Which is stronger keflex or amoxicillin

Cephalexin Keflex. Brand Names: Biocef , Keflex , Zartan. Reviewed: November 16, Tell your doctor if you have ever had: an allergy to any drug especially penicillin ; liver or kidney disease; or intestinal problems, such as colitis. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Side Effects. Side Effects What are the side effects of Cephalexin Keflex?

Call your doctor at once if you have: severe stomach pain, diarrhea that is watery or bloody even if it occurs months after your last dose ; unusual tiredness, feeling light-headed or short of breath; easy bruising, unusual bleeding, purple or red spots under your skin; a seizure; pale skin, cold hands and feet; yellowed skin, dark colored urine; fever, weakness; or pain in your side or lower back, painful urination. Common side effects may include: diarrhea; nausea, vomiting; indigestion, stomach pain; or vaginal itching or discharge.

Based on FDA pregnancy categories. Interactions What drugs and food should I avoid while taking Cephalexin Keflex? Do not use cephalexin to treat any condition that has not been checked by your doctor. What should I do if I missed a dose of Cephalexin Keflex? Breast-feeding: This medication passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking cephalexin, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding.

If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.

Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter non-prescription , and herbal medications you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www. About this Medication. How does this medication work? What will it do for me?

Acne Doctor Discussion Guide. Acne: Fact vs Myth Quiz. Acne Treatment Options Table. Eczema : Prescription Medication Options Table. For adults, dosing should be mg to mg BID for five to seven days. Further, because Augmentin is a Category B drug, it can be used by female patients who are pregnant or nursing. If Augmentin is prescribed, it should be taken with food or milk to improve clavulanic acid absorption.

For adults with soft tissue infections e. Cephalexin is a member of the cephalosporin antibiotic class. These agents demonstrate a similar mode of action and side effect profile as the penicillins. Keflex is a great choice due to cost and proven efficacy. If we could prescribe only one oral mediation, it would be doxycycline. This agent is especially useful in treating chronic infections and inflammatory conditions that affect the lids, such as meibomianitis and blepharitis, but also can be used to manage rosacea, chlamydial conjunctivitis and recurrent corneal erosions.

A member of the tetracycline class, doxycycline is bacteriostatic and works by binding to bacterial ribosomes and inhibiting protein synthesis. Clinically, doxycycline is preferred over tetracycline because it is much better absorbed. Doxycycline and all tetracyclines, in general are contraindicated in children younger than eight years, nursing mothers and during pregnancy. Clinicians also should keep in mind that pseudotumor cerebri has been documented in patients who use doxycycline——especially in younger individuals.

For severe cases of meibomianitis, consider a dosage of mg BID for two to four weeks, followed by 50mg BID for two to four weeks, then 20mg BID for two to four months. Recent studies have indicated that doxycycline dosages as low as 20mg BID are clinically effective, yield fewer side effects and improve compliance. For rosacea, 50mg to mg daily for two to six weeks should effectively reduce symptoms.

Then, the medication can be titrated to 20mg per day as a maintenance dose. Doxycycline also exhibits anti-inflammatory properties, and reduces the production of inflammatory compounds, such as matrix metalloproteinase MMP. Studies also have shown that this anti-inflammatory activity can reduce the incidence and severity of recurrent corneal erosions.

This agent is macrolide antibiotic and derivative of erythromycin. Azithromycin is a first-line treatment for chlamydial infections, such as adult inclusion conjunctivitis and trachoma. For these disease processes, a one-time, a cumulative dose of 1,mg four mg capsules or two mg capsules should be sufficient. To treat soft tissue infections, azithromycin can be administered at mg for one day and mg for four days. Also, it is our first choice for patients with known penicillin or cephalosporin allergies.

Azithromycin is safe to use during pregnancy, and is a great alternative to amoxicillin and cephalexin for pediatric patients. Due to a high rate of azithromycin prescriptions in the US, S.

Several researchers have advocated that prescribing physicians should minimize these prescribing habits. Furthermore, the FDA has advised clinical discretion, when prescribing azithromycin to patients with a documented history of cardiac problems. Studies have shown that the drug can cause an elongated QT interval, leading to abnormal heart rhythm and possibly death. Given its broad spectrum of activity and effectiveness against S.

The medication is generally well tolerated, and is dosed just twice a day. Patients who use either medication may be at a higher risk of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Take note that the medication should not be taken with food.

Several pediatric options are available for children older than two months; however, the recommended dosage depends on the type and severity of the infection. Guidelines for Judicious Oral Analgesics Use When prescribing for pain, you must carefully consider the advantages and limitation of each drug choice.

Side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and constipation must be taken into account, as well as whether the individual drinks alcohol in excess. Ethynodiol Diacetate; Ethinyl Estradiol: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Etonogestrel; Ethinyl Estradiol: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Iron Sucrose, Sucroferric Oxyhydroxide: Moderate Administer cephalexin at least 1 hour before oral iron sucrose, sucroferric oxyhydroxide. Oral iron salts may reduce the bioavailability of cephalexin, leading to decreased absorption. Leuprolide; Norethindrone: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Levonorgestrel: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Levonorgestrel; Ethinyl Estradiol: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Levonorgestrel; Ethinyl Estradiol; Ferrous Bisglycinate: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Loop diuretics: Minor Nephrotoxicity associated with cephalosporins may be potentiated by concomitant therapy with loop diuretics. Clinicians should be aware that this may occur even in patients with minor or transient renal impairment.

Mestranol; Norethindrone: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Norethindrone Acetate; Ethinyl Estradiol; Ferrous fumarate: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Norethindrone: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Norethindrone; Ethinyl Estradiol: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Norethindrone; Ethinyl Estradiol; Ferrous fumarate: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Norgestimate; Ethinyl Estradiol: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Norgestrel: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Oral Contraceptives: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Probenecid: Minor Probenecid competitively inhibits renal tubular secretion of cephalexin, causing higher, prolonged serum levels of the drug. Probenecid; Colchicine: Minor Probenecid competitively inhibits renal tubular secretion of cephalexin, causing higher, prolonged serum levels of the drug. Relugolix; Estradiol; Norethindrone acetate: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics.

Segesterone Acetate; Ethinyl Estradiol: Moderate It would be prudent to recommend alternative or additional contraception when oral contraceptives OCs are used in conjunction with antibiotics. Sodium picosulfate; Magnesium oxide; Anhydrous citric acid: Major Prior or concomitant use of antibiotics with sodium picosulfate; magnesium oxide; anhydrous citric acid may reduce efficacy of the bowel preparation as conversion of sodium picosulfate to its active metabolite bis- p-hydroxy-phenyl -pyridylmethane BHPM is mediated by colonic bacteria.

If possible, avoid coadministration. Certain antibiotics i. Therefore, these antibiotics should be taken at least 2 hours before and not less than 6 hours after the administration of sodium picosulfate; magnesium oxide; anhydrous citric acid solution.

Warfarin: Moderate The concomitant use of warfarin with many classes of antibiotics, including cephalosporins, may increase the INR thereby potentiating the risk for bleeding. Inhibition of vitamin K synthesis due to alterations in the intestinal flora may be a mechanism; however, concurrent infection is also a potential risk factor for elevated INR.

Additionally, certain cephalosporins cefotetan, cefoperazone, cefamandole are associated with prolongation of the prothrombin time due to the methylthiotetrazole MTT side chain at the R2 position, which disturbs the synthesis of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors in the liver.

Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of bleeding. Additionally, increased monitoring of the INR, especially during initiation and upon discontinuation of the antibiotic, may be necessary. Zinc Salts: Minor Caution may be warranted with coadminstration of cephalexin and zinc salts as zinc may decrease the absorption of cephalexin.

Cephalexin, a beta-lactam antibiotic similar to penicillins, inhibits the third and final stage of bacterial cell wall synthesis by preferentially binding to specific penicillin-binding proteins PBPs that are located inside the bacterial cell wall.

Penicillin-binding proteins are responsible for several steps in the synthesis of the cell wall and are found in quantities of several hundred to several thousand molecules per bacterial cell. Penicillin-binding proteins vary among different bacterial species.

Thus, the intrinsic activity of cephalexin, as well as the other cephalosporins and penicillins, against a particular organism depends on its ability to gain access to and bind with the necessary PBP.

Like all beta-lactam antibiotics, cephalexin's ability to interfere with PBP-mediated cell wall synthesis ultimately leads to cell lysis. Lysis is mediated by bacterial cell wall autolytic enzymes i. The relationship between PBPs and autolysins is unclear, but it is possible that the beta-lactam antibiotic interferes with an autolysin inhibitor. In vitro and in vivo animal studies have demonstrated that the major pharmacodynamic parameter that determines efficacy for beta-lactams is the amount of time free non-protein bound drug concentrations exceed the minimum inhibitory concentration MIC of the organism free T above the MIC.

There is a maximum proportion of PBPs that can be acylated; therefore, once maximum acylation has occurred, killing rates cannot increase.

The percentage of time required for both bacteriostatic and maximal bactericidal activity is different for the various classes of beta-lactams. Breakpoints for cefazolin are used to predict results for cephalexin for treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections due to E.

Cephalexin is distributed into most body tissues and fluids but does not reach therapeutic levels within the CSF. It crosses the placenta. A small percentage is excreted in breast milk. Cephalexin is not metabolized and largely excreted unchanged into the urine, which leads to high urinary concentrations.