Does Clindamycin Belong To Families Containing Penicillin And Sulfa Drugs?

Posted on Mon, 25 May 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 25 May 2015 Answered on

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : am allergic to pennacylin and sulfa. Is clindamycin in these families and how does it compare to kflex?
My address is YYYY@YYYY

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (-4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Clindamycin belongs to another category

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

there is no cross-reactivity between penicillin, sulfnamides and clindamycin.
Clindamycin primarily targets anaerobic pathogens but it can be useful against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and other cocci and also targets Pneumocystis jiroveci.
Keflex is a cephalosporin (which means that there is some cross-reactivity with penicillin). It targets aerobic pathogens (cocci and some gram negatives). It shouldn't be used against the anaerobic ones.
Choosing which one to use depends on the kind of infection that you're facing and whether you've used any antibiotic (and which) during the past 3-4 months.

Kind Regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar