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What Causes Constipation And Blood In Stool After Having Clindamycin?

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Posted on Thu, 8 Jan 2015
Question: My daughter has been diagnosed with a vaginal bacterial infection. She was given Clindamycin cream to use for 7 days. The hesitation comes from the fact that she has been to Urgent Care twice before from constipation and blood in the stool. Nothing ever really came of it, but if she should have a form of colitis, would this Clindamycin be more dangerous? Are there any safer treatments for BV?
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Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (17 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
colitis can only occur with oral antibiotics not topical

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

Your concern is understandable but she would be using topical not oral antibiotics.

Pseudomembranous colitis is a form of colitis that occurs in some persons who use ORAL antibiotics. Oral clindamycin can potentially cause this problem in some persons but she is using topical antibiotics.

She is not ingesting the clindamycin so it would have minimal to no contact with her gastrointestinal tract.

The gastrointestinal tract and genitalia are not connected normally (only in persons with a history of a fistula - abnormal pathway between 2 areas of the body).

Because there is no connection and she is using the clindamycin topically not orally (therefore no contact with stomach or intestines), it does not put her at risk of colitis.

There are other treatment for BV if she is still not comfortable eg tinidazole or metronidazole.

I hope this helps,feel free to ask any other questions
Note: Revert back with your gynae reports to get a clear medical analysis by our expert Gynecologic Oncologist. Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Michelle Gibson James

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 16808 Questions

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What Causes Constipation And Blood In Stool After Having Clindamycin?

Brief Answer: colitis can only occur with oral antibiotics not topical Detailed Answer: HI, thanks for using healthcare magic Your concern is understandable but she would be using topical not oral antibiotics. Pseudomembranous colitis is a form of colitis that occurs in some persons who use ORAL antibiotics. Oral clindamycin can potentially cause this problem in some persons but she is using topical antibiotics. She is not ingesting the clindamycin so it would have minimal to no contact with her gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal tract and genitalia are not connected normally (only in persons with a history of a fistula - abnormal pathway between 2 areas of the body). Because there is no connection and she is using the clindamycin topically not orally (therefore no contact with stomach or intestines), it does not put her at risk of colitis. There are other treatment for BV if she is still not comfortable eg tinidazole or metronidazole. I hope this helps,feel free to ask any other questions