Drug & supplement interaction

Sweet Sumac + 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 Sweet Sumac 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

Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac 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.

Sweet Sumac safety at a glance

Sweet Sumac overall Use caution Limited safety data exist, and it is related to plants that can cause skin reactions.
Pregnancy Avoid There is not enough safety information, so avoid use during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety is unknown while breastfeeding, so it is best to avoid it.

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

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

What Sweet Sumac Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Cephalexin. It is the side-effect record for Sweet Sumac on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Sweet Sumac, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A higher chance of infection Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, infections of the urogenital tract have been reported in women with overactive bladder who were taking a combination product (Granu Fink femina, Omega Pharma) containing sweet sumac bark extract, pumpkin seed oil, and hops cone extract. It is unclear if these adverse effects were due to sweet sumac, other ingredients, or the combination.”

    Sweet Sumac · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in overactive bladder.

    1 source cited
    1. 103253. Gauruder-Burmester A, Heim S, Patz B, Seibt S. Cucurbita pepo-Rhus aromatica-Humulus lupulus combination reduces overactive bladder symptoms in women - a noninterventional study. Planta Med. 2019;85(13):1044-53. PubMed

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac
Steady interest

#1,023 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 Sweet Sumac reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac

What is Sweet Sumac?

  • Urinary complaints
  • Diarrhea
  • Excessive urination or bedwetting
  • Sore throat and mouth rinse
  • Mild bleeding

Sweet Sumac (Rhus aromatica) is a North American shrub used in traditional and folk medicine, mostly for urinary and digestive complaints. There is very little modern human research to confirm that it works for any condition, so its benefits remain unproven. Because it belongs to the same plant family as poison ivy, talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Rhus aromatica · Anacardiaceae · Bark of the root, leaves, and berries · Dried bark, tea, tincture, liquid extract

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

Sweet Sumac: dosing

There is no established, standardized dose for Sweet Sumac. It has traditionally been taken as a tea, tincture, or liquid extract made from the root bark or leaves, but reliable dosing guidelines from clinical research are not available.If you choose to use a commercial product, follow the directions on the label and do not exceed the suggested amount.

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

Read the full Sweet Sumac 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 & Sweet Sumac

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Sweet Sumac — 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 Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac list.

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

Sweet Sumac References

The 1 references that drive our Sweet Sumac 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. Gauruder-Burmester A, Heim S, Patz B, Seibt S. Cucurbita pepo-Rhus aromatica-Humulus lupulus combination reduces overactive bladder symptoms in women - a noninterventional study. Planta Med. 2019;85(13):1044-53. 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 Sweet Sumac and Cephalexin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Sweet Sumac with Cephalexin?
We do not list a known interaction between Sweet Sumac 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 — Sweet Sumac 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

Sweet Sumac 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 Sweet Sumac?

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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.