Cephalexin

Brand Names

Keflex, Panixine, Biocef, Zartan

What is Cephalexin

Cephalexin is a prescription antibiotic that belongs to a class of antibiotics called cephalosporins. Cephalexin is used to treat a number of common infections.

Side effects of Cephalexin

There is a list of the most serious side effects of Cephalexin:

• severe skin rash
• itching
• hives
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• wheezing
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• sore throat
• painful mouth or throat sores
• vaginal infection

Other less serious side effects of this medicine include:

• upset stomach
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• mild skin rash

Indication

Cephalexin is used for the following purposes:

• Treatment of respiratory tract infection (pneumonia, bronchitis, strep throat or tonsillitis)
• Bone infection (osteomyelitis) treatment
• Middle ear infection (otitis media) treatment
• Treatment of sinus infection (sinusitis)
• Urinary tract infection (UTI) treatment
• Irritation of the prostate (prostatitis)
• Treatment of skin infection such as cellulitis, folliculitis or impetigo
• Prevention of heart valve infections (bacterial endocarditis)

Precautions

You should tell your doctor before to taking cephalexin if you:

• Have kidney disease or kidney failure
• Are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
• Are breastfeeding
• Will be having surgery
• Have any allergies to cephalexin, to other cephalosporins such as Omnicef (cefdinir) and Rocephin (ceftriaxone), to penicillin or to other types of antibiotics.
• Are taking any other medicines, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements

Dosage forms

Cephalexin dose for Bacterial Infections

The recommended dose of cephalexin for most types of bacterial infections is 250-1000 mg, taken four times a day for 7-14 days. For chronic or more serious infections, your doctor may continue treatment for a longer period of time.

In children, the cephalexin dosage can range, depending on body weight, from 25-100 mg per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg/day). The dose is divided and taken 3-4 times a day for 7-14 days. Children should generally be limited to 4000 mg or less per day.

Cephalexin dose for preventing Bacterial Endocarditis

The recommended dose of cephalexin for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis in adults is 2000 mg, taken one hour before a surgical procedure is performed.

The recommended dosage in children is 50 mg per kilogram of body weight, up to a maximum of 2000 mg, taken one hour before a surgical procedure is performed.