Zarbee's With Keflex (Cephalexin)
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses whether or not Zarbee's is safe to give with the antibiotic Keflex (cephalexin)
Is Zarbee's okay to give cephalexin suspension? Thanks!
Jul 07, 2022- Zarbee's products contain only vitamins, minerals, and botanical ingredients with no known drug interactions with Keflex.
- You can safely take Zarbee's products together with Keflex without concern.
Thanks for reaching out to us! While there are a variety of Zarbee's products available on the market (e.g. Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup, Zarbee's Complete Cough Syrup + Immune, and Zarbee's Children's Cough Syrup + Mucus), none are known to interact with the antibiotic Keflex (cephalexin). They are considered safe to take with each other.
Zarbee's products contain only vitamins, minerals, herbals, and other botanical ingredients. They don't contain any traditional over-the-counter drugs as you'd find in Tylenol, Motrin, Mucinex and Delsym etc. In fact, no Zarbee's product is known to have drug interactions.
Let's take a look at one of them as an example, Zarbee's Complete Cough Syrup + Immune.
It contains:
- Water
- Natural flavor
- Ascorbic acid
- Cholecalciferol
- Zinc gluconate
- Dark honey
- Grapefruit seed extract
- Black elderberry extract
Outside of the vitamins and minerals, it contains honey, grapefruit seed extract, and elderberry. Honey and elderberry have no known serious drug interactions and while grapefruit has a well-documented precaution with other drugs, the seed extract is in such low amounts in this product that it isn't thought to be of any concern.
Overall, as mentioned, Zarbee's products are not known to interact with other drugs, and they are safe to use with Keflex (cephalexin).
References & sources
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Antibiotic
- A medicine that kills bacteria or stops them from growing to treat infections.
- Keflex
- A brand name for the antibiotic cephalexin, commonly used to treat bacterial infections.
- Cephalexin
- An antibiotic medication that belongs to a group of drugs called cephalosporins, used to fight bacterial infections.
- Drug interactions
- When two or more medications react with each other in a way that changes how they work in your body.
- Botanical ingredients
- Active components derived from plants, herbs, and other natural plant sources.
- Ascorbic acid
- The chemical name for vitamin C, which supports immune function and acts as an antioxidant.
- Cholecalciferol
- The chemical name for vitamin D3, which helps your body absorb calcium and supports bone health.
- Zinc gluconate
- A form of the mineral zinc that may support immune function and wound healing.
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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