Clindamycin (Cleocin) side effects
This side effect is printed on the FDA label for Clindamycin. It was a question in our daily quiz, where you pick the real side effect from four choices.
Severe diarrhea, even two months after you finish
It's a boxed warning. Antibiotics can let a harmful gut bacterium take over, and it can be fatal.
“Clostridioides difficile -associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with use of nearly all antibacterial agents, including clindamycin hydrochloride and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis.”
Call your doctor about watery or bloody diarrhea, during treatment or weeks after.
54 reports to the FDA's adverse event system mention C. diff infection. A report is not proof the drug caused it. See the query
From quiz No. 15 · October 9, 2026 · Play that quiz →
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Not medical advice. Don't stop or start a medication because of a quiz. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Label text and report counts from openFDA. Not affiliated with any drug maker.