Can You Give Keflex (Cephalexin) With NyQuil?
In our latest question and answer, Dr. Brian Staiger discusses the combined use of Keflex (cephalexin) and NyQuil.
My son was prescribed Keflex for an ear infection. He is having a lot of trouble going to sleep. Is it okay to give him NyQuil too?
Dec 20, 2022- There is no known interaction between NyQuil and Keflex, and they are safe to take together.
- NyQuil contains multiple ingredients including acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine, all of which are safe to use with Keflex.
- If pain is the main issue keeping your child awake, acetaminophen alone may be sufficient rather than using the full NyQuil product.
Answer
There is no known interaction between NyQuil and Keflex (cephalexin). They are considered safe to take together.
In fact, NyQuil is safe to take with the vast majority of antibiotics, certainly with most of the common ones you'd see used for an ear infection (e.g., amoxicillin, azithromycin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, Bactrim etc...).
I'm happy that you reached out to us since it's always a good idea to look into potential interactions between prescription medicine and over-the-counter products, especially ones like NyQuil that contain multiple ingredients.
Hopefully this answer has given you some peace of mind.
NyQuil Is A Multi-Drug Product
It is important to remember that NyQuil is a product that contains multiple drugs, so, when you consider interactions, you need to take all of the drugs contained in it into account.
There are a variety of NyQuil products on the market, with the two most commonly used being the 'original' NyQuil and NyQuil Severe.
The original NyQuil contains three drugs:
- Acetaminophen (pain reliever)
- Dextromethorphan (cough suppressant)
- Doxylamine (sedating antihistamine).
NyQuil Severe adds in the expectorant guaifenesin.
All of the drugs in the original NyQuil and NyQuil Severe are safe to give with Keflex (cephalexin). It can certainly be a good choice for short-term use to help your son sleep at night.
Final Words
I will also say here, wrapping up, is that if it is just the pain associated with your son's ear infection that is keeping him up, simply giving him only an analgesic, like Tylenol, may help. He may not need all the other drugs contained in NyQuil.
Additionally, you should see Keflex start working in 3 to 4 days. If the ear infection doesn't seem to be getting better, be sure to speak with the doctor.
I wanted to thank you for reaching out and contacting us! We are always more than happy to help.
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Cephalexin
- An antibiotic medication used to treat bacterial infections like ear infections.
- Antibiotic
- A medication that kills or stops the growth of bacteria causing infections.
- Acetaminophen
- A pain reliever and fever reducer commonly found in over-the-counter pain medications.
- Dextromethorphan
- A cough suppressant ingredient that helps reduce coughing.
- Antihistamine
- A medication that blocks histamine to reduce allergy symptoms and often causes drowsiness.
- Expectorant
- A medication that helps thin mucus so it can be coughed up more easily.
- Guaifenesin
- An expectorant ingredient used to help clear mucus from the chest and throat.
- Analgesic
- A medication used to relieve pain.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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