Is Red Rash On My Cheeks A Reaction To Clindamycin?

Posted on Thu, 20 Feb 2014

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

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 Answered on

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I am taking clindamycin and I am allergic to Pennecillum and sulfa drugs. I have a red rash on my cheeks. Is this a reaction to the Clindamycin.

Answered by Dr. Manjeth Kumar G (57 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Yes. Need immediate evaluation in ER. Antihistamin Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for your query. As you suspected, this may be due to allergic reaction to clindamycin. But there is no relation between penicillin or sulfa class of drugs with clindamycin. Clindamycin is a separate class of antibiotics called lincosamide antibiotics. You may be intrinsically allergic to lincosamide drugs. My advice is to just stop the Clindamycin and take antihistamine cetrizine. It is better to go ER now, if left unattended it may lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Thus better avoid lincosamide antibiotics in future along with Penicillin, cephalosporin as well as sulfa drugs. Hope this helps. Please write back for further queries. Wishing you good health.

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