Cephalexin is used for:

Treating certain bacterial infections.

Cephalexin is a cephalosporin antibiotic. It works by interfering with the bacteria's cell wall formation. This weakens the cell wall, causing it to rupture, and kills the bacteria.

Do NOT use Cephalexin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Cephalexin or any other cephalosporin antibiotic (eg, cefuroxime)

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Cephalexin :

Some medical conditions may interact with Cephalexin. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substance
• if you have had a severe allergic reaction (eg, severe rash, hives, breathing difficulties, dizziness) to a penicillin (eg, amoxicillin) or other beta-lactam antibiotic (eg, imipenem)
• if you have stomach or bowel problems (eg, inflammation), blood clotting problems, kidney or liver problems, or poor nutrition

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Cephalexin. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Metformin because its actions and the risks of its side effects may be increased by Cephalexin
• Probenecid because it may increase the actions and the risk of Cephalexin 's side effects
• Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because the risk of side effects such as bleeding may be increased

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Cephalexin may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Cephalexin:

Use Cephalexin as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Take Cephalexin by mouth with or without food.
• To clear up your infection completely, take Cephalexin for the full course of treatment. Keep taking it even if you feel better in a few days.
• If you miss a dose of Cephalexin, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do NOT take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Cephalexin.

Important safety information:

• Cephalexin may cause dizziness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Cephalexin with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Cephalexin may decrease the ability of your blood to clot. Avoid activities that may cause bruising or injury. Tell your doctor if you have unusual bruising or bleeding. Tell your doctor if you have dark, tarry, or bloody stools.
• Contact your doctor right away if stomach pain or cramps, severe diarrhea, or bloody stools occur. Do not treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor.
• Be sure to use Cephalexin for the full course of treatment. If you do not, the medicine may not clear up your infection completely. The bacteria could also become less sensitive to this or other medicines. This could make the infection harder to treat in the future.
• Cephalexin only works against bacteria; it does not treat viral infections (eg, the common cold).
• Long-term or repeated use of Cephalexin may cause a second infection. Tell your doctor if signs of a second infection occur. Your medicine may need to be changed to treat this.
• Diabetes patients - Cephalexin may cause the results of some tests for urine glucose to be wrong. Ask your doctor before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetes medicine.
• Cephalexin may interfere with certain lab tests. Be sure your doctor and lab personnel know you are taking Cephalexin.
• Use Cephalexin with caution in the ELDERLY; they may be more sensitive to its effects.
• Use Cephalexin with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 10 years old who have diarrhea or an infection of the stomach or bowel.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Cephalexin while you are pregnant. Cephalexin is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Cephalexin, check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.

Possible side effects of Cephalexin:

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Diarrhea; dizziness; headache; indigestion; joint pain; stomach pain; tiredness.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); agitation; confusion; dark urine; decreased urination; fever; hallucinations; red, swollen, or blistered skin; seizures; severe or blood diarrhea; severe stomach pain; severe tiredness; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual vaginal pain, odor, or discharge; yellowing of the eyes or skin.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.