Product Details

What you need to know before you take Rifampicin

Do not take Rifampicin if you • are allergic (hypersensitive) to rifampicin or another rifamycin antibiotic or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6) • have jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) • you are taking saquinavir or ritonavir (as you may develop liver problems if you are also taking rifampicin). Warnings and precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist or nurse before taking Rifampicin if you: • have or have ever had problems with your liver • have kidney problems and are taking more than 600 mg of Rifampicin per day • are diabetic; as your diabetes may become more difficult to control • have a rare blood problem called porphyria 2 • are underweight or malnourished, elderly, suffer from liver problems or under 2 years old and also taking isoniazid; your doctor may check your liver function • your symptoms of tuberculosis return or get worse (see section 4 Possible side effects) • wear contact lenses. Taking Rifampicin may permanently stain soft contact lenses. • are vitamin K deficient or have hypoprothrombinemia. Rifampicin may cause vitamin K dependent coagulation and severe bleeding. Monitoring of occurrence of coagulation is recommended for patients at particular bleeding risk. If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Rifampicin. Important information about potentially life-threatening reactions Serious skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) have been reported with the use of Rifampicin. • SJS/TEN can appear initially as reddish target spots or circular patches often with central blisters on the trunk. Also ulcers of mouth, throat, nose, genitals and eyes (red and swollen eyes) can occur. These serious skin rashes are often preceded by fever and/or flu-like symptoms. The rashes may progress to widespread peeling of the skin and life-threatening complications or be fatal. • DRESS appears initially as flu-like symptoms and a rash on the face then an extended rash with a high body temperature, increased levels of liver enzymes seen in blood tests and an increase in a type of white blood cell (eosinophilia) and enlarged lymph nodes. • AGEP appears at the initiation of treatment as a red, scaly widespread rash with bumps under the skin and blisters accompanied by fever. The most common location: mainly localized on the skin folds, trunk, and upper extremities. The highest risk for occurrence of serious skin reactions is within 2 days to 2 months after treatment initiation depending on the condition. If you develop a serious rash or another of these skin symptoms, stop taking Rifampicin and contact your doctor or seek medical attention immediately. 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. It is possible that Rifampicin may interfere with some blood tests. If you need a blood test to check bilirubin, folate or vitamin B12 levels tell your doctor you are taking Rifampicin as it may affect your results. Other medicines and Rifampicin Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription, including herbal medicines. This is because Rifampicin can affect the way some other medicines work. Also some medicines can affect the way Rifampicin work. In particular, do not take this medicine, and tell your doctor, if you are taking: • Saquinavir or ritonavir used for HIV infection The following medicines can make Rifampicin work less well: • Antacids used for indigestion. Take Rifampicin at least 1 hour before taking antacids • Other medicines used for TB such as P-aminosalicylic acid (PAS). PAS and Rifampicin should be taken at least 8 hours apart. Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines: 3 Heart and blood medicines • Medicines for high blood pressure • Medicines for heart problems or to control your heartbeat • Medicines used to thin the blood such as warfarin and clopidogrel • Medicines used to lower cholesterol • Water tablets (diuretics) such as eplerenone Mental health, epilepsy and motor neurone medicines • 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 Medicines for infections and the immune system • Some medicines used for viral infections such as indinavir, efavirenz, amprenavir, nelfinavir, atazanavir, lopinavir neviparine, daclatasvir, simeprevir, sofosbuvir and telaprevir • Medicines used for fungal infections • Medicines used for bacterial infections (antibiotics) • Medicines used for lowering your immune system such as ciclosporin, sirolimus and tacrolimus • Praziquantel – used for tapeworm infections • Atovaquone – used for pneumonia Hormone and cancer medicines • Some hormone medicines (estrogen, systemic hormones, progestogens) used for contraception or some types of cancer such as ethinyloestradiol, levonorgestrel or dydrogesterone • Some hormone medicines (anti-estrogens) used for breast cancer or endometriosis such as tamoxifen, toremifene and gestrinone • Some medicines used for cancer (cytotoxics) such as imatinib • Levothyroxine (thyroid hormone) used for thyroid problems • Irinotecan – used for cancer Pain, inflammation and gout medicines • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as etoricoxib, aspirin and indometacin • 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 Other medicines • Medicines used for diabetes • Medicines used to relax muscles before surgery (anaesthetics) such as halothane. If you are undergoing surgery please inform your doctor before the operation that you are using or have previously used Rifampicin. This is because Rifampicin and some anaesthetics (such as halothane) should not be taken together. • Some medicines used for feeling sick or being sick such as ondansetron and aprepitant • Other antibiotic medicines such as cefazolin and isoniazid • Quinine – used for malaria • Theophylline – used for wheezing or difficulty in breathing Pregnancy and breast-feeding Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. 4 Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Rifampicin should not be taken during pregnancy as it can affect the growth of your unborn baby and may cause complications to the mother and baby after birth. Rifampicin may make the contraceptive “pill” work less well. This means you should change to a different type of contraception. You must use a reliable barrier method of contraception such as condoms or the “coil” while taking Rifampicin. If you have any questions or are unsure about this talk to your doctor or pharmacist. You should not breast-feed if you are taking Rifampicin. This is because small amounts may pass into the mothers’ milk. If you are breastfeeding or planning to breast-feed, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medicine. Driving and using machines You may feel dizzy or faint, have problems with vision or have other side effects that could affect your ability to drive while taking this medicine. If this happens, do not drive or use any tools or machines. Rifampicin contains lactose This medicine contains lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.