Overview of Cephalexin User Reviews

This section contains all of the individual user reviews and antibiotic susceptibilty rankings for Cephalexin (Keflex).

If you have used Cephalexin as a treatment for acne vulgaris, please share your experience and opinions.

Type of Treatment: Rx Medication – Antibiotic (Oral) - Cephalosporin Family

How It Works: Cephalexin is an antibiotic. Antibiotics can improve acne symptoms by limiting the growth of bacteria that contribute to Acne Vulgaris.

When is this medication used? Cephalexin is occasionally used as a treatment for acne.  Cephalexin (and most other oral antibiotics) are usually used to treat moderate to severe acne vulgaris (Acne Types: 2-4).  Cephalexin is often combined with a complimentary topical treatment, such as a topical retinoid or topical antibiotic.

Frequency of Cephalexin Resistant P. acnes Bacteria: Occasional. (What does this mean?)

Official Name: Cephalexin
Popular Brand Names: Keflex, Cefalexin, Ceporex, Ospexin, Lexin, Keftab.
Related Medications: Cephalothin, Cefoxitin, Ceftriaxone, Cefdinir, Cefazolin, Cefamandole, (Penicillin).

Important Note: The information provided on this site is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. The Science of Acne strongly encourages you to consult a qualified medical professional before making any treatment decisions. For the complete disclaimer, click here.

Overall (Composite) Ranking for Cephalexin

The COMPOSITE ranking is calculated from a combination of all of the individual rankings for this medication (EFFECTIVENESS, ADVERSE EFFECTS and ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY).

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (WORST) to 5 (BEST).

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Effectiveness Ranking for Cephalexin

Cephalexin is a medication that is occasionally used to treat acne vulgaris.  Cephalexin appears to be moderately effective for treating acne vulgaris.  It tends to work well in some patients, but poorly in others.  These differences may be the result of antibiotic resistant Propionibacterium acnes.

The EFFECTIVENESS ranking is based on patient reports of how effective this medication was at improving their acne symptoms.

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (NOT EFFECTIVE) to 5 (VERY EFFECTIVE).

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Adverse Effects Ranking for Cephalexin

The ADVERSE EFFECTS ranking is based on patient reports about the adverse effects and side effects that they experienced with this medication.

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (NO SIDE EFFECTS) to 5 (SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS).

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Antibiotic Susceptibility Ranking for Cephalexin

The ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY ranking is based on scientific research reports about the antibiotic sensitivity of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), which is a bacterium that is a primary cause of acne symptoms. Our antibiotic susceptibility data is generated from the combined results of over 50 independent scientific studies. For more information about which antibiotics are most effective against P. acnes bacteria, visit the Antibiotic Susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes page.

Frequency of Cephalexin Resistant P. acnes Bacteria: Occasional. (What does this mean?)

This ranking is scored on a scale of 1 (NOT SUSCEPTIBLE) to 5 (VERY SUSCEPTIBLE).

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User Recommendations for Cephalexin

The USER RECOMMENDATIONS chart indicates how many reviewers recommended this medication as a treatment for Acne Vulgaris. These recommendations are only from The Science of Acne users. For additional reviews of this medication from outside sources, refer to the section below.

There are four options available for this ranking:

YES (definitely recommended)
MAYBE (conditionally recommended)
NO (not recommended)
DON’T KNOW (no opinion)

Outside Reviews of Cephalexin

The following is a list of links to pages that review or discuss the use of this medication. Note: Some of these reviews are not specific to the use of this medication in the treatment of Acne Vulgaris.

Additional Patient Reviews of Cephalexin: Acne.org, WebMD, Drugs.com, EverydayHealth.com, DrugLib.com, RXList.com, Treato.com, RateADrug.com.

Cephalexin Background

Cephalexin is a member of a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins.  Cephalosporins are in a class of medications called beta-lactam antibiotics that are structurally related to the penicillin family of antibiotics.  Cephalosporins kill bacteria by damaging their cell walls, which is the same mechanism of action that is used by penicillin family antibiotics.  Although the cephalosporin and penicillin families of antibiotics are structurally similar, they have different allergic profiles.  Cephalosporins are often used in place of penicillin for people who have penicillin allergies.  They can also be used to treat some infections that are caused by penicillin-resistant bacteria.

Cephalexin is the most commonly used cephalosporin, and is one of the few members of this family of antibiotics that can be administered orally.  Cephalexin is considered a first generation cephalosporin.  These “generations” refer to a series of chemical modifications that change the structure, spectrum and activity of the antibiotic.  First generation cephalosporins are better at killing Gram-positive bacteria (P. acnes bacteria are Gram-positive), but they are not as effective at killing Gram-negative bacteria.  Second and third generation cephalosporins are more active against Gram-negative bacteria, but they lose some of their potency against Gram-positive bacteria.  Fourth generation cephalosporins are the most balanced and are highly active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.  Cephalexin is a common treatment for a number of infections including: Cellulitis, pharyngitis, joint infections, otitis media, pneumonia and urinary tract infections.

Additional Names for Cephalexin: Beliam, Biocef, Cefacin, Cefaclen, Cefaleksin, Cefanox, Céfacet, Cefalex, Cefalexina, Céfalexine, Cefalexinum, Ceff, Ceforal, Cefovit, Cefrin, Cephabos, Cephadar, Cephadex, Cephalen, Cephalex, Cephalexin monohydrate, Cephalobene, Cephanmycin, Cephorum, Cilex, Ialex, Ibilex, Kefexin, Keflet, Rekosporin, Kefexin, Keforal, Keftab, Keftal, Lafarin, Larixin, Lexin, Lexincef, Lopilexin, Ohlexin, Oracef, Oriphex, Palitrex, Phexin, Rancef, Ranceph, Rilexine, Sanaxin, Sef, Sencephalin, Sofilex, Sporidex, Tenkorex, Ultrasporin, Unilexin, Uphalexin, Zartan and Zephalexin.

Important Note: The information provided on this site is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. The Science of Acne strongly encourages you to consult a qualified medical professional before making any treatment decisions. For the complete disclaimer, click here.

Cost and Availability of Cephalexin

If possible, cephalexin should be obtained through consultation of a qualified medical professional.  Most physicians are comfortable with the use of this medication in general, but not necessarily for the treatment of acne.  Cephalexin is available in brand name and generic formulations. Generic cephalexin tends to be inexpensive to moderately expensive, and brand name versions of this medication tend to be moderately expensive to very expensive.

Important Note: The information provided above is not intended as a recommendation or endorsement. The Science of Acne encourages you to adhere to all applicable legal regulations in your jurisdiction. Before ordering pharmaceutical medications online, please read our overview: A Guide to Buying Prescription Medications on the Internet.

Related Articles from The Science of Acne

In Depth: Cephalexin (Keflex) and Acne
Overview: Avoiding Negative Drug Interactions
A Guide to Buying Prescription Medications on the Internet
Overview: Prescription Medications Used in Acne Treatment
In Depth: Antibiotic Susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes

References and Sources

Books

PDR Staff Writers. 2011. 2011 Physicians’ Desk Reference
Gallagher. 2011. Antibiotics Simplified, Second Edition
Habif. 2009. Clinical Dermatology
Goodheart. 2006. Acne For Dummies
Bartlett. 2012. Johns Hopkins Antibiotics Guide 2012

Online Resources

Cephalexin @ PubMed Health – The National Institute of Health (US) offers basic comprehensive information about most common medications.
Cephalexinin @ Wikipedia – Wikipedia is an excellent resource for learning about how medications work.
Cephalexin Physician’s Insert – The physician’s insert for a medication contains nearly all of the relevant information, including indications, dosage information and background data.

Scientific Research Articles

Fenner, et al. 2008. Oral Cephalexin for Acne Vulgaris: Clinical Experience with 93 Patients.
Amin, et al. 2007. Common and Alternative Oral Antibiotic Therapies for Acne Vulgaris: A Review.
Kurokawa, et al. 1999. Antimicrobial susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes isolated from acne vulgaris (Japan).
Giordano, et al. 2006. Cefdinir vs. cephalexin for mild to moderate uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections in adolescents and adults.
Ross, et al. 2003. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antibiotic-resistant Propionibacterium acnes isolated from acne patients attending dermatology clinics in Europe, the U.S.A., Japan and Australia.
Hoeffler, et al. 1976. Antimicrobial susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes and related microbial species.
Wang, et al. 1977. Susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes to seventeen antibiotics.
Leyden, et al. 2001. Current issues in antimicrobial therapy for the treatment of acne.
Ahmadi, et al. 2007. Evaluation of Antibiogram pattern of Propionibacterium acnes Obtained from Skin of Patients with Acne Vulgaris.
Longshore, et al. 2003. Acne vulgaris: one treatment does not fit all.
Nishijima, et al. 1996. Sensitivity of Propionibacterium acnes isolated from acne patients: comparative study of antimicrobial agents.