FL
A member asked about a 51-year-old female:
I take care of my 77 year old mother. she suffers from co. she is insistent on taking 1, 000 mgs of keflex per day to prevent recurrence of pneumonia. is it advisable?
3 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Pavel Conovalciucanswered
Family Medicine 25 years experience
Keflex 4 pneumonia: No antibiotic is indicated for prevention of pneumonia. Instead, Pneumovax or Prevnar (pneumococcal vaccine) vaccinations are recommended for pneumonia prevention. You should tell her that antibiotic can negatively affect her gastrointestinal tract by causing diarrhea, c.Difficile infection which could be detrimental in the elderly, etc. Hopefully, it will click with her.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Yash Khannaanswered
Family Medicine 59 years experience
Not a good idea: It is not a good idea and how does she get the antibiotic without doctors prescription.Has it been prescribed by her doctors..First thing she should get is pneumonia shot and flu vaccine yearly.Taking ke flex daily to prevent pneumonia is not effective, can cause resistant organisms to grow, can cause diarrhea and cause infection with clostrium difficile.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Michael Einanswered
Infectious Disease 50 years experience
She should not: Keflex will not prevent your mother from getting pneumonia. It will kill off sensitive bacteria and cause the overgrowth of resistant bacteria that would become the likely cause of her future infections. Taking the Keflex also risks side effects, toxicities and c. Difficile colitis. Have her stop. What kind of doctor prescribed this for her?
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Similar questions
FL
A member asked:
I take care of mu 77 yr. Old mother, she is insistent on taking 1, 000 mgs. Of keflex per day to prevent recurrence of pneumonia, she suffers from co?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 48 years experience
??prescribed by Dr??: This is not something i would consider advisable.It just means that the only germs hanging around her body ( and there always are some) will be resistant to that drug or similar drugs. If this is ok with her treating physician there may be factors that make it worthwhile for her. You can't convince someone who diapered you that they don't know more than you. The doc would have to do it.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Jan 22, 2016
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