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Keflex Dosage
When treating bacterial infections, dosage guidelines for Keflex call for 250 mg to 1000 mg, taken four times a day for 7 to 14 days. The dose for preventing bacterial endocarditis is 2000 mg, taken an hour before surgery. Factors that can affect a person's exact dosage include age, the medical condition being treated, and if other medicines are being taken.
The dose of Keflex® (cephalexin) that your healthcare provider prescribes will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- The medical condition you are being treated for
- Your age
- If you have decreased kidney function
- Other medical conditions you may have
- Other medications you are currently taking.
As with any medication, do not adjust your dosage unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
The recommended dose of Keflex for most types of bacterial infections is 250 mg to 1000 mg, taken four times a day for 7 to 14 days. For chronic or more serious infections, your healthcare provider may continue treatment for a longer period of time.
In children, the dose can range, depending on body weight, from 25 mg to 100 mg per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg/day). The Keflex dose is divided and taken three to four times a day for 7 to 14 days. Children should generally be limited to 4000 mg or less per day.
The recommended Keflex dosing for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis in adults is 2000 mg, taken one hour before a surgical procedure is performed.
The recommended dosage of Keflex for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis in children is 50 mg per kilogram of body weight, up to a maximum of 2000 mg, taken one hour before a surgical procedure is performed.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD