Rifampin and Theophylline Interaction
Drug interaction information between Rifampin and Theophylline.
Rifampin and Theophylline have a documented moderate interaction in FDA labeling.
FDA drug labeling documents a moderate-severity interaction between Rifampin and Theophylline. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.
How They Interact
Rifampin makes the body clear theophylline faster, which reduces the amount of medicine available to work.
FDA Label Information
Quinine Prevention or Management: Avoid concomitant use Decrease AUC by 75%–85% Telithromycin Decrease AUC by 86% Theophylline Decrease exposure by 20% to 40% Effect of Other Drugs on Rifampin Concomitant antacid administration may reduce the absorption of rifampin.
Rifampin Also Interacts With
- Darunavir major
- Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir major
- Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir major
- Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir major
- Pitavastatin major
Theophylline Also Interacts With
- Metoprolol major
- Albuterol major
- Omeprazole major
- Amoxicillin major
- Famotidine major
Frequently Asked Questions
What SPL severity band is on file for Rifampin + Theophylline?
Compiled FDA labeling labels this pair moderate. That is a source-record field, not an individual medication-combination decision.
Which drug in this pair has the larger labeled-interaction portfolio?
Rifampin has 137 labeled pairs on file vs Theophylline's 86. In the moderate band specifically: Rifampin has 26 (also Doxycycline, Probenecid, Apixaban, Aprepitant); Theophylline has 5 (also Bupropion, Clarithromycin, Febuxostat, Levofloxacin).
What mechanism field is on file for Rifampin and Theophylline?
Rifampin makes the body clear theophylline faster, which reduces the amount of medicine available to work.
Theophylline carries more major-labeled pairs than Rifampin
SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is moderate · classes on file: Rifampin (Rifamycin Antibiotic); Theophylline (Methylxanthine Bronchodilator).
Theophylline has 27 major-labeled pairs vs Rifampin's 8. This page itself is in the moderate band, not the major band.
8 major · 26 moderate · 103 minor · 137 total
- Other moderate peers for Rifampin
- Doxycycline
- Probenecid
- Apixaban
- Aprepitant
27 major · 5 moderate · 54 minor · 86 total
- Other moderate peers for Theophylline
- Bupropion
- Clarithromycin
- Febuxostat
- Levofloxacin
Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL) via openFDA (2026). This is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This registry does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.