Commonly Used Brand Name(s)Rifadin, Rimactane
Therapeutic ClassificationsAntitubercular
QUICK LINKS
- Overview
- Proper Use
- Dosing
- Missed Dose
- Use & Storage
- Before Using
- Allergies
- Pediatric
- Geriatric
- Pregnancy
- Breast Feeding
- Drug Interactions
- Other Interactions
- Other Medical Problems
- Precautions
- Chemical Classifications
OverviewTOP
Rifampin is used together with other medicines to treat tuberculosis (TB) in many different parts of the body. It is also used by patients who have a meningitis bacteria in their nose or throat who do not show symptoms of the infection to prevent the spread of the bacteria to other patients. Rifampin belongs to the class of medicines called antibiotics and works to kill or prevent the growth of bacteria. However, it will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Proper UseTOP
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance for side effects.
To help clear up your tuberculosis (TB) completely, it is very important that you keep using this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better after a few weeks. If you have TB, you might have to take rifampin every day for several months. It is important that you not miss any doses.
Take the capsule on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal, with a full of glass water. It is important to take this medicine on a regular schedule.
If this medicine upsets your stomach, take it with food. Antacids may also help. However, do not take aluminum-containing antacids (eg, Maalox®, Mylanta®) within 1 hour of the time you take rifampin. They may keep this medicine from working properly.
For patients unable to swallow the capsule:
- A special liquid form of the medicine can be prepared by a pharmacist.
- Shake the bottle well before each dose.
- Measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon, oral syringe, or medicine cup. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid.
DosingTOP
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
- For oral dosage form (capsules):
- For the treatment of meningitis bacteria in the nose or throat:
- Adults—600 milligrams (mg) two times per day for 2 days.
- Children 1 month of age and older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is 10 mg per kilogram (kg) of body weight every 12 hours for 2 days.
- Children younger than 1 month of age—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is 5 mg per kg of body weight every 12 hours for 2 days.
- For the treatment of tuberculosis:
- Adults—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is 10 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight once a day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 600 mg per day.
- Children—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is 10 to 20 mg per kg of body weight once a day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 600 mg per day.
- For the treatment of meningitis bacteria in the nose or throat:
Missed DoseTOP
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
If rifampin is taken on an irregular schedule, side effects may occur more often and may be more serious than usual. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.
Use & StorageTOP
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
The specially prepared oral liquid form may be kept at room temperature or in a refrigerator for 4 weeks. Do not use the liquid after the expiration date on the label.
Before UsingTOP
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
AllergiesTOP
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
PediatricTOP
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of rifampin in children.
GeriatricTOP
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of rifampin in the elderly.
PregnancyTOP
| Pregnancy Category | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| All Trimesters | C | Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no animal studies have been conducted and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women. |
Breast FeedingTOP
Studies in women suggest that this medication poses minimal risk to the infant when used during breastfeeding.
Drug InteractionsTOP
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.
- Artemether
- Atazanavir
- Boceprevir
- Cobicistat
- Daclatasvir
- Darunavir
- Dasabuvir
- Delamanid
- Elbasvir
- Elvitegravir
- Fosamprenavir
- Glecaprevir
- Grazoprevir
- Isavuconazonium
- Lopinavir
- Lurasidone
- Maraviroc
- Nelfinavir
- Ombitasvir
- Paritaprevir
- Pibrentasvir
- Praziquantel
- Ranolazine
- Rilpivirine
- Ritonavir
- Saquinavir
- Sofosbuvir
- Telaprevir
- Tipranavir
- Velpatasvir
- Voriconazole
- Voxilaprevir
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.
- Abiraterone
- Afatinib
- Amiodarone
- Amprenavir
- Apixaban
- Apremilast
- Aprepitant
- Aripiprazole
- Atovaquone
- Axitinib
- Bedaquiline
- Bosutinib
- Brexpiprazole
- Brigatinib
- Brivaracetam
- Cabozantinib
- Cariprazine
- Ceritinib
- Cholera Vaccine, Live
- Clozapine
- Cobimetinib
- Crizotinib
- Cyclosporine
- Dabigatran Etexilate
- Dasatinib
- Deferasirox
- Deflazacort
- Delavirdine
- Desogestrel
- Dienogest
- Digoxin
- Dolutegravir
- Doxorubicin
- Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome
- Dronedarone
- Drospirenone
- Edoxaban
- Efavirenz
- Eliglustat
- Eluxadoline
- Enzalutamide
- Erlotinib
- Estradiol
- Ethinyl Estradiol
- Ethionamide
- Ethynodiol
- Etonogestrel
- Etravirine
- Everolimus
- Exemestane
- Fentanyl
- Fosaprepitant
- Fosphenytoin
- Gefitinib
- Gestodene
- Hemin
- Ibrutinib
- Idelalisib
- Ifosfamide
- Imatinib
- Indinavir
- Irinotecan
- Irinotecan Liposome
- Isoniazid
- Itraconazole
- Ivabradine
- Ivacaftor
- Ixabepilone
- Ixazomib
- Ketoconazole
- Lamotrigine
- Lapatinib
- Ledipasvir
- Levonorgestrel
- Linagliptin
- Lorcainide
- Macitentan
- Manidipine
- Mestranol
- Methadone
- Midostaurin
- Mifepristone
- Mycophenolate Mofetil
- Mycophenolic Acid
- Naloxegol
- Neratinib
- Netupitant
- Nevirapine
- Nifedipine
- Nilotinib
- Nimodipine
- Nintedanib
- Norethindrone
- Norgestimate
- Norgestrel
- Olaparib
- Osimertinib
- Palbociclib
- Panobinostat
- Pazopanib
- Perampanel
- Phenytoin
- Piperaquine
- Pitavastatin
- Pixantrone
- Ponatinib
- Posaconazole
- Pyrazinamide
- Quetiapine
- Quinine
- Regorafenib
- Ribociclib
- Rivaroxaban
- Roflumilast
- Rolapitant
- Romidepsin
- Simeprevir
- Sirolimus
- Sonidegib
- Sorafenib
- Sunitinib
- Tacrolimus
- Tasimelteon
- Telithromycin
- Temsirolimus
- Tenofovir Alafenamide
- Thiotepa
- Ticagrelor
- Tofacitinib
- Tolvaptan
- Trabectedin
- Ulipristal
- Valbenazine
- Vandetanib
- Vemurafenib
- Venetoclax
- Vilazodone
- Vincristine
- Vincristine Sulfate Liposome
- Vinflunine
- Vorapaxar
- Vortioxetine
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.
- Acetyldigoxin
- Aliskiren
- Anisindione
- Aripiprazole Lauroxil
- Atorvastatin
- Betamethasone
- Bexarotene
- Bosentan
- Buspirone
- Carbamazepine
- Carvedilol
- Caspofungin
- Chloramphenicol
- Chlorpropamide
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Clofibrate
- Cortisone
- Dexamethasone
- Dicumarol
- Diltiazem
- Disopyramide
- Doxycycline
- Eltrombopag
- Enalaprilat
- Enalapril Maleate
- Etoricoxib
- Fesoterodine
- Fluconazole
- Fludrocortisone
- Gliclazide
- Glyburide
- Haloperidol
- Isradipine
- Levomethadyl
- Levothyroxine
- Linezolid
- Losartan
- Mefloquine
- Metformin
- Methylprednisolone
- Metoprolol
- Morphine
- Morphine Sulfate Liposome
- Moxifloxacin
- Nisoldipine
- Ospemifene
- Oxcarbazepine
- Oxycodone
- Phenprocoumon
- Pioglitazone
- Pirmenol
- Prednisolone
- Prednisone
- Propafenone
- Raltegravir
- Repaglinide
- Rofecoxib
- Rosiglitazone
- Sertraline
- Simvastatin
- Tadalafil
- Tamoxifen
- Theophylline
- Tocainide
- Triazolam
- Trimetrexate
- Valproic Acid
- Warfarin
- Zaleplon
- Zidovudine
- Zolpidem
Other InteractionsTOP
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Other Medical ProblemsTOP
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Alcohol abuse, or history of—Use with caution. May cause side effects to become worse.
- Diabetes, history of or
- Liver disease or
- Porphyria (an enzyme problem)—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
PrecautionsTOP
It is very important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
You should not use this medicine if you are also receiving certain medicines to treat HIV infection (eg, atazanavir, darunavir, fosamprenavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, tipranavir, Aptivus®, Fortovase®, Invirase®, Lexiva®, Norvir®, Prezista®, or Reyataz®).
Liver problems may be more likely to occur if you drink alcoholic beverages regularly while you are taking this medicine. Also, the regular use of alcohol may keep this medicine from working properly. Therefore, you should strictly limit the amount of alcoholic beverages you drink while you are taking this medicine.
Check with your doctor right away if you have fever, chills, cough, sore throat, swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin, or yellow skin or eyes while using this medicine. These could be symptoms of a serious condition called drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS).
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.
Rifampin will cause urine, stool, saliva, sputum, sweat, and tears to turn a reddish-orange to reddish-brown color. This is to be expected while you are using this medicine. This effect may cause soft contact lenses to become permanently discolored. Standard cleaning solutions may not take out all the discoloration. Therefore, it is best not to wear soft contact lenses while taking this medicine. Hard contact lenses are not discolored by this medicine. This condition will return to normal once you stop taking this medicine. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.
If you develop a skin rash, hives, or any allergic reaction to this medicine, check with your doctor right away.
Birth control pills may not work properly while you are taking this medicine. To keep from getting pregnant, use another form of birth control together with your birth control pills. Other forms include condoms, diaphragms, or contraceptive foams or jellies.
Before you have any medical tests, tell the doctor in charge that you or your child are using this medicine. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
