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Cephalexin

Medication first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic
Aka: cefalexin, Keflex, Ospexin
Brands seen in Singapore: Felexin, Cefalexin, Apo-Cephalex, Sofilex, Axcel Cephalexin
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Prescribed for lung, urine and skin infections
When to take
Doses spaced evenly · often 500 mg 2 or 3 times a day
Take with
Water · with or without food; food may ease nausea
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Most people feel better within a few days (NHS)
  • Food optional — with or without a meal (NHS)
  • Alcohol allowed per NHS
Cons
  • Nausea and diarrhoea are the most common effects
  • NHS advises against zinc supplements alongside it
  • Penicillin allergy history needs a check first
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (official open dataset on data.gov.sg; full 5,511-row register pulled via the datastore_search API) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Forensicclassification = "Prescription Only" for all 12 cephalexin/cefalexin products on the register, all oral — e.g. SIN00449P FELEXIN 500 CAPSULE, SIN11396P CEFALEXIN CAPSULE 500 mg, SIN08381P APO-CEPHALEX TABLET, SIN10378P SOFILEX CAPSULE, SIN16585P AXCEL CEPHALEXIN-500.”
  2. NHS Medicines A–Z — About cefalexin (brand name: Keflex) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Cefalexin is an antibiotic … only available on prescription … You'll usually start to feel better in a few days … Do not take zinc supplements while you're taking cefalexin … You can drink alcohol while taking cefalexin.”
  3. NHS Medicines A–Z — How and when to take cefalexin · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “for most infections, adults usually take 500mg, 2 or 3 times a day … You can take cefalexin with or without food. Try to space the doses evenly throughout the day.”
  4. HealthHub (MOH Singapore / Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore) — Cephalexin medication information leaflet · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Cephalexin is an antibiotic used to treat infections … of the lung, urine, skin … You may take this medication with or without food … You are allergic to penicillins, such as Amoxicillin … You are taking warfarin.”
  5. FDA DailyMed — Cephalexin capsules, USP (Bryant Ranch Prepack), SPL effective 16 Jul 2026; retrieved via the openFDA drug label API · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “up to 4 grams daily in two to four equally divided doses … maximum daily dose should not exceed 1 g … contraindicated … known hypersensitivity to cephalexin … increased metformin concentrations … renal excretion … inhibited by probenecid.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.