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Cephalexin Alternatives Compared

View side-by-side comparisons of medication uses, ratings, cost, side effects and interactions.
Cephalexin Doxycycline Clindamycin
View side-by-side comparisons of medication uses, ratings, cost, side effects and interactions.
Cephalexin Doxycycline Clindamycin
Prescription only

Cephalexin is a cephalosporin-type antibiotic that may be used in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible gram-positive bacteria. Approximately 10% of people who are allergic to penicillin... View more

Prescription only

Doxycycline is an effective antibiotic that treats a wide range of infections. However, it is not usually recommended for children aged less than eight or pregnant women in the last half of their... View more

Prescription only

Clindamycin is an antibiotic that is usually reserved for treating anaerobic infections or other serious infections caused by gram-positive bacteria in penicillin-allergic people. The risk of C... View more

More about Cephalexin More about Doxycycline More about Clindamycin
Ratings & Reviews

Cephalexin has an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a total of 509 ratings on Drugs.com. 51% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 28% reported a negative effect.

Doxycycline has an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a total of 1635 ratings on Drugs.com. 50% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 27% reported a negative effect.

Clindamycin has an average rating of 5.7 out of 10 from a total of 806 ratings on Drugs.com. 43% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 35% reported a negative effect.

View all 509 reviews

View all 1635 reviews

View all 806 reviews

Side Effects Experienced by Users Side effects are reported in Drugs.com user reviews and not clinically verified.

View all Cephalexin side effects

View all Doxycycline side effects

View all Clindamycin side effects
Drug Class
Generic Availability

Lower cost generic

Lower cost generic

Lower cost generic
Pricing and Coupons * Prices are without insurance
Quantity 6 capsule
Strength 500 mg
Per unit* $2.04
Cost* $12.25

View all Cephalexin prices

Quantity 2 tablet
Strength hyclate 100 mg
Per unit* $6.62
Cost* $13.23

View all Doxycycline prices

Quantity 4 capsule
Strength 150 mg
Per unit* $2.84
Cost* $11.36

View all Clindamycin prices

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Dosage Forms
  • Oral capsule
  • Oral powder for reconstitution
  • Oral tablet
  • Injectable powder for injection
  • Oral capsule
  • Oral delayed release capsule
  • Oral delayed release tablet
  • Oral powder for reconstitution
  • Oral tablet
  • Injectable solution
  • Intravenous solution
  • Oral capsule
  • Oral powder for reconstitution
Brand Names
Keflex Acticlate, Adoxa, Adoxa CK, Adoxa Pak, Adoxa TT, Alodox, Avidoxy, Doryx, Doryx MPC, Doxy 100, Doxy 200, Doxy-Caps, Doxy-D, LymePak, Mondoxyne NL, Monodox, Morgidox, Okebo, Oracea, Oraxyl, Targadox, Uracil, Vibramycin View more Cleocin, Cleocin HCl, Cleocin Pediatric, Cleocin Phosphate, Cleocin Phosphate ADD-Vantage
Half Life Drug half-life is the time required for plasma concentration to reduce to half its original value.

1 hour

23 hours

3.4 hours
CSA Schedule 1 View glossary of CSA terms
N
Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.
N
Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.
N
Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.
Pregnancy Category
B
Category B No proven risk in humans

See the full pregnancy warnings document.
D
Category D Positive evidence of risk

See the full pregnancy warnings document.
B
Category B No proven risk in humans

See the full pregnancy warnings document.
Drug Interactions

A total of 53 drugs are known to interact with Cephalexin:

  • 6 major drug interactions (15 brand and generic names)
  • 47 moderate drug interactions (1875 brand and generic names)

A total of 223 drugs are known to interact with Doxycycline:

  • 22 major drug interactions (60 brand and generic names)
  • 196 moderate drug interactions (2214 brand and generic names)
  • 5 minor drug interactions (21 brand and generic names)

A total of 110 drugs are known to interact with Clindamycin:

  • 6 major drug interactions (15 brand and generic names)
  • 101 moderate drug interactions (384 brand and generic names)
  • 3 minor drug interactions (9 brand and generic names)
Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions

No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.
Disease Interactions
First Approval Date

January 04, 1971

December 05, 1967

February 22, 1970
WADA Class View classifications

N/A

N/A

N/A
More Information
Patient Resources
Professional Resources
Related Treatment Guide

1 The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule information displayed applies to substances regulated under federal law. There may be variations in CSA schedules between individual states.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer

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