Cefadroxil is an antibiotic that can treat many types of bacterial infections in adults and children. This includes urinary tract infections (UTIs), strep throat, and skin infections. Cefadroxil works as a first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic to fight the infection. It comes as generic capsules, tablets, and a liquid suspension. The antibiotic is taken by mouth, usually once or twice a day. But the dosage depends on the type of infection you have, how serious it is, and for children, weight. Side effects can include diarrhea, indigestion, and nausea.
Cefadroxil is a cephalosporin antibiotic. It works by stopping bacteria from making a protective covering around themselves. This kills the bacteria and helps treat the infection.
| Common Brands | Duricef |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Cephalosporin antibiotic |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | Lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription only |
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Black, tarry stools
bleeding gums
blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
blood in the urine or stools
chills
clay-colored stools
cough or hoarseness
dark-colored urine
difficulty with moving
feeling of discomfort
fever with or without chills
flushing or redness of the skin
general feeling of tiredness or weakness
headache
inflammation of the joints
joint or muscle pain
light-colored stools
lower back or side pain
muscle aches
muscle pain or stiffness
painful or difficult urination
pinpoint red spots on the skin
rash
red skin lesions, often with a purple center
red, irritated eyes
sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
stomach pain, continuing
swollen lymph glands
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusually warm skin
vomiting
yellow eyes or skin
Incidence not known
Abdominal or stomach cramps or tenderness
back, leg, or stomach pains
coughing up blood
diarrhea, watery and severe, which may also be bloody
difficulty with breathing or swallowing
dizziness
fast heartbeat
general body swelling
high fever
increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding
increased thirst
large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
loss of appetite
nosebleeds
pale skin
paralysis
prolonged bleeding from cuts
puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
seizures
shortness of breath
sudden decrease in the amount of urine
swollen or painful glands
tightness in the chest
unpleasant breath odor
unusual tiredness or weakness
unusual weight loss
vomiting of blood
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
For the cefadroxil liquid suspension:
Cefadroxil can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Some people can have allergic reactions to cefadroxil. Mild reactions can include a rash or hives. More serious, life-threatening reactions can include blisters, peeling skin, swelling of the face, and anaphylaxis.
Tell your healthcare team if you're allergic to any antibiotics, especially penicillins or other cephalosporins. They can make sure cefadroxil is safe for you.
Get medical help right away if you have a rash, hives, red or peeling skin, swelling of the lips or tongue, or trouble breathing after taking cefadroxil. These can be signs of an allergic reaction.
Antibiotics including cefadroxil can change the normal bacteria in your gut. This can let harmful bacteria called Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) grow too much and cause a serious infection. This infection can lead to severe diarrhea, even up to 2 months after you stop the antibiotic.
It's important to know the difference between mild diarrhea from cefadroxil and serious diarrhea from C. diff. Signs of a C. diff infection include fever, nausea, foul-smelling diarrhea, and frequent bowel movements. Get medical help right away if you have any signs of this infectious diarrhea. This can be a medical emergency and should get treated as soon as possible.
Antibiotics like cefadroxil might raise the risk of seizures. The risk is high if you have kidney problems and the cefadroxil dose isn't lowered enough for you. When the kidneys don't work well, the medication can build up in the body and raise the risk of side effects, including seizures.
Tell your prescriber or the urgent care team if you've had seizures before or if you have kidney problems. They can make sure that cefadroxil is safe for you. If you have a seizure while taking this medication, get medical help right away.
Take cefadroxil exactly as your prescriber told you. Don't take it for a shorter or longer time, and don't take it for other illnesses. Otherwise, it can raise your risk of developing infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. These infections can be very serious and harder to treat.
Adults
Children
Your dose might differ if you have kidney problems.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Cefadroxil will not be safe for you to take.
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Yes, you can take Cefadroxil on an empty stomach. Keep in mind that antibiotics can commonly cause stomach upset. If you experience this, try taking the antibiotic with food to help calm your stomach.
The makers of the Cefadroxil capsules don't clearly say if they can be opened. To be safe, it's best to not open the capsules. If you have trouble swallowing them, ask your prescriber about taking the liquid form instead.
It's best to avoid drinking alcohol while taking Cefadroxil. Both the antibiotic and alcohol cause nausea and vomiting. Drinking alcohol while taking Cefadroxil can make these side effects more likely. Alcohol can also sometimes make it take longer to recover from an infection. Talk to a healthcare professional about your drinking habits and how to take Cefadroxil safely.
Cefadroxil isn't usually used to treat pneumonia. Other antibiotics work better for this type of lung infection. Common antibiotics for pneumonia include amoxicillin and azithromycin. If you have pneumonia, your prescriber will help choose the best antibiotic for you.
No. Cefadroxil and cephalexin (Keflex) are both antibiotics that work in a similar way. They treat some of the same infections, like skin infections, UTIs, and strep throat. But Cefadroxil can be used for tonsillitis. And cephalexin (Keflex) can also treat infections of the bone, reproductive system, and ear. How often you need to take the antibiotics is also different. Cefadroxil is taken once or twice a day, while cephalexin (Keflex) is taken more often, usually two to four times a day. Your prescriber can help to compare the antibiotics and see which is best for you.
You usually take Cefadroxil for up to 7 days to treat a urinary tract infection (UTI). Your prescriber will decide the exact number of days based on the type of UTI you have and your symptoms. Take the antibiotic for the full time your prescriber tells you. Don't stop early because it could make your infection harder to treat. Ask your prescriber if you're not sure how long to take Cefadroxil.
For people with healthy kidneys, it takes about 8 hours for most of Cefadroxil to leave the body. This time frame is based on the medication's half-life, which is how long it takes half the amount of Cefadroxil to leave the body. If you have kidney problems, the medication can stay in your body longer because the kidneys help remove it. Ask your prescriber if you have questions about how long Cefadroxil stays in your system.
In general, Cefadroxil is considered a safe antibiotic to take while pregnant or breastfeeding. Let your prescriber know if you're pregnant or breastfeeding just to be safe. They'll talk to you about the risks and benefits of taking Cefadroxil.
