Lincocin
Lincocin contains lincomycin as its active substance. Lincomycin is an antibiotic, a medicine designed to combat certain germs that cause disease. It belongs to the lincosamide group.
This medication is used to treat bacterial infections affecting the ears, nose, respiratory tract, bones, skin, joints, blood, and heart.
What Does Lincocin Contain?
Lincocin 500 mg capsules:
The active ingredient is lincomycin (500 mg), presented as lincomycin hydrochloride.
The additional ingredients include lactose, talc, and magnesium stearate. The capsule is composed of indigotine sulphonic acid disodium salt, gelatin and titanium dioxide.
What Lincocin looks like
The capsules are dark blue (upper part) and light blue (lower part), filled with white powder and marked "P&U 500" on both parts.
Packs of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 100 capsules of 500 mg.
Uses
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has instructed.
Lincocin 500 mg capsules
For adults only.
Swallow the capsule without chewing with a glass of water.
The dose is determined by your doctor. Typically, the dosage can vary based on the severity and type of the illness: 1 capsule of 500 mg taken 3 to 4 times daily, either at least 1 hour before or 1 hour after meals.
Your doctor will tell you how long you should use Lincocin. Do not stop your treatment prematurely because, when a course of antibiotics is stopped too soon and all the bacteria are therefore not destroyed, the symptoms may reappear.
If you have used more Lincocin than you should have
If you have used or taken too much Lincocin, contact your doctor, pharmacist or Poison Control Centre immediately.
If you take too much, you may experience stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Your doctor may make you vomit or perform gastric lavage.
If you forget to take Lincocin
If you miss a dose, take the next one at its scheduled time. Do not take a double dose to compensate for the missed one.
If you stop taking Lincocin
Always consult your doctor if you are thinking of stopping treatment.
When a course of antibiotics is stopped too soon and not all the bacteria are destroyed, symptoms may reappear.
If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse for more information.
Side Effects
Like all medicines, this medicine may cause undesirable effects, but they do not always occur in everyone.
The following side effects may occur when using Lincocin:
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea.
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
- Vaginal infection
- Skin rash, redness of the skin
Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people
Pruritus.
Undetermined frequency: the frequency cannot be estimated on the basis of the available data.
Disorder of the large intestine, inflammation of the colon due to bacteria.
Deficiency or decrease in the number of white blood cells, red patches on the skin due to a deficiency in blood platelets, anaemia, decrease in all the cellular elements of the blood.
Severe potentially fatal allergic reaction, angioedema, serum sickness.
Heart problems such as palpitations, low blood pressure and heart failure.
Inflammation with possible obstruction of a vein.
Inflammation of the oesophagus if administered orally.
Abdominal discomfort.
Jaundice, abnormal liver function tests.
Severe acute reactions of the skin and mucous membranes, inflammation of the skin with desquamation and vesicles, potentially fatal cutaneous eruptions.
If diarrhoea occurs during treatment, it should be discontinued.
An additional yeast infection may occur during treatment.
Precautions
Never use Lincocin:
- if you are allergic to clindamycin, lincomycin, or any other components of this medication;
- if you suffer from inflammation of the meninges.
If you experience severe skin reactions, consult your doctor immediately.
Additionally, inform your doctor if you experience diarrhea, particularly if it is severe, persistent, or bloody, either during or after treatment. This could indicate a serious inflammation of the colon caused by an overgrowth of a bacterium known as Clostridium difficile. Stopping the treatment may be required.
In the event of prolonged treatment with this medicine, your doctor may ask you to undergo further tests to assess the functioning of your liver or kidneys. In the case of high-dose treatment, your doctor may ask you to have a blood test.
As with any antibiotic treatment, it is advisable to watch out for signs of superinfection by non-susceptible germs, including fungi.
Lincocin can never be administered undiluted intravenously. Intravenous administration should therefore be in the form of an infusion lasting at least 1 hour.
Patients with kidney and/or liver disorders
If you have kidney and/or liver problems, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Your dose should be reduced.
Other medicines and Lincocin
This is because several medicines can affect each other's activity and/or undesirable effects, for example, when certain other medicines against infections, certain medicines used in general anaesthesia during operations, or certain medicines against diarrhoea are used at the same time as Lincocin.
Some medicines can also influence the results of blood tests: this may be the case with Lincocin during liver function tests.
Lincocin with food, drink and alcohol
Consult your doctor or pharmacist regarding the consumption of alcohol at the same time as this medicine.
Driving vehicles and using machines
No studies have been performed to determine the effect of lincomycin on the ability to drive vehicles or use machines. Although no specific effect on the ability to drive or use machines has been observed, occasional dizziness has been reported.
Lincocin 500 mg capsules contain sodium.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you might be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Discuss with your doctor the possible use of this medicine when you are pregnant. Lincomycin should only be used during pregnancy if treatment is really necessary.
This medicine is excreted in small quantities in breast milk. Since there is a possibility that serious adverse reactions may occur in breast-fed infants, your doctor will decide whether to stop breast-feeding or to discontinue treatment with the medicine, taking into account the importance of the medicine to you.