ranolazine vs rifampin
Side-by-side comparison of ranolazine and rifampin. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
major Known Drug Interaction
CYP3A Inducers Do not use ranolazine with CYP3A inducers such as rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and St.
Recommendation: Do not use these two medications together.
Ranexa
Rifadin
Ranolazine extended-release tablets help treat chronic angina (chest pain). It can be used with other heart medicines.
Rifampin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat infections.
Ranolazine is used to treat chronic angina, which is chest pain that keeps coming back. It can help you have fewer angina episodes. You can take this medicine with other drugs like beta-blockers or nitrates.
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.
Ranolazine works by affecting the sodium channels in your heart cells. This helps to improve blood flow to your heart. It reduces the amount of calcium in your heart, which can help prevent angina.
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.
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Constipation
- • Nausea
- • Heartburn
- • Upset stomach
- • Loss of appetite
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- Death 816
- Heart attack 640
- Chest pain 605
- Angina 594
- Stent placement 582
- Drug Interaction 970
- Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms 727
- Nausea 628
- Condition Aggravated 550
- Pyrexia 541
Ranolazine can cause changes in your heart's electrical activity (QT prolongation). If you have kidney problems, your doctor should check your kidney function. If you develop kidney failure, stop taking ranolazine.
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.
It is not known if ranolazine can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if ranolazine passes into breast milk. Discuss with your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
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.
How to Read This ranolazine vs rifampin Comparison
ranolazine is classified in the Late Sodium Current Inhibitor (Antianginal) 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, ranolazine has 3,237 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 major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to rifampin speeds up the liver enzymes that break down ranolazine, which can make the ranolazine stop working.. 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 ranolazine 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.