¿What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using Rifampin?

Before using 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 use 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 use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. Rifampin passes into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

¿What other drugs will affect Rifampin?

Before taking Rifampin, tell your doctor if you are also using any 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);
• clofibrate (Atromid-S);
• corticosteroids such as prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone, Meticorten), prednisolone (Delta Cortef, Prelone, others), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and betamethasone (Celestone);
• estrogens such as Premarin, Ogen, Estrace, Menest, Estratab, Ortho-Est, and others;
• heart medicines such as digoxin (Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace), quinidine (Quinora, Quinidex, Cardioquin, others), mexiletine (Mexitil), tocainide (Tonocard), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), and enalapril (Vasotec);
• HIV medicines such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase), ritonavir (Norvir), nelfinavir (Viracept), and others;
• ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), and fluconazole (Diflucan);
• methadone (Dolophine);
• 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);
• sulfa medicines such as sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, Gantanol, Azo-Gantanol), and sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin, Azo-Gantrisin);
• sulfonylureas such as glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (Micronase, Diabeta, Glynase), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), tolbutamide (Orinase), and tolazamide (Tolinase);
• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
• theophylline (Theolair, Theo-Dur, Theochron, Theo-Bid, others).
  

There may be other drugs that can interact with Rifampin. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.