Recommended Clindamycin Dosage for Acne Treatment

For acne treatment, apply a thin film of 1% topical clindamycin once daily to affected areas of the skin. 1, 2

Topical Clindamycin Formulations and Dosing

Apply a thin film of 1% clindamycin to affected areas once daily, using enough to cover the entire affected area lightly 1, 2
Combination formulations with benzoyl peroxide are more effective than clindamycin alone and should be applied as a thin layer once daily in the evening 1, 2
Clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide combination helps prevent bacterial resistance that may develop with clindamycin monotherapy 3
Wash skin thoroughly before application and gently pat dry 1

In 12-week controlled clinical trials, 1% topical clindamycin gel applied once daily was significantly more effective than vehicle control 1, 2
Clindamycin works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis by binding to bacterial ribosomal subunits 4
Clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide combination applied once daily for 11 weeks was significantly more effective than vehicle, benzoyl peroxide alone, or clindamycin alone in 3 of 5 trials 2
A water-based gel formulation of clindamycin 1% applied once daily showed equivalent efficacy (65% reduction in inflammatory lesions) to clindamycin 1% solution applied twice daily 5

Contraindicated in patients with history of hypersensitivity to clindamycin or lincomycin 1
Contraindicated in patients with history of regional enteritis, ulcerative colitis, or antibiotic-associated colitis 1, 2
Clindamycin has neuromuscular blocking properties that may enhance the action of other neuromuscular blocking agents 1
Should not be used in combination with erythromycin-containing products due to potential interactions 2

Common side effects include dermatitis, folliculitis, photosensitivity reaction, pruritus, erythema, dry skin, and peeling 1, 2
Severe colitis is a rare but serious potential side effect 1, 2
Minimize sun exposure after drug application due to potential photosensitivity 2
Local tolerance is slightly better with gel formulations (1.9% of subjects reporting issues) compared to solution formulations (3.1%) 5

Pregnancy category B - use only if clearly needed 1, 2
Safety in nursing mothers is unknown - it is not known whether clindamycin is excreted in human milk after topical application 1, 2
Safety and effectiveness have not been established in children under 12 years of age 1, 2

While topical formulations are standard for acne, oral clindamycin may be considered for severe cases 6
Adult dosing for serious infections: 150 to 300 mg every 6 hours; more severe infections: 300 to 450 mg every 6 hours 6
Pediatric dosing for serious infections: 8 to 16 mg/kg/day divided into three or four equal doses; more severe infections: 16 to 20 mg/kg/day divided into three or four equal doses 6
If significant diarrhea occurs during oral therapy, discontinue treatment immediately 6

Triple-combination therapy with clindamycin phosphate 1.2%, benzoyl peroxide 3.1%, and adapalene 0.15% has shown superior efficacy to vehicle and all dyad combinations in moderate-to-severe acne 7
This triple combination provided >70% reduction in both inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions over 12 weeks 7
Recent research shows clindamycin solution is comparable to alternative treatments like topical 2% spironolactone solution in reducing papules, though spironolactone may be more effective for pustules 8