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Rifabutin Coupon - Rifabutin 150mg capsule

rifabutin

Generic Mycobutin
Used for Tuberculosis

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) is used to prevent Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection in people with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It's available as a capsule that's taken by mouth, typically once daily. The most common side effect of rifabutin (Mycobutin) include temporarily change the color of your teeth, body fluids, and even urine.

Reviewed by:
reviewerAllison Gourley, PharmD
reviewerKristianne Hannemann, PharmD
Last reviewed on June 19, 2023
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What is Rifabutin (Mycobutin)?

What is Rifabutin (Mycobutin) used for?

  • Prevention of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease in people with severe HIV infection

How Rifabutin (Mycobutin) works

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) kills certain bacteria by blocking an enzyme (protein) the bacteria need make copies of itself, so it can't grow and spread. It's not known if it does the same thing to the bacteria that causes Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC).

Drug facts

Common BrandsMycobutin
Drug ClassRifamycin antibiotic
Controlled Substance ClassificationNot a controlled medication
Generic StatusLower-cost generic available
AvailabilityPrescription only
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Side effects of Rifabutin (Mycobutin)

The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.

Common Side Effects

Less Common Side Effects

  • Stomach pain
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Low appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Upset stomach
  • Excessive gas
  • Vomiting
  • Muscle pain
  • Change in taste

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) serious side effects

Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.

  • Severe skin or allergic reaction: fever, body aches, rash, swelling of your lips or tongue, trouble breathing, blistering or peeling skin
  • Infectious diarrhea: fever, tiredness, stomach pain, watery diarrhea, loose stools multiple times a day

Source: DailyMed

The following Rifabutin (Mycobutin) side effects have also been reported

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Less common

Black, tarry stools

chest pain

chills

cough

diarrhea

fever

heartburn

indigestion

itching or skin rash

loss of appetite

loss of strength or energy

muscle pain

painful or difficult urination

sore throat

ulcers, sores, or white spots in the mouth

unusual bleeding or bruising

unusual tiredness or weakness

Rare

Bruising or purple spots on the skin

change in taste

eye pain

joint pain

loss of vision

lower back or side pain

muscle swelling or pain

pale skin

yellow skin

Incidence not known

Burning, dry, or itching eyes

discharge, excessive tearing

hoarseness

redness, pain, swelling of the eye, eyelid, or inner lining of the eyelid

stomach cramps, pain, or tenderness

watery and severe diarrhea, which may also be bloody

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Less common

Bad, unusual, or unpleasant (after) taste in the mouth

belching

bloated or full feeling

discoloration of the urine

excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines

headache

nausea

passing gas

trouble sleeping

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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Pros and cons of Rifabutin (Mycobutin)

Pros

  • Helps prevent MAC, a very serious infection, if you have severe HIV
  • Is an option for people who can't take azithromycin or clarithromycin to prevent MAC
  • Can take with or without food

Cons

  • Isn't a first-choice medication for prevention of MAC in people with HIV
  • Interacts with many medications, including some HIV medications
  • Can change the color of your skin and body fluids, and stain your contact lenses
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Pharmacist tips for Rifabutin (Mycobutin)

pharmacist
  • It's normal to have upset stomach, including diarrhea, while you're on antibiotics. If you're having trouble taking rifabutin (Mycobutin) 300 mg once daily, talk to your provider about trying 150 mg twice a day with food.
  • Rifabutin (Mycobutin) interacts with many medications. It's important to tell your provider and pharmacist about all the medications you're taking. Before starting any new medications, make sure your provider knows that you're on rifabutin (Mycobutin). Also let them know when you stop taking rifabutin (Mycobutin) so they can make the appropriate adjustments.
  • Since rifabutin (Mycobutin) can cause hormonal birth control to work less well and raise your risk for pregnancy. You should consider other methods of birth control, such as condoms, while you're taking rifabutin (Mycobutin). Talk with your provider if you're not sure about your options for birth control.
  • Rifabutin (Mycobutin) can turn your skin and body fluids (urine, sweat, spit, tears) to turn brown-orange. This can permanently stain soft contact lenses, clothing, and fabric.
  • Before starting rifabutin (Mycobutin) for MAC prevention, your provider will make sure that you don't have an active MAC or TB infection. Let your provider know right away if you notice new symptoms such as coughing that doesn't go away, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, fever, chills, or night sweats. These can be signs of an active MAC or TB infection that require treatment with a combination of antibiotics.
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Common questions about Rifabutin (Mycobutin)

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) helps prevent Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), a serious bacterial infection that mostly affects people with severe HIV. It's not, however, a first choice option, and your provider will need to make sure you don't have tuberculosis (TB) before prescribing this for you.

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) is only FDA-approved to prevent MAC in people with HIV. On its own, it's not approved to treat H.pylori stomach infections. But studies suggest rifabutin (Mycobutin) might be a second-choice option (in combination with other antibiotics) for H.pylori infections for people whose infections didn't go away after taking recommended medications. In fact, you can find rifabutin (Mycobutin) as a combination medication called Talicia for H. pylori. Talk with your provider if you've questions about rifabutin (Mycobutin) and H.pylori.

No, rifabutin (Mycobutin) isn't the same as rifampin (Rifadin). Both medications are rifamycin antibiotics. But rifampin (Rifadin) is mostly used to treat tuberculosis (TB), whereas rifabutin (Mycobutin) is only approved to prevent MAC. But according to the CDC, your provider can consider rifabutin (Mycobutin) as an option to treat TB for certain people with HIV. Compared to rifampin (Rifadin), rifabutin (Mycobutin) has less severe medication interactions with certain HIV medication and might be a better option for treating TB in people who are taking these HIV medications.

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) is prescribed for people with high risk of getting Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease due to severe HIV. People at high risk includes those living with HIV who have a low CD4 count and aren't taking HIV ARVs to lower their HIV viral load. Your provider will usually stop rifabutin (Mycobutin) when you're no longer at a high risk for getting MAC. Some people might need to continue rifabutin (Mycobutin) for their lifetime. Ask your provider if you're not sure how long you need to take rifabutin (Mycobutin) for.

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) hasn't been well-studied in human pregnancy. In animal studies suggest that rifabutin (Mycobutin) can affect the bone development of unborn babies. If you're pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking this medication, talk with your providers. They'll only prescribe rifabutin (Mycobutin) if the benefits of this medication is greater than its risk of harm.

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Risks and warnings for Rifabutin (Mycobutin)

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.

Not for treatment of tuberculosis (TB)

Don't take rifabutin (Mycobutin) to prevent MAC if you have active tuberculosis. Doing so can lead to serious antibiotic resistance problems. You must take a combination of different anti-TB antibiotics if you have a TB infection. Your provider will evaluate you to make sure you don't have TB before starting rifabutin (Mycobutin), and will regularly check to make sure you don't get a TB infection while taking this medication for MAC.

Interactions with other medications

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) interacts with a lot of medications, including clarithromycin, which is also used for MAC treatment, and protease inhibitors, a class of HIV ARVs. It's very important that all your providers and pharmacists have a full list of your medications. This way they can check for medication interactions and adjust the doses to make sure you are getting the right amount of medication.

Serious allergic and skin reactions

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) can cause serious allergic and skin reactions, including anaphylaxis. If you develop dizziness, rash or hives, swelling in your face or tongue, difficulty breathing, or flu-like symptoms, get medical help right away.

Eye inflammation

  • Risk factors: Also taking clarithromycin, azithromycin, or fluconazole

It's rare, but some people who take rifabutin (Mycobutin) get uveitis, inflammation of an important part of the eye. It's more common in people who are also taking other anti-infective medications like clarithromycin, azithromycin, and fluconazole. If you notice eye redness, pain, blurry vision, or light sensitivity, let your provider know right away. They might tell you to stop taking the medication and will refer you to an eye specialist.

Infectious diarrhea

  • Risk factors: Taking rifabutin (Mycobutin) for a long time | Taking other antibiotics recently

All antibiotics, including rifabutin (Mycobutin), can raise your risk of getting a serious gut bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea. This can happen even after you've finished treatment with rifabutin (Mycobutin). If you develop severe diarrhea with watery stools after you finish the medication, talk to your provider.

Low blood cell counts

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) can cause low numbers of white blood cells and platelets in the blood. Your provider will order regular lab tests to monitor your cell counts while you're on this antibiotic.

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Rifabutin (Mycobutin) dosage

The average cost for 28 capsules of 150mg of Rifabutin (Mycobutin) is $114.81 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 54.48% off the average retail price of $252.23.
capsuleCapsule
DosageQuantityPrice as low asPrice per unit
150mg28 capsules$114.81$4.10

Typical dosage for Rifabutin (Mycobutin)

The typical dose is 300 mg by mouth once daily. People who have stomach upset with medications can take 150 mg twice daily with food.

Your dose might differ if you have kidney problems or if you're also taking certain medications.

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Interactions between Rifabutin (Mycobutin) and other drugs

Rifabutin (Mycobutin) may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements (including prescribed and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements) that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with Rifabutin (Mycobutin). Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

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Rifabutin (Mycobutin) contraindications

Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Rifabutin (Mycobutin) will not be safe for you to take.

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What are alternatives to Rifabutin (Mycobutin)?

There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Rifabutin (Mycobutin). Compare a few possible alternatives below.
Rifabutin (Mycobutin)
Used for:
  • Prevention of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease in people with severe HIV infection
$114.81Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
Used for:

Adults

Azithromycin (Zithromax) can treat certain types of:

Children

Azithromycin (Zithromax) can treat certain types of:

  • Ear infections (ages 6 months and older)
  • Pneumonia (ages 6 months and older)
  • Strep throat (ages 2 years and older)
  • Tonsil infections (ages 2 years and older)
$7.91Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
Used for:
  • Tuberculosis (TB)
  • Meningococcal carriers (when there's bacteria living in the nose and/or throat, but not causing infection)
$40.21Lowest GoodRx priceView prices
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Rifabutin (Mycobutin) images

Red-Brown Mycobutin Pharmacia & Upjohn - Rifabutin 150mg Capsule
This medicine is Red-Brown Capsule Imprinted With "Mycobutin Pharmacia & Upjohn".Red-Brown Mycobutin Pharmacia & Upjohn - Rifabutin 150mg Capsule

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References

Best studies we found

Akram, S. M., et al. (2023). Mycobacterium avium complex. StatPearls.

American Lung Association. (n.d.). MAC lung disease.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Managing drug interactions in the treatment of HIV-related tuberculosis.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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