rifampin
Brand names: Rifadin
Rifampin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights bacteria in your body to treat infections.
Drug Shortage Alert
rifampin is currently listed as in shortage by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC. Status: Available.
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.60/unit
Generic Available
Yes (6 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Rifampin treats tuberculosis (TB) and helps eliminate the bacteria that cause meningitis from your nose and throat.
Common side effects
Heartburn, Upset stomach, Loss of appetite
Key warnings
Rifampin can cause liver problems.
How It Works
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.
How to Take It
Take rifampin by mouth or through an IV. If taking it by mouth, take it once a day, either 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Always take it with a full glass of water. Adults usually take 10 mg/kg, up to 600 mg per day. Children usually take 10-20 mg/kg, up to 600 mg per day.
Pregnancy & 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.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
Storage
Store rifampin at room temperature, away from heat and light.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 7,405 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 13,451 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
13,451
Death-Related Reports
1,383
Hospitalization Reports
5,402
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 1,468 |
| 2 | OFF LABEL USE | 1,107 |
| 3 | DRUG INTERACTION | 970 |
| 4 | DRUG REACTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS | 727 |
| 5 | NAUSEA | 628 |
| 6 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 550 |
| 7 | PYREXIA | 541 |
| 8 | PRODUCT USE IN UNAPPROVED INDICATION | 533 |
| 9 | VOMITING | 444 |
| 10 | DRUG RESISTANCE | 437 |
| 11 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 396 |
| 12 | DRUG INTOLERANCE | 391 |
| 13 | DYSPNOEA | 380 |
| 14 | DIARRHOEA | 378 |
| 15 | RASH | 378 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
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.
Known Drug Interactions
Table 1: Drug Interactions with Rifampin that Affect Concomitant Drug Concentrations Administered with rifampin 600 mg daily, unless otherwise specified Drug or Drug Class and Prevention or Management Clinical Effect AUC = area under the time-concentration curve Antiretrovirals Prevention or Management: Concomitant use is contraindicated (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ) Atazanavir Decrease AUC by 72% Darunavir Rifampin dosage used concomitantly with the drug(s) is not specified in the proposed package insert.
Mechanism: Rifampin reduces the amount of darunavir in your body, which can prevent the medicine from controlling the virus.
What to do: This combination is not allowed and should be avoided.
Antimycobacterials: rifabutin rifampin , Strong inducer of CYP3Aand P-gp, and inducer of UGT1A1. rifapentine ↓ BIC ↓ TAF Coadministration with rifampin is contraindicated due to the effect of rifampin on the BIC component of BIKTARVY [see Contraindications (4) ] .
Mechanism: Rifampin speeds up how fast your body breaks down the HIV medicine, which makes the HIV medicine less effective. This can cause the HIV virus to become harder to treat.
What to do: Do not take these two medications together. Your doctor will need to find a different antibiotic that does not interfere with your HIV treatment.
Antimycobacterials: Rifampin ↓ glecaprevir ↓ pibrentasvir Coadministration is contraindicated because of potential loss of therapeutic effect [see Contraindications ( 4 ) ] .
Mechanism: Rifampin lowers the levels of the hepatitis C medicine in your body. This makes the treatment less effective and may prevent it from curing the infection.
What to do: Do not take these medications together because the hepatitis C treatment will not work correctly.
Antimycobacterial rifampin, rifapentine ↓ nirmatrelvir/ritonavir Co-administration contraindicated due to potential loss of virologic response and possible resistance.
Mechanism: Rifampin causes the body to break down nirmatrelvir/ritonavir too quickly, which lowers the amount of medicine in your blood. This can make the treatment less effective and may lead to the virus becoming resistant.
What to do: Do not take these two medications together.
Rifampin Clinical Impact: Rifampin significantly increases peak pitavastatin exposure and increases the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Intervention: In patients taking rifampin, do not exceed pitavastatin tablets 2 mg once daily [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 )].
Mechanism: Rifampin causes the levels of pitavastatin in the blood to spike higher than they should. These high levels increase the chance of experiencing dangerous muscle injury.
What to do: If you are taking rifampin, your daily dose of pitavastatin should not exceed 2 mg.
Common Questions
Can rifampin change the color of my urine or other body fluids?
Can I take rifampin with food?
What should I avoid while taking rifampin?
Can rifampin interact with other medications?
What if I develop diarrhea while taking rifampin?
Can rifampin cause any vision problems?
Are there any long-term side effects of rifampin?
What happens if I take too much rifampin?
Can I stop taking rifampin when I feel better?
Who should not take rifampin?
What are the common side effects of rifampin?
Does rifampin interact with other medications?
What drug class is rifampin?
Is rifampin safe during pregnancy?
Has rifampin been recalled?
Is rifampin currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations: Firm went out of business and could no longer continue stability studies.
Akorn, Inc.
Failed impurities/degradation specifications: Finished product exceeds the 5 ppm interim limit for 1-Methyl-4-Nitrosopoperazine (MNP).
Akorn, Inc.
Related Medications in Rifamycin Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near rifampin — same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
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amoxicillin
Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
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amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Compare with rifampin →
ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
Compare with rifampin →
azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
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Medication Guides
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What the FDA Data Shows for rifampin
The FDA label for rifampin (sold under brand names such as Rifadin) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Rifamycin Antibiotic class. Rifampin treats tuberculosis (TB) and helps eliminate the bacteria that cause meningitis from your nose and throat. Official labeling lists 17 commonly reported side effects, including Heartburn, Upset stomach, Loss of appetite.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 7,405 voluntary reports. The database also lists 137 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.60.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 2 recall records on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: October 17, 2025
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages