Cephalexin for Skin or Soft Tissue Infection User Reviews (Page 4)

• Shy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2022

"I had a really infected ingrown toenail and was put on 500 mg cephalexin 3 times a day for a week. I'm only 120 lbs and still pretty young. The medication does work, and I'm only 3 days in, and I definitely see improvement. The area isn't swollen, and there is no pus. However, I am being hit hard by the tiredness, weakness, and drowsiness. I've been trying to work on assignments, but can't keep my eyes open and am considering getting an extension."

• Lin...
• November 3, 2016

"I got a flu shot, and the next morning I woke up with fever, pounding headache, and a large red swelling on my arm with streaks that connected to the lymph nodes. I was diagnosed with cellulitis. I was clearly not swabbed well enough, if at all (can't remember). I started on 3 doses of Cephalexin 500 per day, but got worse the first day and ended up in the ER. The ER doc bumped me up to 4 doses. It has pretty much cleared it up. The exhaustion has been horrific, and at times I'm dizzy. No diarrhea, but sometimes I become extremely nauseous. It strikes me out of nowhere. I find that taking Zantac helps. I'm also really achy and all around unwell. One pill to go, and I can't wait. But the stuff works, or I'd have developed sepsis, so all good."

• Swe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2019

"I was given cephalexin for my tooth infection, 250 mg four daily for 7 days. I have one more day left. Thank goodness. I've been extremely tired and have had nausea since taking this med. I haven't been able to eat much other than oatmeal, jello, and crackers. I hope it has done the job as I don't think I can stomach it much longer. I'm allergic to sulfa drugs, so it was either this or penicillin, which both have similar side effects."

• Ada...
• October 31, 2017

"Got 500 mg of Keflex prescribed to me for alleged infected spider bites. Day one, I felt okay, had to go to the bathroom a lot, but otherwise, my stomach wasn't too bad. By night two, I was on the verge of going to the ER. My stomach felt like it was eating itself, my BP/pulse through the roof, every muscle in my body was spasming, and I was in full freak-out mode. Stopped taking it after that. It's been four days since I took it, and I'm still sick. Dizzy, can't eat, feel crappy and weak. Doc said the antibiotics made me sick and that I had to be on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) for a week. FUN!"

• Im ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2020

"I've been prescribed cephalexin way too much. I'm on it for the fourth time for a pretty bad staph infection that I've had for over a year now. Day 4 of 500 mg 3x a day and I'm exhausted, having panic attacks, dizziness, confusion, and headache, but the infection is still there. I am only giving this a 4 rating because there's really been no change, except cysts are worse and side effects are intolerable. I'm sure it's because I've been prescribed antibiotics so much that they just don't work anymore."

• Afr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2017

"5 days ago, I was diagnosed with facial cellulitis. I went to the ER, and they gave me cephalexin and Bactrim. I was told to take 2 cephalexin and 4 Bactrim. Within the past few days of taking both antibiotics, my rate has gone up, my jaw jitters a lot, I now have a fever, and my left arm feels like I pulled every single muscle in it. Plus, I noticed 5 new blisters on my face that go red and are as hard as a marble until they fill up with pus and burst. The only good thing about this pill is that it helped clear two parts of where the cellulitis was on my face, but now I have these new symptoms, and I'm not sure what to do."

• She...
• March 14, 2016

"I was injected with a shot called Medrol, and I have been in pain from the injection on the exact area where the nurse injected me. I've been in pain since November 2015 from the injection. I just recently tried cephalexin, and it has helped me so much. I believe the nurse who injected me damaged some of my skin tissues or hit a nerve when she injected me."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2020

"Was prescribed this medication, cephalexin, for a minor UTI over a year ago and again more recently for a periodontal infection. Bleeding gums have cleared up in two days, but now I'm not sure I'm not peeing blood. Was prescribed 500 mg 4x a day for 7 days, but now I'm paranoid that it's causing another problem or that I may have overdosed. Because it's a sulfur medication, it tastes and smells like rotten eggs and is very hard to even get down. I much prefer Bactrim, don't ever want to take this again."

• bab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2018

"I got really bad cellulitis from a sinus infection, and it was spreading to my eye. Went in to see my doctor, and she gave me two choices: be on oral antibiotics and it take longer, or go to the ER and get an IV infusion that would stop it sooner. I went to the ER, and they kept me three days. I am a nurse and have been around the medical science, and they were rotating my antibiotics to cover and heal. If it is not getting better on oral, call back. Don't mess around with a staph or strep infection. I feel better the choice I made, and this was a medication they used among others."

• Joa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2021

"I was given this for an infected hangnail on my finger. 500 mg 2x a day for 7 days. Within hours after the first dose, I saw improvement. My finger was less red, less swollen, and less painful. Side effects: tummy upset (bloating, gassiness), softer stools, and I felt a little jittery, like you've just drank 3 cups of coffee, only I don't drink caffeine. But I have a very sensitive tummy (IBS), and they only lasted for a couple of hours after each dose and were mild."

• nat...
• December 7, 2015

"Was on cephalexin 4 times a day for 1 week to treat an infected burn. It treated the infection nice and quick with a few side effects. I threw up twice while on it despite taking the pills with food as instructed. It caused nausea and diarrhea near the end of my prescription, which made me feel horrible. I also had increased anxiety while on the medication."

• ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2024

Cephalexin "I'm shocked that these people are often angry with the healthcare provider for giving this drug. Statistically, (look it up in controlled trials, if you believe in double-blind studies and science and stuff like that) it is a very safe drug. Unless you told them you were allergic, this was most likely a rational choice and you are the"

• Eva...
• February 7, 2016

"I was prescribed this as a precaution because I had a mole removed, however, I had the worst experience. I don't know if I had food poisoning during the first night of taking it, or if it was entirely the cephalexin, but I had a 12-hour episode of vomiting and diarrhea. After that, I was sick for an entire week with nausea and evidently sick (couldn't eat anything different than the BRAT diet). I decided to stop taking cephalexin, and in 12 hours, I was MUCH better. My doctor said that since we are all different, some antibiotics might not work at all for some of us. This is the first time in my life I had a bad experience with an antibiotic."

• Its...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 30, 2024

"I am always hesitant to take medicine and antibiotics, as I had a bad experience with Bactrim in the past. I can very confidently say this is the best antibiotic that I have ever taken. Absolutely NO side effects and cleared up my skin infection in 2 days. I took a dose every four hours during the day, and two hours after each of those doses, I replenished my gut bacteria with Theralac brand probiotic and S. Boulardii probiotic. I think a lot of people that have side effects with antibiotics do not replenish the gut between doses and for a few weeks after. I highly recommend this antibiotic. It is a very mild antibiotic compared to others out there. I will definitely take this again if I need it in the future."

• Gle...
• June 21, 2019

Cephalexin "I was prescribed Keflex, and within 5 hours of taking the first dose, I developed an intense case of hives covering my upper chest and arms from elbow to elbow. The pain was intense. They took me off the Keflex, and I got better, however, I still have issues with hives from even small scratches."

• you...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2020

"I had been taking Valtrex for a herpes rash on my hands that became infected, and was taking Bactrim for that. The Valtrex was causing severe panic attacks, the doc prescribed cephalexin because he believed the meds were interacting. 250 mg 4 times a day for 14 days. I stopped taking the Valtrex and the severe panic stopped, but still need the antibiotics for 10 more days. I've had no appetite, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, shaking, chills, and sweating but no fever with still borderline panic attacks because my anxiety is so high. The side effects are what I can consider tolerable most of the time, although I've nearly gone to the emergency room twice. I currently have 4 more doses and will be done in 24 hours, and I am ready for it to be over. The medication did do its job well, but I wish I had stayed on the Bactrim."

• Nev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2019

"I have this lump on the left side of my neck just above my collarbone (infected lymph node), and they gave me Keflex to take 4 times a day, and it is supposed to help the swelling go down, but it has helped a little, but not a lot. I am on my 4th day in, and I have had nightmares for 2 of those days and no other side effects."

• Fan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2019

"I just started this medication for a cyst on my chest. I'm also HIV positive (not AIDS). My stomach feels so tight and knotted. I'm not able to eat, my throat feels like I'm getting strep or something. I'm going to give it until the 3rd day before I call my doctor and ask for another antibiotic. I'm taking 500 mg 3x a day for 30 days."

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2022

"Prescribed 500 mg 4 times a day for an infected tick bite. From day one, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, major headaches, and altered moods. I am on day 5 now, side effects are not any better, and I am feeling depressed. The tick bite site looks like it is healing. I would not take this given another option."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2023

"This was prescribed for a laceration injury on my hand from the ER after it was cleaned and stitched up. 500 mg four times a day. I had so much nausea the first day I vomited up the mint tea, which was all I had taken that day, then started using Zofran but still could not eat anything. I was also constipated that day. I was so tired I spent most of the day asleep. I am now on day 3 and still have to force myself to eat or drink and have lost 7 lbs. Constipation turned to mild diarrhea. I also have a headache and backache and am so tired. I have four more days to go, my doctor has approved my reducing the dose to three times a day, and I am trying to stay the course. I want to thank all the previous commenters here since so many of the symptoms they reported settled my mind (I also feel I am more anxious than usual) about what was happening to me."

• For...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2017

"The doctor prescribed 500 mg, four times a day for seven days as a treatment for an infected mosquito bite. The first day was fine, but by the second day, I had severe stomach pains, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. I have decided that I will never take this medicine again."

• SMc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2018

"I was on 500 mg four times a day for the week. It was great the first few days until I woke up because my stomach started burning. I had consistent diarrhea the whole day and the next. I also started feeling anxious to the point of a possible panic attack, which I haven’t had in about 3 years. Needless to say, yes, it helped my infection, however, I would rather have it than go through that again. I had to leave work halfway through my shift because of it, so I tossed them in the garbage."

• Vio...
• November 4, 2021

"I was prescribed Keflex (500 mg) every 6 hours (4x) a day, for (7) days. I have only taken antibiotics once in my life when I was in high school. I am 28 now, just to give you some perspective. I had a cosmetic procedure, and my surgeon prescribed Keflex. The first day I was still coming off anesthesia, so I didn’t feel much. But the next day I felt horrible. I was so delirious, dizzy, and confused. That was just the start! As the days went on, I experienced blurred vision, sadness, extreme fatigue, and then insomnia. One night I slept for only one hour. I have suffered some acute memory issues and brain fog. I have to say that this experience has left me very afraid of antibiotics, and I only kept taking it because I had to in order to avoid possible infection. I will never willingly take Keflex or any other antibiotic. But I did not get an infection, so I guess it did its job."

• Phe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2021

"Real frozen shoulder, which comes out of nowhere and lasts six months, was followed by frozen leg muscles and then frozen hips. When my chest, throat, and lung muscles became hugely painful, I realized the infection was back. I ordered supplies for a long period of being housebound again. I was prescribed cephalexin/keto, actually for a UTI, so I had some. 500 three times a day. The pain stopped in two days. My system feels light, as though the whole latent infection had been cleaned out. A side effect was that the corn on the sole of my foot has disappeared after decades! I might have had a slight headache, that was all. In my case, this medicine has been a miracle! I am 79 and in the UK. I was prescribed it on the NHS."

• Tom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2016

"I was prescribed Cephalexin for a soft tissue infection in a finger. The drug did, in fact, reduce some of the swelling. However, generally speaking, my reaction was not what I would label as positive. After the fifth day of a seven-day cycle, I woke to find a major outbreak on one half of my face. On a side note, I was prescribed Tetracycline as a teenager for acne. And what I woke to was a flashback of early teen acne. Regardless, I brought it to the attention of my healthcare provider. The general response was... nothing. The nurse, the doctor, the PA. None of them even reacted, much less responded to my concern. In the end, I have had a serious acne outbreak at 53. Appears I am allergic to Cephalexin."