Taking cefalexin with other medicines and herbal supplements - Brand name: Keflex

Cautions with other medicines

Some medicines do not mix well with cefalexin.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take cefalexin if you take any of these medicines:

• probenecid, a medicine used to treat gout
• metformin, a medicine used to treat diabetes
• medicines that make you pee more (diuretics) including furosemide
• other antibiotics

Mixing cefalexin with herbal remedies and supplements

Do not take cefalexin at the same time as zinc supplements or anything with zinc in it. This is important because zinc may reduce the amount of cefalexin in your body, meaning the medicine cannot work as it's meant to.

If you do take supplements with zinc in them, make sure there is a gap of at least 3 hours before and after you take your cefalexin.

There's not enough information to say that other complementary medicines, herbal remedies and supplements are safe to take with cefalexin. They're not tested in the same way as pharmacy and prescription medicines. They're generally not tested for the effect they have on other medicines.