rifabutin

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Take this medication by mouth with or without food, usually once or twice daily or as directed by your doctor. Take this medication with food if stomach upset occurs. For the treatment of tuberculosis, this drug is sometimes taken twice weekly. Dosage is based on your medical condition, weight, interacting drugs, and response to treatment. Antibiotics work best when the amount of medicine in your body is kept at a constant level. Therefore, take this drug at evenly spaced intervals. To help you remember, take it at the same time(s) each day. Continue to take this medication until the full prescribed amount is finished, even if symptoms disappear. Stopping the medication too early or skipping doses may allow the bacteria to continue to grow, which may result in a return of the infection and cause the infection to be more difficult to treat (resistant). Tell your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.

The effects of some drugs can change if you take other drugs or herbal products at the same time. This can increase your risk for serious side effects or may cause your medications not to work correctly. These drug interactions are possible, but do not always occur. Your doctor or pharmacist can often prevent or manage interactions by changing how you use your medications or by close monitoring. To help your doctor and pharmacist give you the best care, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before starting treatment with this product. While using this product, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any other medicines you are using without your doctor's approval. Some products that may interact with this drug include: azole antifungals (such as fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole), ciprofloxacin, macrolide antibiotics (such as clarithromycin), HIV NNRTIs (such as delavirdine, efavirenz, etravirine), HIV protease inhibitors (such as indinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir). Rifabutin can speed up the removal of other medications from your body, which may affect how they work. Examples of affected drugs include cyclosporine, phenytoin, ranolazine, tacrolimus, "blood thinners" (such as warfarin), calcium channel blockers (such as diltiazem, verapamil), certain diabetes drugs (sulfonylureas such as tolbutamide), among others. This medication may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control products (such as pills, patch, ring). This effect can result in pregnancy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for details. Discuss whether you should use additional reliable birth control methods while using this medication. This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Do not share this medication with others. Laboratory and/or medical tests (such as liver function, complete blood count) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.

Before taking rifabutin, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to other rifamycins (such as rifampin); or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: kidney disease, liver disease, a certain blood disorder (porphyria). Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products). Rifabutin may cause live bacterial vaccines (such as typhoid vaccine) not to work as well. Therefore, do not have any immunizations/vaccinations while using this medication without the consent of your doctor. During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor before breast-feeding. If you have HIV disease, do not breast-feed because breast milk can transmit HIV.

Store at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Diarrhea, stomach upset, changes in taste, or nausea/vomiting may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. This medication may cause urine, sweat, saliva, or tears to turn brown-orange. This effect is harmless and will disappear when the medication is stopped. However, dentures and contact lenses may be permanently stained. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but serious side effects occur: easy bleeding/bruising, signs of a new infection (such as fever, persistent sore throat/cough), muscle weakness/pain, joint pain/swelling, eye pain/redness, vision problems, chest pain/pressure, persistent nausea/vomiting, unusual weakness/tiredness, dark urine, yellowing eyes/skin. This medication may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea) due to a type of resistant bacteria. This condition may occur during treatment or weeks to months after treatment has stopped. Do not use anti-diarrhea products or narcotic pain medications if you have any of the following symptoms because these products may make them worse. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop: persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, blood/mucus in your stool. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing. This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. In the US - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional. This drug may also be used with other medications to treat active MAC infection and to treat active tuberculosis (TB) infection. It may also be used alone or with another medication to prevent active TB infections in people who may be infected with the bacteria (people with positive TB skin test).