Treclin gel

Treclin gel is a topical skin treatment used in cases of moderate acne.

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What is Treclin gel?

Treclin gel is formulated with two active medicines, clindamycin 10 mg and tretinoin 0.25 mg in every 1 g of gel (the packaging reads Treclin 1 % / 0.025 % w/w gel). The two medicines act in different ways to clear up your acne, complementing each other's actions. Clindamycin is an antibiotic medicine that restricts the growth of bacteria associated with acne and implicated in skin inflammation. Tretinoin acts to allow the normal growth and shedding of superficial skin cells, increasing the rate of skin cell replacement. This prevents the cast cells from blocking the hair follicles in acne-affected areas and worsening of the condition. When a follicle becomes blocked, sebum (an oily substance produced by sebaceous glands located within the follicle) becomes trapped. This leads to the formation of blackheads and whiteheads, and worsening acne.

How to use Treclin gel

Treclin gel is for topical use on the face. Treclin gel works best on clean skin, after washing your face with a mild soap, rinsing in warm water, and patting dry. To use, squeeze a pea-sized measure of gel onto the tip of your finger. Daub the gel onto the affected areas of your face (e.g., forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin) and delicately spread it to form a thin even layer covering all of your face. Take care to avoid your eyes, mouth, mucous membranes, and sensitive or damaged skin areas. If you do get the gel in your eyes, rinse thoroughly with tepid water.

Treclin gel is usually used once each day at bedtime. Your doctor will instruct you on how often to apply it and for how long. It is important to note that neither applying greater amounts nor using it more frequently than that recommended will increase its effectiveness; it may however irritate the skin. If you use other skin products including cosmetics, apply them at a different time to when you use the gel. During Treclin gel treatment, avoid using products that dry the skin, including medicated soaps, scrubbing solutions and cleansers.

Use abrasive and other soaps, cosmetics, and products containing alcohol, astringents, lime or spices with care as they too can dry the skin.

This medicine may take a few weeks, sometimes up to 12 weeks, to clear your skin of acne. You should not stop applying the gel as soon as your acne begins to show an improvement, but continue until all symptoms have cleared. Stopping the medication before the end of your treatment course increases the risk of your acne returning. However, see your doctor if the acne persists for longer than 12 weeks as you may need a different treatment.

If you use more Treclin gel than recommended and you experience skin redness and discomfort, gently wash your face with a mild soap and tepid water; if you have stomach and intestinal upset, then discontinue use of the gel and contact your doctor. If you accidently swallow the gel, immediately seek medical help. If you forget to apply Treclin gel at bedtime, then miss this dose entirely; apply the normal amount (never more) at the next bedtime.

Who can use Treclin gel?

Treclin gel can be used by people who are aged 12 years and older.

People cannot use Treclin gel if they are allergic to its active ingredients, clindamycin and tretinoin, any of its other ingredients, or to lincomycin. This treatment must not be used by women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, planning a pregnancy, or women of childbearing age who do not use contraception. It is not recommended for people with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) or a history of colitis and antibiotic use causing significant gastrointestinal upset. Do not use this medicine if you or a family member have had skin cancer, or if you have you have eczema, rosacea, other acute skin inflammatory condition or a skin disease causing red, inflamed, dry, scaly, peeling skin and/or pimples, or pustular and deep cystic nodular forms of acne vulgaris (acne conglobata and acne fulminans).

When using Treclin gel, your skin may become more sensitive to light and more susceptible to sunburn. You therefore should avoid direct natural and artificial (sunlamps/sunbeds) light, use a high sun protection factor sunscreen (SPF 30), and wear protective clothing (e.g., a hat). In case of sunburn, then stop the gel until your skin has completely healed.

All your current, recent, and potential future medicines (both prescription and non-prescription) should be discussed with your doctor before starting Treclin gel. This is important because Treclin gel can affect the action of some medicines and they may alter the effectiveness of Treclin gel. Your doctor will delay your start date for using Treclin gel until the effects of any recently used chemical abrasives or products containing salicylic acid, sulphur, benzoyl peroxide or rescinol have worn off. Your doctor should be consulted before taking other antibiotic medicines including erythromycin, metronidazole and aminoglycosides or corticosteroids, or if you are taking neuromuscular blocking medicines such as muscle relaxants or the blood thinner warfarin.

Treclin gel side effects

Immediately stop using Treclin gel and see your doctor if you experience abdominal cramps or severe or prolonged diarrhoea. Also see your doctor if your skin becomes inflamed (red, sore, and burns). While uncommon, there are reports of skin reactions, including itch, dryness, redness, rash, scaling, acne, increased sebum production, photosensitivity reaction, and sunburn. Application site reactions include skin that is dry, red, inflamed, and burning. Rarely the following effects are reported: hypersensitivity reaction; application site symptoms including swelling, surface skin damage, and discolouration; skin signs and symptoms such as cold sores; flat, red bumps; bleeding, and loss of pigmentation; eye irritation; headache; nausea; gastroenteritis; underactive thyroid gland (you may feel tired and weak); general feel hot; and pain.