Cephalexin Monohydrate Red Bumpy Rash, Peeling Skin on Hands, Swollen Lymph Nodes, Dry Flaky Skin, Soles of My Feet

I was prescriped a one week cycle of Cephalexin for tonsillitis and swollen lymph nodes. The first side effect was a tingling/burning sensation on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. Two days later I got a red bumpy rash around my wrists and ankles and I began getting itchy, dry, flaky skin all over my body, especially on my genitals, buttocks, and face. I applied the topical steroidal cream Desonide which relieved the rashiness but the dry flaky skin persisted.

Once the prescription ran out I noticed the skin on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet began cracking, peeling, and exposing a highly sensitive layer of raw underlying skin which continued to flake and peel. I began applying liberal amounts of moisturizing lotion all over my body to relieve skin dryness and began applying large bandages with Neosporin to the painful peeling cracking skin on the soles of my feet. 5 days after ending Cephalexin treatment I began feeling pain in my finger joints and widespread muscle pain primarily in the hips, back, shoulders, neck, and upper arms. Advil coupled with the use of a heating pad relieved this pain to some extent.

9 days after ending Cephalexin treatment I continue to experience joint pain and weakness in hands, widespread muscle pain, and peeling skin on hands and feet. The skin peeling is finally starting to moderate and requires less intense bandaging to the peeling cracking feet, but more concerning to me is the persistent joint and muscle pain. I am a healthy 37 year old male but when I wake up in the morning I move around like an 80 year old arthritic man until I take a few Advil.

Cephalexin cured my tonsillitis and swollen lymph nodes, but the side effects have been a nightmare. I would never take Cephalexin again or recommend it to anyone.