Topical Antibiotics & C. Diff
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Topical Antibiotics & C. Diff
Has anyone here heard of someone getting C. Diff from using topical antibiotics like the ones used for acne? My dermatologist prescribed me Zianna gel, which contains 1.2% of Clindamycin. I have been using it for several months, I wasn't sure if it was possible this could trigger C. diff since I am having problems. I can't find anything on the internet and my doctor says no it can't, but you know how that goes.
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topical clindamycin
Topical Antibiotics can be absorbed in the bloodstream and can cause problems. My guess would be that it could potentially cause problems since it has clindamycin in it, but you might want to ask and ID doctor because they are usually experts w/ these kinds of things.
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Yes it can happen, and it does....though very rarely.
Clindamycin is a huge offender when it comes to cdiff and there is not a good way of knowing if you might be one of the rare birds who would absorb enough to cause problems.
I'd guess that in your doc's experience, all his or her patients that have safely taken topical clinda. without troubles has led to the belief it "can't" happen.
Never say never.
It's always about the individual risk/benefit ratio. For me personally, the risk here would outweigh the benefit, so I'd stay away from clindamycin in any way shape or form. But you may be willing to assume more risk.
Maybe could discuss an alternative med with the Derm?
Clindamycin is a huge offender when it comes to cdiff and there is not a good way of knowing if you might be one of the rare birds who would absorb enough to cause problems.
I'd guess that in your doc's experience, all his or her patients that have safely taken topical clinda. without troubles has led to the belief it "can't" happen.
Never say never.
It's always about the individual risk/benefit ratio. For me personally, the risk here would outweigh the benefit, so I'd stay away from clindamycin in any way shape or form. But you may be willing to assume more risk.
Maybe could discuss an alternative med with the Derm?
Last edited by Allison on Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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I totally agree with Allison I would use absolutely NOTHING with Clindamycin! Clindamycin is what I go Cdiff from, I am glad that you are going to talk to your Dr.
Heather
Cdiff free 7yrs! Cdiff left me with IBS but, I am dealing with it!!
"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for. Perfection is god's business." Michael J. Fox
Cdiff free 7yrs! Cdiff left me with IBS but, I am dealing with it!!
"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for. Perfection is god's business." Michael J. Fox
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I refused to let my teenage daughter's dermatologist give her clindamycin cream for a long time for her acne. Nothing helped my daughter though so in the end I contacted at the CDC to see if they had ever had any reported cases of cdiff from topical clindamycin, and contacted the manufacturers to find out if there were any reported cases of cdiff from the product and asked the dermatologist if she had any reported cases. The answer was no to all; so in the end I let her use it. She has been using it for a couple of months now and I cannot believe the difference in her skin. It has been the only thing to help her. I am going to talk to the dermatologist though about whether in time she will be able to switch to something else now that her skin is clearing up. It still makes me very nervous that she is on it.
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Hi Mary,
I would never do this if it weren't regarding somebody who has already had C-Diff asking about Clindamycin - the devil incarnate. I think it would take much less to cause it to return. Here's a link that contradicts what you were told but I'm not surprised. I was told by my doctor that topical estrogen isn't absorbed into the skin. I am leary of all professionals at this point. They either have vested interests or just don't have the time to stay on top of everything, which is kind of understandable. I also wound up on a site once where people at least reported to have gotten C-Diff from topical Clindamycin. Whether or not that's true is another story.
http://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/cam/hn-1116000.htm
I would never do this if it weren't regarding somebody who has already had C-Diff asking about Clindamycin - the devil incarnate. I think it would take much less to cause it to return. Here's a link that contradicts what you were told but I'm not surprised. I was told by my doctor that topical estrogen isn't absorbed into the skin. I am leary of all professionals at this point. They either have vested interests or just don't have the time to stay on top of everything, which is kind of understandable. I also wound up on a site once where people at least reported to have gotten C-Diff from topical Clindamycin. Whether or not that's true is another story.
http://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/cam/hn-1116000.htm
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I know this is over the top and I should let this go already and will after this, but this is from Drugs.com regarding topical Clindamycin (I would not use it if I'd been exposed to C-Diff or had it already):
History of stomach or intestinal disease (especially colitis, including colitis caused by antibiotics, or enteritis)—These conditions may increase the chance of side effects that affect the stomach and intestines
History of stomach or intestinal disease (especially colitis, including colitis caused by antibiotics, or enteritis)—These conditions may increase the chance of side effects that affect the stomach and intestines
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I have read the insert that warns for cdiff for the topical; I was not ignorant of that. I would prefer my daughter not to use this particular cream and will not let her continue to use it long term. But she has also suffered a great deal due to her acne. I also communicated with the gentleman who is the contact at the cdc, who's name is posted on this site. I made what I felt was an informed decision and as someone who has suffered with community acquired cdiff more than once in the past six years, I don't make light of the disease. I am not suggesting to anyone else that they use a topical clindamycin, I was just posting my own struggle with the use/don't use topical decision.
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Very, very sorry Mary. There was no implication to you - just Clindamycin. I'm happy your daughter's acne is better. That can emotionally scar a person as much as C-Diff, especially at that age. You do have to weigh the benefit against the risk. You made an educated and the right decision for your daughter.
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I am such an idiot. I cannot believe I didn't google Ziana gel before I started using it. I just googled it and a bunch of stuff came up saying it can cause C. Diff. I wish I could find something that shows what percentage of people got it from the gel.
"Friends don't let friends take Flouroquninolones"
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I told you that in my travels I'd come across people who got C-Diff from topical Clindamycin and I just stumbled upon one of those looking for something else. Oh, and you're not an idiot!
Ellie Says:
March 23rd, 2006 at 2:01 pm
A doctor had me using clindomycin wipes on my face for years, supposedly for rosaeca. It wasn’t rosaeca, but I ended up with C-diff. I went through hell, but got straightened out taking probiotics and now ingesting aloe. I don’t remember any “horrible” smell with the c-diff. Could I have tested positive w/o being positive? I heard the c-diff test is not alway accurate.
Ellie Says:
March 23rd, 2006 at 2:01 pm
A doctor had me using clindomycin wipes on my face for years, supposedly for rosaeca. It wasn’t rosaeca, but I ended up with C-diff. I went through hell, but got straightened out taking probiotics and now ingesting aloe. I don’t remember any “horrible” smell with the c-diff. Could I have tested positive w/o being positive? I heard the c-diff test is not alway accurate.
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Re: Topical Antibiotics & C. Diff
My doctor just gave me a clindomycin for some boils on my stomach. I hadn't really put much thought into it as it was a cream so I used it once last night but after reading the warnings and this thread I don't think I'm going to use it again. I don't think it's worth the risk to me.
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