Keflex & Alcohol - Is it Safe?

Is It Safe to Take Keflex with Alcohol?

Mixing alcohol with Keflex or Cephalexin is mostly safe (especially in small amounts) than most antibiotics. That said, it's still not advisable combining alcohol and antibiotic medication as alcohol may impair cognitive function and can also affect your body's ability to fight off infections.

Although it will not likely affect Keflex's efficacy, it's still better to avoid alcohol until you've already finished your antibiotic course to protect your body to feel worse from the side effects of excessive alcohol use. Alcohol also depletes your energy levels and affects the way your body recuperates from an illness.

Constant alcohol abuse may also lead to organ damage, such as liver failure. It may also prohibit your body from properly absorbing essential nutrients that it needs, especially if you take additional vitamins regularly.

What is Keflex (Cephalexin)?

Keflex is an antibiotic drug with the generic name Cephalexin used to treat urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, or even ear infections. It comes in various forms and can be in oral powder for suspension, oral tablet, oral suspension tablet, or even an oral capsule. It is generally recommended by medical associations for treating the infection as part of an individual's treatment options.

While it is used to treat a urinary tract infection or other kinds of infections as earlier mentioned, it has side effects such as:

• Dark urine
• Tiredness
• Itchiness
• Clay-colored stool
• Chills
• Blisters

Cephalexin should be used with caution. It is noted to interact with drugs such as the following:

• blood thinners
• metformin
• zinc supplements
• furosemide
• probenecid

What Are the Risks of Drinking on Keflex?

Just like with the combination of Sudafed & alcohol, Taking antibiotics while drinking alcohol can worsen the unpleasant side effects of antibiotic medication. It can also cause adverse reactions in the individual such as forming an allergic reaction that may be fatal depending on how the body will respond to cephalexin and alcohol.

Here are some of the perceived risks when mixing alcohol with antibiotics.

• Diarrhea
• Nausea/vomiting
• irregular sleeping patterns/sleep patterns
• headache, abdominal pain
• rashes
• elevated blood pressure

Apart from feeling worse from these magnified side effects, people who consume alcohol while getting antimicrobial treatment for bacterial infections may not get the proper effect that they need, especially if they are also taking other antibiotics and other drugs on top of their prescriptions.

It's always important to seek professional medical advice before taking cephalexin or cephalosporin antibiotics, to understand their efficacy and how to properly use antibiotics.

Does Alcohol Make Antibiotics Less Effective?

Consuming alcohol while taking antibiotics in meager amounts doesn't necessarily lessen the effectiveness of drugs—depending on the type of antibiotics you are taking. However, drinking alcohol in large amounts following antibiotics can reduce your energy and delay your body's response to illness recovery.

Always remember that alcohol consumption weakens your immune system by disrupting sleep patterns and may alter the way your body responds to infection and threats of illness, whether they're viral infections—or even an impending bacterial infection.

Our body needs proper rest and care when we are recovering from an illness or sickness. Therefore, it's best not to drink alcohol while taking cephalexin, to avoid any adverse effects. You should also adhere to the proper instructions given to you by your healthcare professional regarding antibiotic use.

When to See a Doctor

You should start seeing your doctor regarding Cephalexin and alcohol use when:

• If you have any questions regarding other medications you're prescribed, especially when you're about to enter a new course of antibiotics.
• If you need more information regarding certain medication interactions with your other medications to avoid any serious adverse reactions that may arise as a result.
• It starts to affect your body and certain health conditions arise due to your constant misuse.
• You experience severe adverse reactions from the drug you are taking, such as a serious allergic reaction.
• You need urgent medical attention because of the following scenarios:
• you experience trouble breathing.
• you are not getting better even if you finished your course of antibiotics.
• you have formed antibiotic resistance with the medication given to you.

Is There Keflex (Cephalexin) Abuse?

While Cephalexin (Keflex) is not considered addictive by nature, it can be abused by individuals who engage in frequent IV drug use. As these people are prone to contracting bacterial infections through injections, they may be less likely to follow the proper use of the medication as directed by a medical professional.

In turn, this may lead to the development of side effects and drug tolerance as a result of their misuse. When this happens, the individual may become susceptible to other viral infections or superbugs as a result which could then attack their immune system.

People drinking alcohol while taking two substances at the same time may also worsen their condition and develop dual diagnosis disorders over time. When this happens, they may be required to attend an inpatient or outpatient mental health program for continuous recovery.

Additionally, their attending recovery specialist may recommend mentoring and companioning post-rehabilitation to ensure that they don't relapse, especially from drug or alcohol rehab.

Can Transcend Recovery Help with Alcohol Abuse?

Receiving supplemental support for your drug or alcohol rehab program is what Transcend Recovery Community does best. We guide each individual into realizing their full potential, while preparing them to become empowered and productive members of society post-rehab.

We can do this by introducing sober living as part of their mental health. Our recovery homes allow them to receive encouragement and support from fellow residents and our staff of licensed and trained mental health professionals.

Interested to find out how Transcend can help you specifically? Don't hesitate to contact us today.

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