Drug & supplement interaction

Mullein + Cephalexin

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

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Mullein 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

Mullein 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 Mullein 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.

Mullein safety at a glance

Mullein overall Use caution Generally well tolerated for short-term use, but human safety data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough data to consider it safe while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Cephalexin and Mullein? 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. Mullein has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (minor) — 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

Mullein Does Interact With Other Medications

Mullein has 122 minor known drug interactions in our database — Cephalexin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 122 No known interaction 2,708 (incl. Cephalexin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Mullein

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

What to actually watch for

What Mullein Itself Has Been Linked To

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    “Two case reports have described dermatitis, with positive patch tests, after topical exposure to the whole plant, or by occupational inhalation of plant dust. In the case of topical exposure, the patient also had positive patch tests to other plants.”

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

    2 sources cited
    1. 92839. Castro AI, Carmona JB, Gonzales FG, Nestar OB. Occupational airborne dermatitis from gordolobo (Verbascum densiflorum). Contact Dermatitis 2006;55(5):301.
    2. 97316. Flores Echaiz C, Al Ali A, Cao AQ, Sasseville D. Simultaneous contact dermatitis caused by Asteraceae and Verbascum thapsus. Contact Dermatitis 2017;76(5):316-8.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Mullein — 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.

Overlapping uses

What Cephalexin Is Prescribed For, and What Mullein Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Cephalexin is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Mullein is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Cephalexin is prescribed for: 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.

Mullein has been studied for:

  • Pneumonia studied, not established Mullein has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Mullein for pneumonia

    Although there is interest in using oral mullein for pneumonia, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of mullein for this condition.

  • Otitis media studied, not established Mullein has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Mullein for otitis media

    Topical mullein has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Cephalexin on your own; if you are taking Mullein for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Mullein 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 Mullein 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 Mullein 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 Mullein as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 780 real supplement products containing Mullein, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Mullein. Even though Mullein 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 Mullein 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 Mullein
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cephalexin
Top 5%

#65 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 Mullein reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Mullein and Cephalexin records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 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 Mullein

What is Mullein?

Mullein
  • Cough and chest congestion
  • Sore throat
  • Bronchitis and respiratory irritation
  • Earache (traditional ear oil)
  • Mild inflammation

Mullein is a traditional herbal remedy most often used as a tea or syrup to soothe coughs, sore throats, and respiratory irritation. High-quality human studies are lacking, so its benefits are not well proven, but it is generally considered low-risk for short-term use in healthy adults. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a medical condition.

Verbascum thapsus · Scrophulariaceae · Leaves and flowers (sometimes roots) · Tea (infusion), tincture, capsules, syrups, lozenges, and ear oil drops

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

Mullein: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose for mullein. The amount used varies widely between products and traditional recipes, such as teas, tinctures, capsules, and syrups.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount. A well-made tea is typically prepared by steeping the dried leaves or flowers in hot water and straining well to remove the irritating plant hairs.

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

Read the full Mullein 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 & Mullein

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

0Major
0Moderate
122Minor
2,707No known interaction
122 Minor 2,707 No interaction
Minor

122 interactions

Showing 60 of 122 minor interactions — see all 122 on the Mullein page.

No interaction 2,707 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,707 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Mullein list.

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

Mullein References

The 2 references that drive our Mullein 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. Castro AI, Carmona JB, Gonzales FG, Nestar OB. Occupational airborne dermatitis from gordolobo (Verbascum densiflorum). Contact Dermatitis 2006;55(5):301.
  2. Flores Echaiz C, Al Ali A, Cao AQ, Sasseville D. Simultaneous contact dermatitis caused by Asteraceae and Verbascum thapsus. Contact Dermatitis 2017;76(5):316-8.

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 Mullein and Cephalexin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Mullein with Cephalexin?
We do not list a known interaction between Mullein 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.
Are Mullein and Cephalexin used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Mullein in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Cephalexin is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Mullein and Cephalexin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cephalexin is filed under 7 classifications, and Mullein 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 Mullein interact with any other medications?
Yes. Mullein has 122 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 — Mullein 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

Mullein 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 2 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Cephalexin and Mullein?

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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.