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• Interactions

Many drugs can interact with rifampin. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:

• acetaminophen (Tylenol);

• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);

• a barbiturate such as phenobarbital (Solfoton);

• diazepam (Valium) or similar medicines such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), midazolam (Versed), temazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), and others;

• a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol (Zebeta, Ziac), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), timolol (Blocadren), and others;

• clofibrate (Atromid-S);

• steroids such as prednisone, fluticasone (Advair), mometasone (Asmanex, Nasonex), dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol) and others;

• birth control pills or estrogen hormone replacement;

• heart medicines such as digoxin (Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace), quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex), mexiletine (Mexitil), tocainide (Tonocard), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), or enalapril (Vasotec);

• HIV medicines such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase), ritonavir (Norvir), nelfinavir (Viracept), and others;

• ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), or fluconazole (Diflucan);

• methadone (Dolophine);

• phenytoin (Dilantin), ethotoin (Peganone), and mephenytoin (Mesantoin);

• sulfa drugs (Bactrim, Gantanol, Septra, and others);

• diabetes medication you take by mouth;

• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral); or

• theophylline (Elixophyllin, TheoCap, Theochron, Uniphyl).

This list is not complete and there are many other medicines that can interact with rifampin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;

• joint pain or swelling;

• easy bruising or bleeding, weakness;

• urinating less than usual or not at all; or

• nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious side effects may include:

• tired feeling; or

• red or orange colored urine, stools, tears, sweat, or saliva.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.