ramelteon vs rifampin

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Side-by-side comparison of ramelteon and rifampin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Rifampin (strong CYP enzyme inducer): Decreases exposure to and effects of ramelteon. Rifampin (strong CYP enzyme inducer) Administration of multiple doses of rifampin resulted in a mean decrease of approximately 80% in total exposure to ramelteon and metabolite M-II. Efficacy may be reduced when ramelteon is used in combination with strong CYP enzyme inducers such as rifampin [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.5) ] .

Drug Class
ramelteon Melatonin Receptor Agonist
rifampin Rifamycin Antibiotic
Type
ramelteon Prescription
rifampin Prescription
Summary
ramelteon

Ramelteon (Rozerem) is a prescription medicine that can help you fall asleep faster. It works by acting like a natural hormone in your brain that regulates sleep.

rifampin

Rifampin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat infections.

What It Treats
ramelteon

Ramelteon is used to treat insomnia when you have trouble falling asleep. It can help you fall asleep faster so you can get a better night's rest. Studies have shown it works for up to six months.

rifampin

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.

How It Works
ramelteon

Ramelteon works by targeting receptors in your brain that are involved in the sleep-wake cycle. It acts like melatonin, a hormone your body makes naturally to help you sleep. By binding to these receptors, ramelteon helps to promote sleepiness.

rifampin

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.

Common Side Effects
ramelteon
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling tired
  • Nausea
  • Worsening insomnia
rifampin
  • Heartburn
  • Upset stomach
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
FAERS Reports
ramelteon
  • Initial Insomnia 447
  • Somnolence 411
  • Middle Insomnia 390
  • Insomnia 388
  • Nausea 327
rifampin
  • Drug Interaction 970
  • Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms 727
  • Nausea 628
  • Condition Aggravated 550
  • Pyrexia 541
Serious Warnings
ramelteon

Rarely, some people have had severe allergic reactions (angioedema and anaphylaxis) with throat closing, trouble breathing, nausea, or vomiting. If this happens, stop taking ramelteon and get medical help right away. Do not take ramelteon again if you've had this type of reaction to it. Ramelteon may cause changes in behavior, such as sleep-driving or hallucinations. It may also worsen depression or cause suicidal thoughts. Be careful driving or operating machinery, as ramelteon can affect your alertness.

rifampin

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.

Pregnancy
ramelteon

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Animal studies suggest a risk of birth defects at high doses. It is not known if ramelteon passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking this medicine, and watch for sleepiness or feeding problems in the baby.

rifampin

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 ramelteon with

How to Read This ramelteon vs rifampin Comparison

ramelteon is classified in the Melatonin Receptor Agonist 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, ramelteon has 1,963 submissions while rifampin has 3,416. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to rifampin causes your body to break down ramelteon much faster than normal, which lowers the amount of medicine in your system.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for ramelteon or rifampin.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.