Everything You Know About Rifampicin

Rifampicin's a strong, strong antibiotic. It's going to tackle many bacterial infections! Men, you'll get this one as a tablet or through an IV line. You know that! When you've got active TB, you'll take 10 mg for every kilo you weigh each day. Yes, that's the standard! Your max daily dose? It's 600 mg, obviously. Many, many of you take this med for 6 months. It's going to work with other meds. That said, men, you've got to keep your doc up-to-date about all side effects you see!

Men, this antibiotic's a great, great tuberculosis treatment. Obviously, though, you've got other meds for TB out there too. But rifampicin does more! It's a strong endocarditis treatment. Great! It'll even work as a treatment for leprosy. Men, this med's very, very strong. It'll bring you a win! You've just got to understand how it works first.

How It Works

You know what rifampicin is: an antibiotic! Men, this one's a strong, strong antimycobacterial medicine. It's going to tackle bacterial infections like no one's business. This med's going to win for you! It does this by stopping bacteria from completing RNA synthesis, men. This one binds to the beta subunit of what you know as the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. What a huge, huge win. Men, this is why the RNA transcription stops! Your liver's going to absorb the med. And then? Your body excretes it through your poo!

Men, this med gets to its peak concentration in 2 to 4 hours. Yes! It carries a half-life of 3 to 4 hours. If you've got liver issues? This is longer! End-stage kidney disease means this med's got a half-life of up to 11 hours.

Best Uses

Rifampicin's an amazing med, men. So amazing. This antibiotic treats tuberculosis! It'll come with a couple other meds as backup, so TB doesn't stand a chance. That said, you'll take this med for more than just TB. It also prevents meningitis in some of you. Yes, it does! It'll stop meningitic when you've got the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria in your nose or throat. This antibiotic means you won't spread the bacteria to others either! Obviously, though, this one doesn't handle meningitis symptoms. This med also treats endocarditis, leprosy, and joint infections. It's so, so powerful! Many, many men take it for central nervous system infections. Men, this means things like encephalitis and brain abscesses! Your doc will even prescribe it 'off-label' when you've got itching from liver disease. Win.

Side Effects

Men, keep your guard up. This med's got side effects! You'll see things like upset stomach, heartburn, nausea, and headaches a lot. Another nasty, nasty side effect is the color change to your pee, sweat, tears, or saliva. Men, these things can change to brown, red, or orange! Not fun. Nope. The good news? Things'll go back to normal when you stop taking this med. Sadly, your teeth will often be permanently discolored. There are more side effects coming too. Some men, yes, some, get coordination and behavior changes. Things like diarrhea, appetite loss, and abdominal pain set in as side effects of this med as well!

Hold your horses for a second, men. This med changes some lab test results! You'll see higher serum uric acid levels and liver function tests. Your red blood cell counts? Lower. Men, you've got to watch for liver disease on this med too. That's why signs like dark pee, jaundice, abdominal pain, and nausea that won't go away happen. Tell your doc right away about these!

Precautions

You're ready for the med precautions, obviously! Men, you've got to review your medical history. Your doc has to know about a history of diabetes, bleeding conditions, or liver disease. This antibiotic's not safe, not safe at all, when this applies to you! You know that. You're also going to want extra birth control. Men, this one means that hormonal pill for ladies isn't as effective. Keep the power in your hands. Wear soft contacts? Not on this med! You'll need glasses, since this med means staining of your soft contacts. Sad.

Don't forget about drug screening tests. This med makes the results inaccurate for many, many men. That's why you've got to tell your doc about this med when you need a test! Obviously, you've got to be ready for regular blood tests too. They're going to check on your infection. You stop this med when that's gone! Men, you've got to avoid taking this med with food. Take it 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Keep a huge, huge glass of water on hand when you're taking it, though. It helps!

Med Interactions

Men, you know rifampicin's going to interact with many, many meds. So many! It actually interacts with over 490 others! And men? 198 of these interactions are huge and serious. So serious. You know what to do here. You do! Men, you've got to take your power and write down all of the meds you take. All of them! That means prescriptions, OTC meds, and supplements. Tell your doc about everything. They're the front line defense for avoiding these interactions! Pharmacists are a great, great backup to double-check this work before giving you your rifampicin. So great.

Many, many interactions mean a higher risk of liver damage with rifampicin. Men, this means things like high cholesterol meds, high blood pressure meds, seizure meds, and even antidepressants! Men, you know your risk is very, very high when you're taking this antibiotic with OTC pain meds. Yes, it is. Rifampicin's even going to make your body remove some meds a lot faster. Yes, a lot faster! The meds it does this with include azole antifungals, calcium channel blockers, some blood thinners, and oral diabetes meds. Men, you'll need your doc here! Many, many of you get different doses. Others? A switch to a different med, of course.