Cephalexin and Pain: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• May 14, 2010

For Bladder Infection "Have been taking this medicine for reoccurring UTIs, I take 500mg four times a day for 10 days. I have noticed that people have put mouth pain as a side effect. To be specific, with me, my tongue hurt, which I found out was 'thrush'. Easily taken care of with rinsing mouth out with colloidal silver or you can call your dentist and do what he or she recommends. I have had abdominal pain and diarrhea, however, to relieve me of the UTI, this was well worth it."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2020

Cephalexin for Bacterial Infection "Diagnosed with diverticulitis, prescribed Keflex, a dose of 500 mg three times per day. Infection cleared, but I am left with side effects of pains in legs, hands, thighs, toes, fingers, and really sore shoulders into spine and ribs. Didn’t have these pains prior to taking this drug. Jaw started clicking as well. Never again."

• Bra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 7, 2020

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I had a cyst removed and was given cephalexin to stop it from getting infected. Took the first one at 2:30 pm, finished the workday, ate dinner at 7:30. Then started getting side effects, the chest pain started by 12:00. I could barely breathe, and the chest pain is so severe now. Pain in the shoulders and neck, it hurt to breathe. Cannot lay down, else, the pain gets two times as bad. At the hospital now: chest X-ray, CT scan, blood tests, ultrasound. Nitroglisoran helped a little, all tests came back negative for heart blockages. The next day, a little better, I got to the doctor. Said I had a reaction to this antibiotic. I will never take this again, close to death after taking one pill."

• 60i...
• March 26, 2016

Cephalexin for Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "With only 4 doses of 500 mg in 3 days instead of 3 a day, my symptoms got progressively worse. Blurred vision, dizziness, rash, leg pain and swelling, heat sensations in legs, muscle pain, back pain, swelling and pain in the stomach, and extreme fatigue. Stopped taking and reported adverse reaction to the pharmacy and will tell the doctor. Very glad I did not take the full dose. Use with caution if you are sensitive to meds."

• Jo ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 11, 2019

For Bladder Infection "Four weeks ago, I had my gallbladder removed after showing up in the ER four times. Three weeks after surgery, I once again started throwing up and in pain and ended back in the ER. They kept me overnight and released me with no answers on Sunday. On Monday evening, I received a phone call from the ER saying I have a bad UTI and was told to pick up cephalexin 500 MG, 4x a day. By Friday, I had a stabbing pain in my stomach and began throwing up. By Saturday, I was short of breath and too weak to move. This morning (Sunday), I decided I wanted to feel normal and took a shower. Once in the shower, I became short of breath and ended up passing out. I woke having to go to the bathroom and had diarrhea with blood. I stopped taking the poison on Friday and am just waiting for it to leave my system. I should have taken myself to the ER, but in all honesty, I don’t think they listen nor care. It’s shameful, I’m down so low and so tired of feeling sick."

• Dmv...
• May 14, 2017

For Kidney Infections "I am a 59-year-old female and was diagnosed with a kidney infection. One week prior, I had minor UTI symptoms two random days for an hour or so. One week later, I was rushed to the ER, temp 103.2, severe shivering and shakes, and flu-like pains. Now I'm on cephalexin 48 hours. No fever at all. Extremely bloated. Slightly nauseous, abdominal pain, minimal body pain. Knocked fever right out. This stinks, but I think this was a great call on the antibiotic. I'm taking it 3x daily, 500 mg."

• Emi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2022

For Bladder Infection "I took this drug for 3 days. The second day, I woke up feeling as if someone had attacked me with a baseball bat in my sleep. Called the doc, they said it wasn’t the drug, keep taking it. They didn’t address my pain. The next morning, I woke up and couldn’t walk and had tingling/numbness in my hands and feet. I called the doc and told them I would be stopping this medication and what I would prefer instead (one I knew I could tolerate). They said they had never heard of this symptom before. It’s been 24 hours, the drugs should be out of my system. I am still in severe pain. Praying it goes away completely with time since no doctor wants to address it."

• Pea...
• April 2, 2013

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Penicillin VK did -0-; Keflex cleared up a bad infection from getting a 2-inch splinter out of the upper half of the bottom of my foot. Side effects were miserable: pain, fatigue, constipation; now 6 days since the last doses. Still, Keflex cleared up the infection that had a brown/yellow discharge. A strange antibiotic, but I'd rather have pain than cellulitis."

• Anonymous
• March 20, 2019

For Bladder Infection "Went to the doctor, and they told me I had a UTI, so they prescribed me cephalexin. I took it 3 times a day for 7 days. I did not end up in the ER, but I had a very, very hard time breathing, but it eventually went away. The third day into the meds, my insides started hurting here and there, like my guts or something, if that makes any sense (that pain went away like two weeks later, though). After I finished the medication, less than a week later, I got my UTI back, so the meds didn't even help me. I had to go back to the doctor and get a different medication and had to go through this all over again. But the other meds helped, and the UTI went away. Hope this helps anyone."

• Gle...
• June 21, 2019

Cephalexin for Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I was prescribed Keflex, and within 5 hours of taking the first dose, I developed an intense case of hives covering my upper chest and arms from elbow to elbow. The pain was intense. They took me off the Keflex, and I got better, however, I still have issues with hives from even small scratches."

• suz...
• February 18, 2009

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I experienced muscle pain in my arm; they felt very tired and sore. I stopped taking the cephalexin after 4 days, and my skin infection came back. I started taking it again after missing one day, and the infection went away again, but the next morning my neck and shoulders were very sore, and it hurt to move."

• Mea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2020

For Bladder Infection "I was prescribed cephalexin 500mg (twice a day) for a UTI and was 5 tablets in when I woke up with an extremely swollen vagina. I stopped taking the medication at this point. Another 1.5 days later, the swelling has gone down, but my vagina is incredibly itchy and sore. I won't be using this again."

• thr...
• January 28, 2018

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "I was prescribed this for an ingrown toenail that became infected. Gave so many stars because it is definitely working. Never did I think something so tiny could hurt so bad! After 2 days, the infection looked and felt much better. But, I’m going to ask for something else. I’m on day 4 of these now, and 3 of those days I’ve been getting a crazy headache. I’m predisposed to migraines, but I don’t get them every day back to back, so it definitely is from the medication. I’m also not sure if it’s another side effect, but I woke up around 5 a.m. because of horrible jaw pain. I do have TMD for the last 9 years of my life, but I never had this happen. I took some ibuprofen, but wish I had taken a Vicodin I had leftover from a recent surgery instead because of how bad it was. Icing for a good while took the edge off enough for me to go back to sleep, but it was rough. Still pretty sore when I woke up, but not as bad as before."

• Mik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2018

For Bone infection "Two weeks of 2,000 mg per day cannot stop leg infection after right hip replacement. Thirty-four days after surgery, and I cannot bear weight on my leg. The site is still red and slightly inflamed. It has gone down in rough appearance but still too much pain to bear weight for long. Looking for a disease specialist and new treatment."

• Dav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2022

For Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Little basal cell cancer removed. I always have some back, foot, hip pain, but now everything is so painful at the same time, horrible diarrhea, feel fatigued, almost like flu. I'm 68 with joint issues. It's bad to stop, but I can't do it. Worried about C.Diff. I took it before, no problem, but I can't function this time. Probably age and other conditions."

• Bra...
• June 20, 2011

Cephalexin for Skin or Soft Tissue Infection "Quickly cleared up cellulitis that was painful and itchy on the crease of my leg. 7 days, twice daily, 500 mg."

• Rea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2021

For Bladder Infection "I took cephalexin for a week for an infection. It temporarily fixed it while I took the medicine, but as soon as I finished, a day later I was in pain again."