Drug & supplement interaction

Agave + Cephalexin

Cephalexin brand names: Keflex, Keftab, Cephalex, Lexin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Agave and Cephalexin in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first.

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Interaction report

Agave and Cephalexin

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Cephalexin and Agave in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Agave at all — not against Cephalexin, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Agave safety at a glance

Agave overall Use caution Agave nectar is generally fine as a food, but medicinal use of the raw plant or sap is poorly studied and can irritate.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When used orally. Agave contains constituents that may be uterine stimulants, and it has traditionally been used to induce labor. Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough safety information, so avoid medicinal use while breastfeeding.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Cephalexin and Agave? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

What Agave Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Cephalexin. It is the side-effect record for Agave on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Agave, this list is the first place to look.

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “There are reports of acute irritant contact dermatitis due to agave exposure, especially to the sap. Oxalic acid crystals in the sap may be the cause of this irritation. Treatment with oral antihistamines and topical saline compresses have been shown to reduce skin lesions following agave exposure within 7-10 days.”

    Agave · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    6 sources cited
    1. 19626. High WA. Agave contact dermatitis. Am J Contact Dermat 2003;14(4):213-214. DOI
    2. 19627. Brazzelli V, Romano E, Balduzzi A, et al. Acute irritant contact dermatitis from Agave americana L. Contact Dermatitis 1995;33(1):60-61.
    3. 26145. Cherpelis BS, Fenske NA. Purpuric irritant contact dermatitis induced by Agave americana. Cutis 2000;66(4):287-8.
    4. 20014. Ricks MR, Vogel PS, Elston DM, et al. Purpuric agave dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;40(2 Pt 2):356-358. PubMed
    5. 20015. Kerner J, Mitchell J, Maibach HI. Irritant contact dermatitis from Agave americana L. Incorrect use of sap as "hair restorer". Arch Dermatol 1973;108(1):102-103. DOI
    6. 19622. Golan H, Landau M, Goldberg I, et al. [Dermatitis from contact with Agave americana]. Harefuah 2000;139(7-8):276-8, 326.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Agave — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Cephalexin’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Cephalexin column appears here.

Special populations

Agave in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Likely Unsafe

When used orally. Agave contains constituents that may be uterine stimulants, and it has traditionally been used to induce labor.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Agave or Cephalexin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Agave or Cephalexin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cephalexin

This page covers Agave only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cephalexin page lists 61 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Aristolochia (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 47 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cephalexin page

“Cephalexin (Keflex) is one of the most commonly prescribed oral antibiotics, usually for skin and urinary infections, and its supplement list warrants genuine care rather than a quick skim. Three of the 61 ingredients on file rate major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cephalexin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Agave as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 88 real supplement products containing Agave, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Agave. Even though Agave itself has no known interaction with Cephalexin, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Agave and Cephalexin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Agave
Top half

#564 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cephalexin
Top 5%

#107 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Agave reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Agave and Cephalexin records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Agave

What is Agave?

Agave
  • Natural sweetener (agave nectar)
  • Digestive complaints
  • Wound and skin care (topical)
  • Mild antimicrobial
  • Traditional remedy for inflammation

Agave is a succulent plant best known as the source of agave nectar, a popular sweetener, and the base for tequila and mezcal. While it has a long history of folk use for digestion, skin care, and minor infections, there is very little solid human research to support medicinal benefits, and the raw sap can irritate skin and may be unsafe to take internally in large amounts. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using agave as a supplement.

Agave americana · Asparagaceae · Leaves, sap (used to make agave nectar/syrup), and roots · Agave nectar/syrup (sweetener), dried leaf, topical sap preparations, and occasionally capsules or extracts

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Agave is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Agave record says about it on its own.

Agave: dosing

There is no established standardized medicinal dose for agave. Most people only encounter it as agave nectar used to sweeten food and drinks, where the "dose" is simply how much sweetener you choose to use.For any supplement product containing agave extract, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Agave monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Agave monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cephalexin

What Is Cephalexin Used For?

Brand names: Keflex, Keftab, Cephalex, Lexin

Cephalexin treats bacterial infections caused by susceptible strains of bacteria. It is used for respiratory tract infections, ear infections (otitis media), skin and skin structure infections, bone infections, and genitourinary tract infections — including acute prostatitis.

It works only against bacterial infections — not viruses like colds or flu. Your prescriber should use it only when a bacterial infection is confirmed or strongly suspected, to help prevent antibiotic resistance.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Cephalexin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Chronic kidney disease 2,157 reports
Renal failure 1,558 reports
Acute kidney injury 1,550 reports
Diarrhea 1,405 reports
Fatigue 1,303 reports
See full Cephalexin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Agave

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Agave — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Agave against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Agave list.

See the full Agave interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cephalexin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Agave References

The 8 references that drive our Agave monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Golan H, Landau M, Goldberg I, et al. [Dermatitis from contact with Agave americana]. Harefuah 2000;139(7-8):276-8, 326.
  2. Brenner S, Landau M, Goldberg I. Contact dermatitis with systemic symptoms from Agave americana. Dermatology 1998;196(4):408-411.
  3. High WA. Agave contact dermatitis. Am J Contact Dermat 2003;14(4):213-214. DOI
  4. Brazzelli V, Romano E, Balduzzi A, et al. Acute irritant contact dermatitis from Agave americana L. Contact Dermatitis 1995;33(1):60-61.
  5. Ricks MR, Vogel PS, Elston DM, et al. Purpuric agave dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;40(2 Pt 2):356-358. PubMed
  6. Kerner J, Mitchell J, Maibach HI. Irritant contact dermatitis from Agave americana L. Incorrect use of sap as "hair restorer". Arch Dermatol 1973;108(1):102-103. DOI
  7. Basilio CM, Seyler L, Bernstein J, et al. Isolation and characterization of an utero-active compound from Agave americana. P R Health Sci J 1989;8(3):295-299.
  8. Cherpelis BS, Fenske NA. Purpuric irritant contact dermatitis induced by Agave americana. Cutis 2000;66(4):287-8.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Agave and Cephalexin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Agave with Cephalexin?
We do not list a known interaction between Agave and Cephalexin. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Does Cephalexin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cephalexin has documented interactions with 61 supplements in our database — Agave is not one of them. The Cephalexin interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Agave monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Cephalexin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Cephalexin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Cephalexin, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 8 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Cephalexin and Agave?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.