Cefalexin

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philip25
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 2:41 pm
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by philip25 on Wed Sep 16, 2015 3:58 pm

Cefalexin

i self catheterise and I was put on 500 mgs of Cefalexin a day by my gp because of "trauma"in my bladder due to cathing.
My new gp has suggested it is better to end this process due to long term problems with the drug in my body.
Would it cause the same problem if I reduced dosage to perhaps once or twice a week.Or would this be a waste of time?
Many thanks,
Philip

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Justine Greenwood
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:41 pm
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by Justine Greenwood on Mon Sep 21, 2015 2:35 pm

Re: Cefalexin

Hello Philip25,

Thank you for posting such an interesting question. I can imagine it is quite confusing to have your medication changed like you have described. I have used NICE's clinical knowledge summaries to do some evidence based research to try to give you some advice as to why the new GP has suggested to stop your long term treatment.

Can I ask, how do you feel about the GP's recommendation to end the cefalexin? Do you have any concerns about stopping the antibiotic? You mention using it once or twice a week. Has this been recommended to you or is it a compromise between using it every day and not at all?

In my research, I have found that:
Long-term prophylactic (or precautionary) antibiotics may reduce the incidence of bacteria in the urine for only a few days and increase the risk of infection with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria [SIGN, 2012; European Association of Urology, 2014].

Continuous use of an antibiotic can make the bacteria in our body resistant to treatment, which means that if you suffered an infection later in time, the antibiotics used to treat it would not necessarily be strong enough. If you would like to learn more about antibiotic resistance, please read the NHS website: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/ARC/Pages/AboutARC.aspx You could even become an antibiotic guardian yourself.

General opinion is that the use of prophylactic antibiotics should be reduced. NICE guidance is that antibiotic prophylaxis should be used when changing catheters only in those with a history of Catheter Associated -Urinary Tract Infection or those at risk of endocarditis.

If you do have concerns about stopping the treatment altogether, I would recommend expressing them to your GP and working together to come up with a suitable treatment plan which you are both happy with.

I hope this helps, but please do feel free to post again if you would like more information or would like to discuss any specific concerns you may have.

Best wishes,

Justine
Justine Greenwood
Learning and Development Pharmacist, Rowlands Pharmacy
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... enwood.php

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