Theophylline and Rifampin Interaction

Drug interaction information between Theophylline and Rifampin.

Theophylline and Rifampin have a documented moderate interaction in FDA labeling.

FDA drug labeling documents a moderate-severity interaction between Theophylline and Rifampin. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.

Drug A

Theophylline

Methylxanthine Bronchodilator

Drug B

Rifampin

Rifamycin Antibiotic

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What SPL severity band is on file for Theophylline + Rifampin?

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: Theophylline has 5 (also Bupropion, Clarithromycin, Febuxostat, Levofloxacin); Rifampin has 26 (also Doxycycline, Probenecid, Apixaban, Aprepitant).

What mechanism field is on file for Theophylline and Rifampin?

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: Theophylline (Methylxanthine Bronchodilator); Rifampin (Rifamycin Antibiotic).

Theophylline has 27 major-labeled pairs vs Rifampin's 8. This page itself is in the moderate band, not the major band.

Theophylline

27 major · 5 moderate · 54 minor · 86 total

Rifampin

8 major · 26 moderate · 103 minor · 137 total

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.