Abscessed Tooth & Clindamycin?!

Abscessed Tooth & Clindamycin?

I have an abscessed tooth and was prescribed Clindamycin which I have taken twice today. I am to take this medicine, 150mg, 4 times a day, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bed - and I have 7 days worth (28 pills). My big question is being in between a rock and a hard spot with my abscess is how dangerous is this medicine?? I am trying to fix my problem and not start another....does it seem like I have to take a lot of this stuff more that necessary? I am just mainly worried about the side affects i have read, such as colitus. Please anyone who can help or has been through this before, your feedback would greatly be appreciated? Should I request a different antibiotic like amoxicillian? Thanks much in advance.

You have an infection in your mouth, an area filled with a great variety of bacteria already. Clindamycin is particularly effective at killing the types of bacteria commonly found in the mouth, as well as the anaerobic kinds probably causing the abcess. Amoxicillin is not as effective, which is why it wasn't prescribed in the first place, most likely. You are prescribed the standard amount for the type problem you have. The dentist wants to get the infection under control as quickly as possible, since infections in the mouth can get into the bloodstream and the brain quite easily and quickly overwhelm your entire body. Systemic infections are more deadly than a localized one. The side effects you read about are common in all types of antibiotics, which kill bacteria all over the body, particularly those in the gut. Gut bacteria are necessary for proper digestion, and if you kill off enough of them you get the diarrhea and gas. In the case of the Clindamycin, it kills off many of the various types found in the body. You can however, take dairy products with it, so you can do a constant replenishment of the bacteria with a carton of live active culture yogurt. The chances of developing a colitis in the short time you will be taking the drug are slim, though like any antibiotic, it remains a risk. The risk in an uncontrolled oral infection, however, is greater. You can certainly discuss the choice of drug with the dentist, but he is the expert and would have weighed up all the choices he had before reaching his decision. Given what he chose, it sounds like your infection is rather advanced and large, and he wants it quickly under control. The sooner it's under control, the less damage is done, and the tooth may be able to be saved. And you will be much less ill when it's under control as well. My advice would be to take the medicine as it's prescribed, for the full 7 days, eat yogurt, and relax. The drug info is a lot scarier than it is in actual use.