How Do Lincosamide Antibiotics Work?

Lincosamides are a class of antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease, abdominal infections, abscess, acne, and anaerobic infections. They are usually used to treat severe infections in patients who are allergic to penicillin. Lincosamides are bacteriostatic agents; they prevent bacterial replication by interfering with the protein synthesis and may also demonstrate bactericidal (kill bacteria) activity against certain organisms at high antibiotic concentrations.

Once inside the bacterial cell, lincosamide antibiotics bind to the 50S ribosomal subunit at the region overlapping A and P sites of the ribosome, exclusively through contact with 23S ribosomal RNA close to peptidyl transferase cavity. This results in inhibition of peptidyl transferase enzyme because of which the docking of charged transfer RNA and their movement through the peptidyl transferase center is prevented and protein is not synthesized.

Lincosamide antibiotics are effective against gram-positive bacteria, anaerobic infections, and protozoal diseases, but they have little to no effect on gram-negative bacteria. They are effective in treating infections, including:

• Severe respiratory tract infection
• Septicemia (serious and even life-threatening infection of the blood)
• Skin and soft tissue infections
• Gastrointestinal infections
• Abscess
• Dental infections
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Ovarian abscess
• Endometriosis (abnormal growth of uterine endometrial tissue, outside the uterus)
• Toxic shock syndrome (a rare, life-threatening complication of certain bacterial infections)
• Malaria
• Acne

Side effects of lincosamide antibiotics may include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Vaginal discharge or itching
• Skin rash
• Angioedema (accumulation of fluid beneath the skin)
• Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
• Tiredness
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Shortness of breath
• Easy bruising
• Ulcers in mouth
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes in the urine volume

Serious side effects of lincosamide antibiotics may include:

• Liver dysfunction
• Renal dysfunction
• Proteinuria (loss of proteins in the urine)
• Azotemia (increase in blood urea nitrogen)
• Esophagitis (inflammation and swelling of the esophagus)
• Pseudomembranous colitis (inflammation and swelling of the large intestine)
• Toxic epidermal necrolysis (a life-threatening skin condition characterized by widespread redness and death of skin tissue)
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin reaction where the skin and mucous membrane are damaged)
• Anaphylactic shock (life-threatening allergic reaction caused by food or drugs)
• Thrombocytopenia (decrease in platelet count)

The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible side effects, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure these drugs do not cause any harm when you take them along with other medicines. Never stop taking your medication and never change your dose or frequency without consulting your doctor.

Generic and brand names of lincosamide antibiotics include:

• Clindamycin (Cleocin, Cleocin Pediatric, ClindaMax Vaginal, Clindesse)
• Lincomycin (Lincocin)