Keflex starts to take effect straight away, but you may need to wait for 48 hours² before you notice any improvements. Keflex is usually taken for seven to 14 days. ³ If your infection is severe, you may need to take it for a longer period of time. Let your doctor know if your symptoms do not improve or get worse.
Response and effectiveness. Peak concentrations of Keflex are reached one hour after dosing; however, it may take up to 48 hours before infection-related symptoms start to abate. Keep taking Keflex for the total duration prescribed, even if you feel better.
You should begin to feel better during the first few days of treatment with cephalexin. If your symptoms do not improve or get worse, call your doctor. Continue to take cephalexin until you finish the prescription even if you feel better.
Keflex is used to treat infections caused by bacteria, including upper respiratory infections, ear infections, skin infections, urinary tract infections and bone infections. Keflex is used to treat infections in adults and children who are at least 1 year old.
The usual dose of oral KEFLEX is 250 mg every 6 hours, but a dose of 500 mg every 12 hours may be administered. Treatment is administered for 7 to 14 days. For more severe infections larger doses of oral KEFLEX may be needed, up to 4 grams daily in two to four equally divided doses.
Dosage. Cefalexin comes as tablets, capsules and a liquid that you swallow. Your dose of cefalexin will depend on why you're taking it but for most infections, adults usually take 500mg, 2 or 3 times a day. Your dose may be higher if you have a severe infection and be lower for children.
The bottom line. Keflex is an oral antibiotic that treats bacterial infections. It's common for adults and teens ages 15 years and older to take one 250 or 500 mg capsule 2 to 4 times per day for 7 to 14 days.
The bottom line. Cephalexin can interact with certain medications and supplements, such as metformin, warfarin, and zinc. It may also interact with live cholera and typhoid vaccines.
Resistance. Methicillin-resistant staphylococci and most isolates of enterococci are resistant to cephalexin. Cephalexin is not active against most isolates of Enterobacter spp., Morganella morganii, and Proteus vulgaris. Cephalexin has no activity against Pseudomonas spp., or Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.
Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Moraxella catarrhalis. KEFLEX is indicated for the treatment of skin and skin structure infections caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.
Cephalexin starts to work right away and becomes the most effective one hour after taking it. That being said, it can take up to 48 hours after taking the drug to start seeing your symptoms improve.
Cephalexin (Keflex) is an antibiotic used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It belongs to a class of antibiotics called cephalosporins. The most common cephalexin side effects are diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and stomach pain. Fatigue and vaginal yeast infections can also happen.
Caffeine should not be combined with antibiotics as this could result in serious therapeutic failure and, possibly, drug toxicity in vivo.
How to use Keflex. Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually every 6 to 12 hours with or without food. If you are using the suspension, shake the bottle well before each dose. Measure the dose carefully using a special measuring device/spoon.
Cephalexin remains an effective and highly useful antibiotic for the treatment of streptococcal and staphylococcal skin infections.
If you are not feeling better or if your symptoms are getting worse, if you start having any flank pain, or feel nausea and weakness, call your doctor. Cephalexin might not work if you have a type of bacteria that are resistant to this antibiotic.
In short: Yes, you can take a probiotic while you're taking an antibiotic—it's perfectly safe to do so. In fact, experts generally agree that probiotics may help ward off the gut reaction that comes from taking antibiotics (such as diarrhea), but the data is limited.
Human pharmacology - cefalexin is acid stable and may be given without regard to meals. It is rapidly absorbed after oral administration. Following doses of 250 mg, 500 mg and 1g, average peak serum levels of approximately 9, 18 and 32 mg/L respectively were obtained at 1 hour.
Interactions between your drugs
No interactions were found between Keflex and yogurt.
Bland foods – In general, foods for when you're sick are also appropriate when you're taking antibiotics. Plain or lightly salted crackers, peanut butter and non-citrus fruit are good choices. The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) can help with diarrhea from antibiotics.
Although there is no direct interaction between cephalexin and milk, it is advisable not to take antibiotics with milk as it may decrease the amount of medicine absorbed into the bloodstream. You can take dairy products two to three hours before taking an antibiotic.
How long does it take for cephalexin to leave the body? In most cases, more than 90% of cephalexin leaves the body within eight hours of taking the medication. But several factors, including your metabolism and any health conditions, could make this process take longer.
Adults and children 15 years of age and older—1000 to 4000 milligrams (mg) per day, taken in divided doses. Children 1 year of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 25 to 100 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) per day, taken in divided doses.
Once you start taking an antibiotic, it is important to take it exactly as prescribed and continue taking it until it is all gone or until told to stop by your doctor.