Drug & supplement interaction

Sea Buckthorn + 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 Sea Buckthorn 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. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Sea Buckthorn 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 Sea Buckthorn 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.

Sea Buckthorn safety at a glance

Sea Buckthorn overall Use caution Generally well tolerated as a food, but supplement safety has not been fully studied.
Pregnancy Use caution Food amounts are likely fine, but supplement doses are not well studied, so use caution and ask your doctor.
Breastfeeding Use caution Not enough reliable safety data on supplement use while breastfeeding; use caution.

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

Still wondering about combining Cephalexin and Sea Buckthorn? 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. Sea Buckthorn has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate) and antihypertensive 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

Sea Buckthorn Does Interact With Other Medications

Sea Buckthorn has 289 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 289 No known interaction 2,541 (incl. Cephalexin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Sea Buckthorn

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Sea Buckthorn and Cephalexin May Share a Side Effect

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Itching Additional detail

    Sea Buckthorn

    “Orally, high doses of sea buckthorn may cause yellow staining of the skin. One case of generalized yellow skin has been reported for a patient who consumed sea buckthorn 100 grams daily for 6 months. Topically, sea buckthorn oil has been associated with dryness, irritation, redness, and rash. Rash occurred in 4% of patients in one clinical study.”

    Sea Buckthorn · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.

    4 sources cited
    1. 74072. Grad, S. C., Muresan, I., and Dumitrascu, D. L. Generalized yellow skin caused by high intake of sea buckthorn. Forsch.Komplementmed. 2012;19(3):153-156. PubMed
    2. 74077. Vlasov, V. V. [Hippophae oil in the treatment of superficial skin burns]. Vestn.Dermatol Venerol. 1970;44(6):69-72.
    3. 102845. Larmo P, Järvinen R, Laihia J, et al. Effects of a sea buckthorn oil spray emulsion on dry eye. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2019;42(4):428-433. PubMed
    4. 106089. De Seta F, Caruso S, Di Lorenzo G, Romano F, Mirandola M, Nappi RE. Efficacy and safety of a new vaginal gel for the treatment of symptoms associated with vulvovaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. Ma PubMed

    Cephalexin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cephalexin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Sea Buckthorn but not commonly for Cephalexin: a skin rash.

Effects for Cephalexin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Sea Buckthorn come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

From our Q&A

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

We hold 253 real supplement products containing Sea Buckthorn, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Sea Buckthorn. Even though Sea Buckthorn 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 Sea Buckthorn 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 Sea Buckthorn
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cephalexin
Top 5%

#67 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 Sea Buckthorn reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Sea Buckthorn 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 Sea Buckthorn

What is Sea Buckthorn?

Sea Buckthorn
  • Skin health and dryness
  • Dry eye symptoms
  • Digestive complaints
  • Heart and cholesterol support
  • General antioxidant and immune support

Sea buckthorn is a berry-bearing shrub rich in vitamins, carotenoids, and fatty acids that people use for skin, eye, digestive, and heart health. Early research is promising for a few uses like dry skin and dry eye, but most claims are not yet proven. It is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk to your pharmacist before using concentrated supplements.

Hippophae rhamnoides · Elaeagnaceae · Berries (fruit), seeds, seed and fruit oil, and sometimes leaves · Capsules, softgels, oil (seed or fruit), juice, powder, teas, topical creams and ointments

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

Sea Buckthorn: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose of sea buckthorn. The right amount depends on the product, its form (oil, capsule, juice, or powder), and how it is concentrated.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Sea Buckthorn 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 & Sea Buckthorn

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

0Major
289Moderate
0Minor
2,540No known interaction
289 Moderate 2,540 No interaction
Moderate

289 interactions

Showing 60 of 289 moderate interactions — see all 289 on the Sea Buckthorn page.

No interaction 2,540 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,540 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Sea Buckthorn list.

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

Sea Buckthorn References

The 7 references that drive our Sea Buckthorn 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. Johansson AK, Korte H, Yang B, et al. Sea buckthorn berry oil inhibits platelet aggregation. J Nutr Biochem 2000;11:491-5.. PubMed
  2. Grad, S. C., Muresan, I., and Dumitrascu, D. L. Generalized yellow skin caused by high intake of sea buckthorn. Forsch.Komplementmed. 2012;19(3):153-156. PubMed
  3. Vlasov, V. V. [Hippophae oil in the treatment of superficial skin burns]. Vestn.Dermatol Venerol. 1970;44(6):69-72.
  4. Chang BB, Wang F Xu TY Zhang QQ He J Zhang XJ Li J. Total flavones of Hippophae rhamnoides L. for essential hypertension: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine. 2009;9(11):1207-1213. DOI
  5. Olas B, Kontek B, Szczesna M, et al. Inhibition of blood platelet adhesion by phenolics rich fraction of Hippophae rhamnoides L. fruits. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2017;68(2):223-9.
  6. Larmo P, Järvinen R, Laihia J, et al. Effects of a sea buckthorn oil spray emulsion on dry eye. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2019;42(4):428-433. PubMed
  7. De Seta F, Caruso S, Di Lorenzo G, Romano F, Mirandola M, Nappi RE. Efficacy and safety of a new vaginal gel for the treatment of symptoms associated with vulvovaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. Ma 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 Sea Buckthorn and Cephalexin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Sea Buckthorn with Cephalexin?
We do not list a known interaction between Sea Buckthorn 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.
Do Sea Buckthorn and Cephalexin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Sea Buckthorn and Cephalexin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cephalexin is filed under 7 classifications, and Sea Buckthorn has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — 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 Sea Buckthorn interact with any other medications?
Yes. Sea Buckthorn has 289 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 — Sea Buckthorn 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

Sea Buckthorn 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 7 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Cephalexin and Sea Buckthorn?

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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.