amikacin vs rifampin
Side-by-side comparison of amikacin and rifampin Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Amikacin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights serious infections caused by certain types of bacteria.
Rifampin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat infections.
Amikacin treats serious infections caused by bacteria. This includes infections in the blood, lungs, bones, joints, brain, skin, and abdomen. It can also treat burns, post-surgery infections, and complicated urinary tract infections.
Rifampin treats tuberculosis (TB) and helps eliminate the bacteria that cause meningitis from your nose and throat. It is important to use rifampin only for infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria. This helps to prevent bacteria from becoming resistant to the medicine.
Amikacin belongs to a class of drugs called aminoglycosides. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps your body fight off the infection.
Rifampin works by stopping bacteria from growing and multiplying. It does this by blocking a key enzyme that the bacteria need to make proteins. This helps your body fight off the infection.
No common side effects listed.
- • Heartburn
- • Upset stomach
- • Loss of appetite
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- Off Label Use 1,908
- Drug Ineffective 1,673
- Cough 1,620
- Dyspnoea 1,556
- Hospitalisation 1,360
- Drug Ineffective 1,468
- Off Label Use 1,107
- Drug Interaction 970
- Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms 727
- Nausea 628
Amikacin can potentially cause hearing loss and kidney damage. Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems or are taking other medicines that can affect your hearing or kidneys. Your doctor should closely monitor you for hearing and kidney problems during treatment. This drug can also cause muscle weakness or breathing problems, especially if you are also taking anesthesia or certain muscle relaxants.
Rifampin can cause liver problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or stomach pain. Rifampin can also cause blood problems. Tell your doctor if you have unusual bleeding or bruising.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Amikacin may harm your unborn baby. It is not known if amikacin passes into breast milk.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Rifampin can make birth control pills less effective, so use other forms of birth control. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Also Compare — Nearby Drugs
Compare amikacin with
How to Read This amikacin vs rifampin Comparison
amikacin is classified in the Aminoglycoside Antibiotic drug class, while rifampin sits within the Rifamycin Antibiotic class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, amikacin has 8,117 submissions while rifampin has 4,900. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between amikacin and rifampin — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.