it unless you ask your doctor first.
-Chad, RN ICU
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