What should you know about dalacin c for boils?

A boil is a tender, inflamed lump that can fill with pus around an infected hair follicle. Painful skin and a skin lump can fit this pattern, but not every lump is a boil; see [Boils](/conditions/boils/), [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/) and [Painful Skin](/symptoms/skin-pain/). Dalacin C, which contains clindamycin, is used only when a prescriber considers it appropriate for the suspected infection.

Take Dalacin C exactly as prescribed and complete the course unless the prescriber changes it. Do not squeeze, pierce or cut the boil, since this can worsen inflammation or spread infection. Keep it covered if it is draining, wash hands after contact, and avoid sharing towels. A clinician may recommend [Antibiotics For Skin Infection](/treatments/medical-dermatology/antibiotic-therapy-for-skin-infection/) or [Abscess Drainage](/treatments/minor-procedures/abscess-drainage/) depending on the examination.

Seek prompt medical care if redness is spreading, pain is escalating, the boil is near the eye or nose, fever develops, or you feel weak or unwell. Urgent assessment is also needed for several boils, repeated episodes, or infection in someone with impaired immunity. Contact the prescriber promptly for severe or persistent diarrhoea during or after clindamycin treatment.

Does this lump need drainage as well as medicine? Which symptoms suggest the infection is spreading? What should I do if diarrhoea or an allergic reaction develops, and how can recurrent boils be investigated?