rifampin vs terbinafine
Side-by-side comparison of rifampin and terbinafine. 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
Drug interactions have also been noted with cimetidine, fluconazole, cyclosporine, rifampin, and caffeine. Terbinafine clearance is increased 100% by rifampin, a CYP450 enzyme inducer, and decreased 33% by cimetidine, a CYP450 enzyme inhibitor.
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to adjust your terbinafine dose to ensure the treatment remains effective.
Rifadin
Lamisil
Rifampin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat infections.
Terbinafine is an antifungal medicine. It is used to treat fungal infections of the fingernails and toenails.
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.
Terbinafine treats onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails. Before you start taking this medicine, your doctor should take a nail sample. This is to make sure the infection is caused by a fungus.
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.
Terbinafine belongs to a class of medicines called allylamine antifungals. It works by stopping the growth of fungi. This eventually kills the fungus causing the infection.
- • Heartburn
- • Upset stomach
- • Loss of appetite
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Headache
- • Diarrhea
- • Rash
- • Upset stomach
- • Abnormal liver enzyme tests
- Drug Interaction 970
- Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms 727
- Nausea 628
- Condition Aggravated 550
- Pyrexia 541
- Skin rash 391
- Itching 316
- Tiredness 300
- Feeling sick to your stomach 280
- Loss of taste 270
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.
Terbinafine can cause liver problems, including liver failure. Your doctor should check your liver before you start taking it and regularly while you are taking it. Tell your doctor right away if you have nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, vomiting, pain in your upper right belly area, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or pale stools. If you have taste changes, stop taking terbinafine. These changes can be severe, long-lasting, or even permanent. Tell your doctor if you feel depressed or have other mood changes.
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.
Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if terbinafine will harm your unborn baby. Terbinafine passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking this medicine.
How to Read This rifampin vs terbinafine Comparison
rifampin is classified in the Rifamycin Antibiotic drug class, while terbinafine sits within the Allylamine Antifungal 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, rifampin has 3,416 submissions while terbinafine has 1,557. 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 triggers the body to break down terbinafine twice as fast as usual.. 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 rifampin and terbinafine - 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.