Interactions
Medicines that interact with cephalexin may reduce its effect, shorten its duration of action, increase side effects, or have no effect when combined. An interaction between two medications does not always necessitate the discontinuation of one of them; however, it can. Consult your doctor about how to handle drug interactions.
Cephalexin may interact with the following medications:
- anticoagulants (blood thinners), such as warfarin (may prolong bleeding time)
- estradiol
- metformin
- other antibiotics, such as chloramphenicol, sulfonamides, macrolides, and tetracycline
- probenecid
- probiotics, such as Lactobacillus
- sodium picosulfate
- vaccinations, such as BCG, cholera, or typhoid vaccine (may diminish the effectiveness)
- vitamins, such as fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, or K, folate, iron, or zinc (may decrease blood concentrations of cephalexin)
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive and only includes common medications that may interact with cephalexin. For a complete list of interactions, consult the cephalexin prescribing information.
