Drug & supplement interaction

Hollyhock + Cephalexin

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

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

We found no known interaction between Hollyhock 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

Hollyhock 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 Hollyhock 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.

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.

Hollyhock safety at a glance

Hollyhock overall Use caution Generally considered gentle, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety data during breastfeeding, so avoid use.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Cephalexin and Hollyhock? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Cephalexin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Cephalexin is filed under 7 classifications — including organic anion transporter 3 (oat3) substrates, organic anion transporter 1 (oat1) substrates, antibiotic drugs. Hollyhock has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate) — and none of Cephalexin’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Hollyhock Does Interact With Other Medications

Hollyhock has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Cephalexin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 86 No known interaction 2,744 (incl. Cephalexin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Hollyhock

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Hollyhock. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

What Cephalexin’s Own FDA Label Lists

This is not an interaction — none of it involves Hollyhock. These are the most notable effects listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Cephalexin’s own FDA label, for the medication by itself. Knowing the drug’s own list makes it easier to work out the likely cause if something new turns up while you take both. 10 of them are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Hallucinations Worth acting on
  • Yellowing of the skin or eyes Worth acting on
  • Confusion Worth acting on
  • Seizures Worth acting on
  • A low platelet count Worth acting on
  • Kidney problems Worth acting on
  • Anemia Worth acting on
  • A low white blood cell count Worth acting on
  • Liver problems Worth acting on
  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on

Showing the 10 most notable of 23 label-listed effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

From the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cephalexin. Read the label on DailyMed › Hollyhock’s licensed record lists no adverse effects our clinical vocabulary could match, so there is no Hollyhock side to compare — that is a limit of the record, not a statement that Hollyhock has no side effects.

From our Q&A

Questions About Hollyhock 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 Hollyhock 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 Hollyhock 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

How much people look this up

Where Hollyhock 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 Hollyhock
Steady interest

#1,124 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Cephalexin
Top 5%

#127 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 Hollyhock reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Hollyhock and Cephalexin records this page draws on were last updated June 22, 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 Hollyhock

What is Hollyhock?

  • Sore throat and cough
  • Digestive upset
  • Soothing irritated skin
  • Mild inflammation
  • Urinary discomfort

Hollyhock is a flowering plant in the mallow family that has been used in traditional medicine, mainly as a soothing (demulcent) remedy for the throat, gut, and skin. Solid human studies are very limited, so its benefits are not well proven. It is generally considered gentle, but you should still talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Alcea rosea · Malvaceae · Flowers, leaves, and roots · Tea, dried flowers, extracts, topical preparations

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

Hollyhock: dosing

There is no well-established, standardized dose for hollyhock. Traditional use most often involves a tea made from the dried flowers or leaves.Because products vary in strength and form, the safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Hollyhock 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 & Hollyhock

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

0Major
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
86 Moderate 2,743 No interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Hollyhock page.

No interaction 2,743 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,743 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Hollyhock list.

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

Hollyhock References

The 1 references that drive our Hollyhock 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. Zhang Y, Jin L, Chen Q, et al. Hypoglycemic activity evaluation and chemical study on hollyhock flowers. Fitoterapia 2015;102:7-14. PubMed

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 Hollyhock and Cephalexin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Hollyhock with Cephalexin?
We do not list a known interaction between Hollyhock 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.
How was the Hollyhock and Cephalexin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cephalexin is filed under 7 classifications, and Hollyhock has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Cephalexin's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Hollyhock interact with any other medications?
Yes. Hollyhock has 86 documented drug interactions in our database — Cephalexin is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Cephalexin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cephalexin has documented interactions with 61 supplements in our database — Hollyhock 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

Hollyhock 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 1 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Cephalexin and Hollyhock?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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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.