Ziana topical

Clindamycin is an antibiotic. It fights bacteria in the body.

Tretinoin is a form of vitamin A. It reduces the amount of oil released by oil glands in your skin, and helps your skin renew itself more quickly.

Clindamycin and tretinoin is a combination medicine used to treat severe nodular acne in adults and children who are at least 12 years old.

Clindamycin and tretinoin topical may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

You should not use this medication if you have ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, inflammation of your intestines (also called enteritis), or if you have ever had severe diarrhea caused by antibiotic medicine.

You should not use clindamycin and tretinoin topical if you are also taking another antibiotic called erythromycin, or using other skin medications that contain erythromycin.

Use the medication as soon as you remember the missed dose. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to clindamycin or to tretinoin; or to lincomycin; or to vitamin A-related drugs (other retinoids such as isotretinoin); or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: certain intestinal problems (e.g., regional enteritis, ulcerative colitis, colitis caused by the use of antibiotics, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, Crohn's disease).

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: eczema.

This medication may make you more sensitive to the sun. Limit your time in the sun. Avoid tanning booths and sunlamps. Weather extremes such as wind or cold may also be irritating to the skin. Use sunscreen daily and wear protective clothing when outdoors. Tell your doctor right away if you get sunburned or have skin blisters/redness. Wait until your skin has completely recovered from a sunburn before using this product.

Avoid electrolysis, waxing, and chemical depilatories for hair removal on the treated areas while using this product.

If you have recently used products containing sulfur, resorcinol, or salicylic acid, use this product with caution. Wait until the effects of such products on the skin have decreased before using this medication.

This medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Consult your doctor for more details.

Since this drug is absorbed through the skin and may harm an unborn baby, women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant should not handle this medication.

It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Use Ziana exactly as your doctor has prescribed it for you. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Using more medicine or applying it more often than prescribed will not make it work any faster, and may increase side effects.

Wash your hands before and after applying this medication.

Wash your face with a mild soap or cleanser and pat the skin dry with a clean towel.

Use only a pea-sized amount of Ziana. Apply to your entire face every night at bedtime.

Do not wash your face more than 3 times daily while using this medication. Washing more often or scrubbing your face when you wash it can make your acne worse.

Avoid getting Ziana in your eyes, mouth, or nose (or in the creases of your nose), or on your lips. If it does get into any of these areas, wash with water. Do not apply this medicine to sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, irritated, or broken skin.

Use Ziana for the full prescribed length of time, even if you think it is not working. Call your doctor if skin irritation becomes severe or if your acne does not improve after several weeks of using this medicine.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using Ziana.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Do not freeze.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Ziana: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

• severe redness, burning, stinging, or scaling of treated skin areas; or

• diarrhea that is watery or bloody.

Common Ziana side effects may include:

• mild skin irritation, dryness or peeling;

• mild skin redness; or

• itching of treated skin.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on topically applied clindamycin and tretinoin. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.