Cipro vs. Keflex

• Are Keflex and Cipro the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Cipro?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Keflex?
• What is Cipro?
• What is Keflex?
• What Drugs Interact with Cipro?
• What Drugs Interact with Keflex?
• How Should Cipro Be Taken?
• How Should Keflex Be Taken?

Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and Keflex (cephalexin) are antibiotics prescribed to treat bacterial infections.

Keflex treats many types of infections, especially skin and soft tissue infections and is also used before dental procedures in patients identified with certain heart-related conditions to prevent bacterial infections of the heart known as endocarditis.

Cipro may cause serious side effects, including:

• diarrhea
• dizziness
• drowsiness
• headache
• stomach upset
• abdominal pain
• nausea/vomiting
• blurred vision
• nervousness
• anxiety
• agitation
• sleep problems (insomnia or nightmares), and
• rash

Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Cipro including severe dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeats; sudden pain, snapping or popping sound, bruising, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, or loss of movement in any of your joints; watery or bloody diarrhea; confusion, hallucinations, depression, unusual thoughts or behavior; seizure (convulsions); severe headache, ringing in your ears, pain behind your eyes; pale or yellow skin, dark colored urine, fever, weakness; urinating less than usual or not at all; easy bruising or bleeding; numbness, tingling, or unusual pain anywhere in your body; the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild; or severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

Common side effects of Keflex include:

• diarrhea,
• dizziness,
• tiredness,
• headache,
• stomach upset,
• abdominal pain,
• joint pain,
• vaginal itching or discharge,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• itching,
• swelling, and
• rash.

Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is a quinolone antibiotic. Cipro is available as a generic drug and is prescribed to treat infections of the skin, lungs, airways, bones, joints, and urinary tract infections caused by susceptible bacteria.

Keflex (cephalexin) is a cephalosporin antibiotic prescribed to treat bacterial infections. Keflex is also used before dental procedures in patients identified with certain heart-related conditions to prevent bacterial infections of the heart known as endocarditis. Keflex is available as a generic drug.

Cipro may also interact with tizanidine, clozapine, cyclosporine, glyburide, methotrexate, metoclopramide, phenytoin, probenecid, ropinirole, theophylline, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or steroids.

Keflex and amoxicillin may interact with probenecid and blood thinners.

Keflex may also interact with metformin.

• Take Cipro exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.
• Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Cipro to take and when to take it.
• Take Cipro Tablets in the morning and evening at about the same time each day. Swallow the tablet whole. Do not split, crush or chew the tablet. Tell your healthcare provider if you cannot swallow the tablet whole.
• Take Cipro Oral Suspension in the morning and evening at about the same time each day. Shake the Cipro Oral Suspension bottle well each time before use for about 15 seconds to make sure the suspension is mixed well. Close the bottle completely after use.
• Take Cipro XR one time each day at about the same time each day. Swallow the tablet whole. Do not split, crush or chew the tablet. Tell your healthcare provider if you cannot swallow the tablet whole.
• Cipro IV is given to you by intravenous (IV) infusion into your vein, slowly, over 60 minutes, as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
• Cipro can be taken with or without food.
• Cipro should not be taken with dairy products (like milk or yogurt) or calcium-fortified juices alone, but may be taken with a meal that contains these products.
• Drink plenty of fluids while taking Cipro.
• Do not skip any doses of Cipro, or stop taking it, even if you begin to feel better, until you finish your prescribed treatment unless:
  • you have tendon problems. See “What is the most important information I should know about Cipro?”
  • you have nerve problems. See “What is the most important information I should know about Cipro?”
  • you have central nervous system problems. See “What is the most important information I should know about Cipro?”
  • you have a serious allergic reaction. See “What are the possible side effects of Cipro?”
  • your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking Cipro

Taking all of your Cipro doses will help make sure that all of the bacteria are killed. Taking all of your Cipro doses will help lower the chance that the bacteria will become resistant to Cipro. If you become resistant to Cipro, Cipro and other antibacterial medicines may not work for you in the future.

• If you take too much Cipro, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away.

Keflex dosage depends on the condition being treated. Keflex should be used with caution in patients who have kidney disease and those who report a history of penicillin allergy.