Health professionals discourage the simultaneous ingestion of Cephalexin and alcohol. Cephalexin is an antibiotic drug that treats infections. There are certain side effects with any antibiotic that do not generally amount to anything serious, though some people may have drug allergies. Alcohol is a recreational substance whose primary danger lies in its depressive effects on organ functions and in a temporary limitation of motor skills. The slow reflexes of a person who has consumed a lot are a visibly physical symptom of drunkenness. When these two substances combine in a single, human bloodstream, new symptoms not associated with either separate substance can occur.
Cephalexin is an antibiotic that also goes by the name Keflex. Physicians prescribe it to treat a wide variety of infections. They also use it to treat bacterial endocarditis. It is also used as an alternative antibiotic when a patient exhibits adverse reactions to penicillin.
This antibiotic has some negative side effects even when used alone. These include diarrhea, dizziness, headache, indigestion, joint pain, upset stomach and fatigue. However, since the drug is taken for such a short time, less than two weeks usually, most people can tolerate these effects.
Alcohol has its own effects on human physiology. It has a mild sedative effect which is lauded by its proponents and even by some researchers who claim to show a link between certain positive health traits, such as longevity, and moderate alcohol consumption. However, even the proponents of moderate consumption admit that anything more than small, regular doses causes lasting damage to the body and its organ. Liver failure, among other ailments, is clearly linked to overuse of alcohol.
When combined, the list of adverse effects is extensive. First, alcohol limits the body’s ability to absorb antibiotics. This means that the infection goes untreated and this is the primary reason that the antibiotic is in the body to begin with. This goes for all the salutary effects that any drug is supposed to have on a person. Alcohol is a caustic substance, however, pleasant it might make one feel while drinking it. So the primary adverse reaction is the slowing of the body’s ability to fight the infection, which may or may not be life-threatening.
Since Cephalexin can already cause some disturbing physical symptoms, consuming alcohol simultaneously can worsen them. These effects are vomiting, change in heart rate, head ache, fatigue and painful muscular contractions. Alcohol dehydrates you when you consume it, and there are a host of health problems associated with dehydration.
The best policy when taking antibiotics, even when there are no known adverse reactions, is to not combine them with alcohol. The antibiotic is temporary and has only a short tome to get its work done. Alcohol will always be there and can wait until your body is whole again.