• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Interactions

What is lincomycin?
Lincomycin is an antibiotic that fights serious infections caused by bacteria. Lincomycin is used to treat severe bacterial infections in people who cannot receive penicillin antibiotics. Lincomycin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What are the possible side effects of lincomycin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Tell your caregivers right away if you have any of these serious side effects:

• diarrhea that is watery or bloody;

• urinating less than usual or not at all;

• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;

• severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;

• feeling like you might pass out;

• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness; or

• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips.

Less serious side effects include:

• nausea, vomiting;

• swollen or painful tongue;

• vaginal itching or discharge;

• mild itching or skin rash;

• ringing in your ears; or

• dizziness, spinning feeling.

This is not a complete of side effects, and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How is lincomycin given?
Lincomycin is given as an injection into a muscle, or through a needle placed into a vein. Your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection. You may be given instructions on how to inject your medicine at home. Do not use this medicine at home if you do not fully understand how to give the injection and properly dispose of needles and other items used in giving the medicine. Lincomycin is usually given every 12 to 24 hours. Follow your doctor's instructions. Use each disposable needle only one time. Throw away used needles in a puncture-proof container (ask your pharmacist where you can get one and how to dispose of it). Keep this container out of the reach of children and pets.

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What is the most important information I should know about lincomycin?
Before receiving lincomycin, tell your doctor if you have asthma or allergies, a stomach or intestinal disorder such as colitis, liver or kidney disease, or epilepsy or other seizure disorder. Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to. Serious side effects of lincomycin include fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips, severe blistering or peeling skin rash, feeling like you might pass out, easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness, or urinating less than usual or not at all.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Since lincomycin is usually given by a healthcare professional, it is not likely that you will miss a dose. If you are using lincomycin at home, call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose.

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What other drugs will affect lincomycin?
Before receiving lincomycin, tell your doctor if you are also using erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, and others). There may be other drugs that can interact with lincomycin. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Lincomycin has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have failed to reveal evidence of fetolethality. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. However, lincomycin has been used in various stages of human pregnancy without evidence of fetal harm. Lincomycin is only recommended for use during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

Lincomycin crosses the placenta and can achieve cord serum levels about 25% that of the mother. Following multiple intramuscular injections of 600 mg, there was no report of accumulation in the amniotic fluid. No effects on the newborn were observed. The children of 302 patients treated at different stages of pregnancy with oral lincomycin, 2 g/day for 7 days, were evaluated at various intervals up to 7 years after birth. No increases in malformations or in delayed developmental defects were observed, when compared with a control group.

Lincomycin is excreted into human milk. The effects in the nursing infant are unknown. Due to the potential for serious adverse reactions, the manufacturer recommends that a decision be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

Lincomycin concentrations of 0.5 to 2.4 mcg/mL have been reported in human milk. In one study, serum and milk levels measured 6 hours post-dose in nine patients administered lincomycin (500 mg orally every 6 hours for 3 days) averaged 1.37 and 1.28 mcg/mL, respectively, representing a milk to plasma ratio of 0.9. Much lower milk to plasma ratios of 0.13 to 0.17 have also been reported. No adverse effects have been reported in nursing infants.

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What happens if I overdose?
Tell your caregivers right away if you think you have received too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include chest pain, feeling light-headed, or fainting.

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What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving lincomycin?
You should not receive this medication if you are allergic to lincomycin or clindamycin (Cleocin). Before receiving lincomycin, tell your doctor if you have: asthma or allergies; a stomach or intestinal disorder, such as colitis; liver or kidney disease; or epilepsy or other seizure disorder. If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to receive lincomycin, or you may need a dose adjustment or special tests during treatment. FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
If you have been diagnosed with a disease for which an antibiotic is needed, you must complete the prescribed course of treatment. Even if you start to feel better, do not skip any doses and remember to take the medication until it is all gone.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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