How To Take Keflex (Cephalexin) Four Times A Day
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses how to take your Keflex (cephalexin) prescription when it says to take "four times a day".
My husband has a script for cephalexin which says to take it every 6 hrs. for 14 days. We’re out of the country and cannot ask this of our pharmacist. Would it be ok to take this med at 7 AM, Noon, 6 PM, and 11 PM so that he can get in 8 hrs. sleep?
Sep 11, 2022- Keflex four times daily means taking one dose approximately every 6 hours, and you can space doses evenly throughout your waking hours without waking up at night.
- You can take Keflex with or without food, but taking it with food may help if it upsets your stomach.
- Check with your doctor to confirm they don't have a specific dosing schedule in mind for your prescription.
Answer
Keflex (cephalexin) is a cephalosporin antibiotic that is typically dosed 2 to 4 times a day. When you receive your prescription and it says to "take one dose four times daily", I can certainly understand it being a little confusing in regard to how to appropriately space the doses.
Spacing Keflex Doses
For Keflex, taking one dose four times daily equates to taking one dose about every 6 hours. In most cases, it is not necessary to interrupt your sleep schedule to take a dose at exactly a 6-hour interval. You can safely space your Keflex doses as evenly as possible four times throughout your waking hours.
The dosing schedule you write in your question will suffice for most individuals. Generally, four times daily dosing is recommended as follows:
- One dose in the morning
- One dose in the afternoon
- One dose in the evening
- One dose at bedtime
Having said all of the above, you should also reach out to your doctor to make sure they don't have a specific dosing schedule in mind.
In terms of taking Keflex (cephalexin), it may be administered without regard to meals although if it causes an upset stomach or other GI symptoms, food may decrease the incidence of these side effects.
Final Words
Thanks for your question! We love hearing from our readers.
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Cephalosporin
- A type of antibiotic medication that works by stopping bacterial growth and is related to penicillin-type drugs.
- Antibiotic
- A medication that kills bacteria or stops them from growing to treat infections.
- Cephalexin
- The generic name for the antibiotic drug commonly sold under the brand name Keflex.
- GI symptoms
- Gastrointestinal symptoms, meaning discomfort or problems affecting the stomach and digestive system.
- Incidence
- The frequency or rate at which something occurs or happens.
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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