rifampin

(RIF am pin)
Rifadin, Rimactane

What is the most important information I should know about rifampin?

•

Take all of the rifampin that has been prescribed for you even if you begin to feel better. Your symptoms may begin to improve before the infection is completely treated.

•

Call your doctor immediately if you experience a fever, chills, muscle and bone pain, a headache, excessive tiredness or weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, a sore throat, unusual bleeding or bruising, yellow skin or eyes, a rash, or itching.

•

Take rifampin on an empty stomach 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals.

•

This medication may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. Talk to your doctor about using another form of birth control during treatment.

What is rifampin?

•

Rifampin is an antibiotic. Rifampin prevents bacteria from multiplying in your body.

•

Rifampin is used to treat and to prevent tuberculosis (TB).

•

Rifampin may also be used to eliminate a bacteria that can cause meningitis (and other infections) from your nose and throat, even if you do not have an infection. Treatment with rifampin prevents you from spreading this bacteria to others who may become ill.

Although not approved by the FDA for these purposes, rifampin has also been used in combination with other antibiotics to treat other bacterial infections such as endocarditis (heart infection), osteomyelitis (bone infection), prostatitis (prostate infection), meningitis, legionella, and leprosy.

•

Rifampin may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Who should not take rifampin?

•

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you

have ever had an allergic reaction to rifampin,

have liver disease, or

have porphyria.

•

You may not be able to take rifampin, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

•

Rifampin is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether rifampin will harm an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.

•

Rifampin passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take rifampin?

•

Take rifampin exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

•

Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.

•

Take rifampin on an empty stomach 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals.

•

Take all of the rifampin that has been prescribed for you even if you begin to feel better. Your symptoms may begin to improve before the infection is completely treated.

•

For the treatment of tuberculosis, rifampin is usually combined with one or more other tuberculosis medicines.

•

Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

•

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next regularly scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

What happens if I overdose?

•

Seek emergency medical attention.

•

Symptoms of a rifampin overdose include nausea, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain, yellow skin or eyes, and unconsciousness.

What should I avoid while taking rifampin?

•

Do not wear contact lenses while taking rifampin. This medicine may turn your tears, sweat, saliva, urine, feces, and contact lenses a red-orange color. This effect may be permanent on contact lenses.

•

Rifampin may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. Talk to your doctor about using another form of birth control during treatment with rifampin.

What are the possible side effects of rifampin?

•

If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking rifampin and seek medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:

an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives);

fever, chills, or a sore throat;

muscle or bone pain;

excessive tiredness or weakness;

a headache;

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite;

unusual bruising or bleeding;

little or no urine;

yellow skin or eyes; or

a rash or itching.

•

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take rifampin and talk to your doctor if you experience

red-orange coloration of tears, sweat, saliva, urine, or feces; or

mild tiredness or weakness.

•

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect rifampin?

•

Rifampin may decrease the effects of the following drugs:

acetaminophen (Tylenol, others);

blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin);

barbiturates such as phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), amobarbital (Amytal), secobarbital (Seconal), and butabarbital (Butisol);

benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and temazepam (Restoril);

beta-blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), propranolol (Inderal), and metoprolol (Lopressor);

heart medicines such as digoxin (Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace), quinidine (Quinora, Quinidex, Cardioquin, others), mexiletine (Mexitil), tocainide (Tonocard), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), and enalapril (Vasotec);

corticosteroids such as prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone, Meticorten), prednisolone (Delta Cortef, Prelone, others), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and betamethasone (Celestone);

sulfonylureas such as glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Micronase, Diabeta, Glynase), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), tolbutamide (Orinase), and tolazamide (Tolinase);

sulfa medicines such as sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, Gantanol, Azo-Gantanol), and sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin, Azo-Gantrisin);

estrogens such as Premarin, Ogen, Estrace, Menest, Estratab, Ortho-Est, and others;

HIV medicines such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase), ritonavir (Norvir), nelfinavir (Viracept), and others;

oral birth control pills such as Triphasil, Ortho-Novum, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho-Tri-Cyclen, Ovral, Lo/Ovral, Desogen, Nordette, Levora, Levlen, Tri-Levlen, Nelova, Norinyl, Brevicon, Ovcon, Loestrin, Demulen, and others;

phenytoin (Dilantin), ethotoin (Peganone), and mephenytoin (Mesantoin);

ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), and fluconazole (Diflucan);

methadone (Dolophine);

theophylline (Theolair, Theo-Dur, Theochron, Theo-Bid, others);

clofibrate (Atromid-S); and

cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral).

•

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with rifampin. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

Where can I get more information?

•

Your pharmacist has additional information about rifampin written for health professionals that you may read.

•

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

•

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.