Can You Drink Alcohol With Cephalexin?
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It’s tough when a urinary tract infection disrupts your routine. It seems like those ultra-uncomfortable, ice-pick-painful symptoms find you at the worst possible moments — moments when you’re stressed and stretched thin.
When you finally carve out an hour for urgent care, the doctor asks you a few quick questions. She collects a urine sample before calling in a prescription.
When you pick up the pills, you see an unfamiliar name on the label: cephalexin. How is this drug going to affect your plans? You find yourself thinking about the upcoming weekend. What about your second date at that pop-up bar? Can you drink alcohol with cephalexin?
Cephalexin belongs to a class of medications known as cephalosporin antibiotics, which work by destroying bacteria in the body. It is available under the brand names Daxbia, Keflex, Biocef, and Keftab, among others. Let’s explore this drug’s purpose, primary side effects, and interactions with other substances.
Doctors prescribe cephalexin for bacterial infections, including pneumonia, upper respiratory infections (URIs), and urinary tract infections (UTIs). It’s also used when bacteria take up residence in the skin, ears, genitals, and bones. We may have received a cephalexin prescription after contracting certain strains of staph (Staphylococcus aureus) or strep (Streptococcus pyogenes).
It comes in one of three forms: a tablet, a capsule, or a liquid suspension. We’ll need to take it as prescribed; usually, that’s once every six to 12 hours. We’ll want to continue taking this medication until we run out of it, even if our symptoms resolve within the first few days. Quitting earlier may place us at risk of a rebound infection.
Contrary to popular belief, antibiotics like cephalexin don’t work on viral illnesses like the common cold or the flu. Using these drugs unnecessarily can increase antibiotic resistance, which makes these medications less effective over time.
Fortunately, most of us will probably tolerate cephalexin very well. The most common side effect is diarrhea, followed by headache, nausea, and unusual vaginal discharge. In some cases, we might feel fatigued, confused, or agitated. If you have any of these symptoms for more than two days (or if they are particularly severe), reach out to your care team.
In rare cases, some people experience flu-like symptoms, including chills, stomach pain, dizziness, and fever. If you experience an allergic or severe skin reaction — characterized by itching, a rash, blisters, peeling of the skin, difficulty breathing, bloody stools, hallucinations, or swollen lymph nodes — seek emergency medical attention.
It is worth noting that those of us with diabetes may get false positive tests for sugar in our urine while taking this drug. We should talk to our doctor about this if it occurs; ideally, they’ll let us know what to expect before we fill the script.
Cephalexin won’t work for everyone. We should not take this drug if we have a penicillin allergy, which may make us more likely to experience adverse effects. We’ll also want to tell our healthcare provider about any medications, vitamins, and supplements we’re currently taking, as this drug tends to interact with metformin and probenecid.
When asking, “What can you not take with cephalexin?”, we want to remember that this drug can seriously interact with supplements. We should avoid taking any zinc while on this medication. Zinc interferes with the absorption of cephalexin, reducing its concentration in the bloodstream and rendering it less effective. Pro tip: Check your multivitamin for zinc or bring it to your doctor’s appointment before starting cephalexin.
If this antibiotic interacts with popular prescription drugs and over-the-counter vitamins, will drinking alcohol affect its efficacy?
Some cephalosporin antibiotics react strongly with alcohol. For example, mixing cefotetan or cefoperazone with a few after-work cocktails can result in gastrointestinal or cardiac distress. Symptoms include irregular heartbeat, blood pressure changes, severe nausea, and vomiting. However, this isn’t the case for all antibiotics. So, can you drink on cephalexin?
Technically, it’s safe to drink on cephalexin. We won’t experience the host of uncomfortable (or life-threatening) symptoms we might usually associate with antibiotics and alcohol. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to imbibe while taking this medication.
Cephalexin and alcohol interact in three key ways. If we drink on cephalexin, we may deal with worse side effects, a weakened immune system, and a longer recovery time. Here’s how it works:
So while it’s not necessarily dangerous to mix cephalexin and alcohol, it is certainly not beneficial.
If we want to avoid the interactions outlined above, we’ll probably want to abstain. Most of us will be on this medication for a maximum of 10 days, which isn’t long in the grand scheme of things. Consider framing this time as a break from hangovers while you focus on getting well. Plan to wait at least eight hours after your last dose of cephalexin to drink again.
While drinking doesn’t directly cause UTIs, heavy drinking creates a perfect environment where these nasty infections can thrive.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it increases our urinary frequency. The more we use the bathroom, the more likely we are to become dehydrated, especially if we’re under the influence. The resulting dehydration can worsen our UTI symptoms, weaken our immune system, and make it more difficult for our body to overcome an existing infection, even if we’re already taking medication. Sound familiar?
Furthermore, alcohol is pretty acidic. This makes it especially irritating for the delicate tissue lining the inside of our bladder (which is already going through a lot!). Even when we’re healthy, heavy alcohol exposure and its associated inflammation can lead to a form of bladder discomfort known as cystitis. Unfortunately, the symptoms of alcohol-induced cystitis and UTIs are almost indistinguishable, making future diagnosis difficult.
All this is to say: if we’re taking cephalexin for a UTI or any other infection, we may want to rethink those drinks.
We can still enjoy ourselves while bouncing back from bacterial infections. Below are a few boozeless beverages for those of us avoiding alcohol on cephalexin.
We hope these spirit-free sips bring you joy in the days ahead. Remember to check with a healthcare professional before altering your diet, especially if you’ve been prescribed a new medication.
If you’re struggling to take a break from drinking, you’re not alone. It can be difficult to stay substance-free for the days or weeks it takes to battle an infection. If you need help staying on track, consider seeking support from Reframe during your course of cephalexin.
Reframe is a habit-cessation app powered by neuroscience. Our team includes recovery experts, academics, psychologists, and more. The proof is in our data — we’ve helped millions of people change their drinking habits for the better. To learn more, visit the App Store or Google Play today.
1. What is the most common side effect of cephalexin?
The most common cephalexin side effect is diarrhea. Some people might also experience flu-like symptoms, including a fever or nausea. If we feel like we’re reacting to the medication, either in the form of a rash or anaphylaxis, we should seek emergency medical care.
2. Can you drink alcohol with cephalexin?
While it’s technically safe to combine cephalexin with alcohol, it’s not ideal. We should always talk to our doctor before deciding whether to drink while taking any drug, especially antibiotics.
3. Why can't you drink on cephalexin?
Drinking while on this antibiotic may suppress our immune response, lengthen our recovery time, and increase the side effects associated with cephalexin.
4. What to avoid with cephalexin?
Cephalexin may interact with metformin, probenecid, and zinc supplements. Grapefruit may also interfere with cephalexin absorption.
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