Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Rifadin
What is RIFADIN used for?
Rifadin capsules contain a medicine called rifampin. It belongs to a group of medicines called anti-bacterials.
Rifadin capsules are used to treat the following bacterial infections:
- Tuberculosis (also known as TB) alongside other medicines
Rifadin capsules can also be used to stop the following infections from developing;
- Meningitis (infection of the membranes in the brain and spinal cord)
- Haemophilus influenza (flu)
Anti-bacterial drugs like Rifadin treat only bacterial infections. They do not treat viral infections such as the common cold. Although you may feel better early in treatment, Rifadin should be used exactly as directed. Misuse or overuse of Rifadin could lead to the growth of bacteria that will not be killed by Rifadin (resistance). This means that Rifadin may not work for you in the future. Do not share your medicine.
How does RIFADIN work?
It works by killing the bacteria that cause infections.
What are the ingredients in RIFADIN?
Medicinal ingredients: Each capsule contains rifampin
Non-medicinal ingredients: Corn starch, D&C Red #28, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40, gelatin, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide and white ink. Tartrazine-free
RIFADIN comes in the following dosage forms:
Capsules, 150 mg and 300 mg
Do not use RIFADIN if:
You are allergic (hypersensitive) to
- Rifampin or any rifamycin antibiotics
- any of the other ingredients of the Rifadin capsules (See What are the ingredients in Rifadin)
- You have yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
You are breastfeeding
- You are taking a saquinavir/ritonavir combination for HIV infection.
- The person taking this medicine is a premature and or a newborn infant
To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take RIFADIN. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if:
- You have liver problems
- You have any kidney problems
- You have diabetes. Your diabetes may become more difficult to control while taking this medicine
- You have a problem with bleeding or tend to bruise easily
- You are under weight or malnourished
- You wear contact lenses. Taking Rifadin capsules may permanently stain soft contact lenses
- You have porphyria (a genetic enzyme disorder that causes symptoms affecting the skin or nervous system)
- The person taking this medicine is a child
- You are using hormonal birth control. The effectiveness of the birth control may be decreased. It may be necessary to use another method of birth control.
- If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Other warnings you should know about:
Rifadin can cause severe liver injury.
Stop taking Rifadin and get immediate medical help if you experience symptoms such as:
- itching,
- weakness,
- loss of appetite,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- abdominal pain,
- yellowing of eyes or skin
- light coloured stool, or
- dark urine.
These might be symptoms of a severe liver injury.
Blood Tests
Your doctor will need to check your blood before you take this medicine. This will help your doctor know if any changes happen to your blood after taking this medicine. You may also need to have regular blood tests to check how your liver is working.
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.
The following may interact with RIFADIN:
- Antacids used for indigestion. Take Rifadin at least 1 hour before taking antacids
- Medicines for high blood pressure (e.g., ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonist).
- Medicines for heart problems or to control your heartbeat (e.g., disopyramide, mexiletine, quinidine, tocainide, propafenone)
- Medicines used to thin the blood such as warfarin
- Medicines used to lower cholesterol (e.g., statins, clofibrates)
- Medicines for thought disorders known as “antipsychotics” such as haloperidol
- Medicines to calm or reduce anxiety (hypnotics, anxiolytics)
- Medicines to help you sleep (barbiturates)
- Medicines used for epilepsy such as phenytoin
- Some medicines used for depression such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline
- Riluzole - used for motor neurone disease
- Some medicines used for viral infections such as zidovudine, indinavir, efavirenz and saquinavir
- Medicines used for fungal infections (e.g., antifungals such as fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole)
- Medicines used for bacterial infections (antibiotics such as telithromycin, clarithromycin, doxycycline, cefazolin)
- Medicines used for lowering your immune system such as cyclosporin and tacrolimus
- Praziquantel - used for tapeworm infections
- Atovaquone - used for pneumonia
- Some hormone medicines (estrogen, systemic hormones, progestogens) including birth control pills (oral contraceptives)
- Some hormone medicines (anti-estrogens) used for breast cancer or endometriosis such as tamoxifen, toremifene
- Levothyroxine (thyroid hormone) used for thyroid problems
- Irinotecan - used for cancer
- Medicines used for pain such as codeine, morphine, fentanyl or pethidine
- Corticosteroids used for inflammation such as hydrocortisone, betamethasone and prednisolone
- Methadone - used for heroin withdrawal
- Medicines used for diabetes (e.g., glyburide, rosiglitazone)
- Medicines used to relax muscles before surgery (anesthetics) such as halothane
- Some medicines used for nausea or vomiting such as ondansetron
- Quinine - used for malaria
- Theophylline - used for wheezing or difficulty in breathing
- Medicines used for hepatitis-C (antiviral drugs such as daclatasvir, simeprevir, sofosbuvir, telaprevir)
- Some medicines used to thin the blood such as clopidogrel
How to take RIFADIN
Take Rifadin on an empty stomach. This means at least 1 hour before breakfast.
Usual dose:
Treatment of tuberculosis
Adults: 600 mg in a single daily dose. The dose may need to be reduced in some patients. Follow your doctor’s advice about how to take Rifadin, when to take it, and how long to take it.
Children (≥ 5 years): 10 to 20 mg/kg not to exceed 600 mg/day.
Prophylaxis versus H. influenza type b
Adults: 600 mg every 24 hours for 4 days
Children (≥1 month): 20 mg per kilogram (up to 600 mg) every 24 hours for 4 days
Neonates (<1 month): 10 mg per kilogram every 24 hours for 4 days
Prophylaxis versus N. meningitidis
Adults: 600 mg every 12 hours for 2 days
Children (≥1 month): 10 mg per kilogram (up to 600 mg) every 12 hours for 2 days
Neonates (<1 month): 5 mg per kilogram every 12 hours for 2 days
Overdose:
If you take more Rifadin capsules than you should, tell a doctor or go to a hospital emergency department straight away. Take the medicine pack with you. This is so the doctor knows what you have taken.
You may feel sick (nausea), be sick (vomiting), have stomach pain, itching or a headache. You may also feel tired, sleepy, dizzy or light-headed. Other signs of taking too much includes swelling of the face, eyes or eyelids, fast heartbeat, irregular heartbeats, seizure and heart attack.
| If you think you have taken too much RIFADIN, contact your healthcare professional, hospital emergency department or regional poison control centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms. |
Missed Dose:
If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember it. However, if it is nearly time for the next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten capsules.
What are possible side effects from using RIFADIN?
These are not all the possible side effects you may feel when taking Rifadin. If you experience any side effects not listed here, contact your healthcare professional.
You may notice a discoloration (yellow, orange, red, brown) in your urine, sweat, phlegm (sputum), saliva, tears or teeth. This is quite common and you need not worry. However, the discoloration may permanently stain soft contact lenses. The discoloration in tears may last for some time after you have stopped taking Rifadin. Tooth discoloration may be permanent.
Serious side effects and what to do about them
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
RARE You have an allergic reaction. The signs may include: a rash, swallowing or breathing problems, wheezing, swelling of your lips, face, throat or tongue. | ✓ | ||
| You experience symptoms such as severe diarrhea (bloody or watery) with or without fever, abdominal pain, or tenderness, you may have Clostridium difficile colitis (bowel inflammation). | ✓ | ||
| You have a fever and yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, light coloured stool, dark urine, feel tired, weak or generally unwell, experience itching, abdominal pain, loss of appetite (anorexia), feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting). These may be early signs of liver problems or severe liver injury. | ✓ | ||
| Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), with any combination of red itchy rash with blisters and peeling of the skin and /or of the lips, eyes, mouth, nasal passages or genitals. It often goes with fever, chills, headache, cough, body aches or joint pain. You may have less or dark urine, yellow skin or eyes. Can lead to death. | ✓ | ||
Serious side effects and what to do about them
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help |
|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| You bruise more easily than usual. Or you may have a painful rash of dark red spots under the skin which do not go away when you press on them (purpura). This could be because of a serious blood problem. | ✓ | ||
| You have chills, tiredness, unusually pale skin colour, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat or dark coloured urine. This could be signs of a serious type of anemia. | ✓ | ||
| You have blood in your urine or an increase or decrease in amount of urine you produce. You may also get swelling, especially of the legs, ankles or feet. This may be caused by serious kidney problems. | ✓ | ||
| You have a sudden severe headache. This could be a sign of bleeding in the brain. | ✓ | ||
| Shortness of breath and wheezing. | ✓ | ||
| You get confused, sleepy, cold clammy skin, shallow or difficult breathing, a racing heartbeat or your skin is paler than normal. These could be signs of shock. | ✓ | ||
| You get more infections more easily than normal. Signs include fever, sore throat or mouth ulcers. This could be because you have a low number of white blood cells. | ✓ | ||
| You have bleeding from your nose, ear, gums, throat, skin or stomach. Signs may include a feeling of tenderness and swelling in your stomach, purple spots on your skin and black or tar-like stools | ✓ | ||
| Mental problems with unusual thoughts and strange visions (hallucinations) | ✓ | ||
| Flu-like symptoms including chills, fever, headache, dizziness and bone pains | ✓ | ||
| Skin flushing or itching | ✓ | ||
| Irregular periods | ✓ | ||
| Diarrhea or stomach discomfort | ✓ | ||
| Loss of appetite (anorexia) | ✓ | ||
| Headache | ✓ | ||
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, talk to your healthcare professional.
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice. |
Storage:
Store between 15-30 °C.
Keep out of reach and sight of children.
If you want more information about RIFADIN:
- Talk to your healthcare professional.
- Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes this Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada website (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html); the manufacturer’s website www.sanofi.com, or by calling 1-800-265-7927.