Cephalexin Alternatives Compared

View side-by-side comparisons of medication uses, ratings, cost, side effects and interactions.
Cephalexin	Doxycycline	Clindamycin	Enter another drug to compare

Cephalexin

Doxycycline

Clindamycin

Prescription only

Cephalexin is a cephalosporin-type antibiotic that may be used in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible gram-positive bacteria. Approximately 10% of people who are allergic to penicillin... View more

Prescription only

Doxycycline is an effective antibiotic that treats a wide range of infections. However, it is not usually recommended for children aged less than eight or pregnant women in the last half of their... View more

Prescription only

Clindamycin is an antibiotic that is usually reserved for treating anaerobic infections or other serious infections caused by gram-positive bacteria in penicillin-allergic people. The risk of C... View more

More about Cephalexin

More about Doxycycline

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Ratings & Reviews

Cephalexin has an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a total of 509 ratings on Drugs.com. 51% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 28% reported a negative effect.

Doxycycline has an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a total of 1635 ratings on Drugs.com. 50% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 27% reported a negative effect.

Clindamycin has an average rating of 5.7 out of 10 from a total of 807 ratings on Drugs.com. 43% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 35% reported a negative effect.

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Side Effects Experienced by Users Side effects are reported in Drugs.com user reviews and not clinically verified.

Nausea (14.5%)
Diarrhea (13.2%)
Headaches (11.6%)
Dizziness (8.6%)
Tiredness (7.7%)
Anxiety (7.3%)
Upset stomach (5.9%)

View all Cephalexin side effects

Nausea (19.9%)
Headaches (9.5%)
Acne (7.9%)
Vomiting (7.6%)
Upset stomach (5.4%)
Diarrhea (3.2%)
Dizziness (3.1%)

View all Doxycycline side effects

Heartburn (22.4%)
Diarrhea (20.6%)
Nausea (13.4%)
Chest pain (8.8%)
Upset stomach (6.7%)
Stomach pain (6.1%)
Headaches (5.3%)

View all Clindamycin side effects

Drug Class

First generation cephalosporins

Lincomycin derivatives

Generic Availability

Lower cost generic

Pricing and Coupons * Prices are without insurance

Quantity	6 capsule
Strength	500 mg
Per unit^*	$2.04
Cost^*	$12.25

View all Cephalexin prices

Quantity	2 tablet
Strength	hyclate 100 mg
Per unit^*	$6.62
Cost^*	$13.23

View all Doxycycline prices

Quantity	4 capsule
Strength	150 mg
Per unit^*	$2.84
Cost^*	$11.36

View all Clindamycin prices

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Dosage Forms

Oral capsule
Oral powder for reconstitution
Oral tablet

Injectable powder for injection
Oral capsule
Oral delayed release capsule
Oral delayed release tablet
Oral powder for reconstitution
Oral tablet

Injectable solution
Intravenous solution
Oral capsule
Oral powder for reconstitution

Half Life Drug half-life is the time required for plasma concentration to reduce to half its original value.

1 hour

23 hours

3.4 hours

CSA Schedule ¹ View glossary of CSA terms

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Pregnancy Category

Category B No proven risk in humans

See the full pregnancy warnings document.

Category D Positive evidence of risk

See the full pregnancy warnings document.

Category B No proven risk in humans

See the full pregnancy warnings document.

Drug Interactions

A total of 56 drugs are known to interact with Cephalexin:

6 major drug interactions (15 brand and generic names)
50 moderate drug interactions (1885 brand and generic names)

A total of 235 drugs are known to interact with Doxycycline:

22 major drug interactions (60 brand and generic names)
208 moderate drug interactions (2246 brand and generic names)
5 minor drug interactions (21 brand and generic names)

A total of 114 drugs are known to interact with Clindamycin:

6 major drug interactions (15 brand and generic names)
105 moderate drug interactions (396 brand and generic names)
3 minor drug interactions (9 brand and generic names)

Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions

No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.

Disease Interactions

First Approval Date

January 04, 1971

December 05, 1967

February 22, 1970

WADA Class View classifications

N/A

More Information

Patient Resources

Cephalexin uses

Doxycycline uses

Professional Resources

¹ The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule information displayed applies to substances regulated under federal law. There may be variations in CSA schedules between individual states.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer

Cephalexin Alternatives Compared

See also:

Augmentin

Bactrim

Ozempic

Keflex

Cipro

Zithromax

Macrobid

Rocephin

Flagyl

Levaquin

Further information

Cephalexin Alternatives Compared

See also:

Further information

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