Learn About Rifampicin
Precautions
Take precautions with this antibiotic. Ladies, be ready to go over your health history with your doctor! They need to know about everything, since rifampicin isn't safe for all of you. You often can't take it when you have a history of bleeding conditions, liver disease, or diabetes. In addition, it's not safe for you or your baby in the last few weeks of pregnancy. You're more likely to bleed! Ladies, avoid it when you're breastfeeding too. Remember to use more than one type of birth control, since this medication means hormonal birth control isn't as effective. And ladies, be ready to wear glasses rather than soft contact lenses. This antibiotic stains the latter!
This antibiotic often means problems with drug screening. Results are often inaccurate! So, ladies, talk to your doctor when you need a test like this. You will also have regular blood tests. They check for infection! Ladies, you will take this medication until your infection is gone. When you're taking it orally, you can't have food. Space your meals out so you have it one hour before or 2 hours after. However, drink a full glass of water when you do take this medication!
Medication Interactions
Rifampicin interacts with many medications. In fact, there are over 490 interactions. Ladies, 198 of these are serious ones! You need to talk to your doctor about all of your medication, even supplements, before you take this one. They're going to help you avoid these interactions. Your pharmacist can check this list over too!
Liver damage is a high risk in many of these interactions. The medications this antibiotic affects this way include those for blood pressure, cholesterol, heart problems, and depression. Even ones for arthritis do it! Ladies, OTC pain medications mean a higher risk of liver damage with this antibiotic too. Another significant effect is rifampicin speeding the removal of some medications. This includes some blood thinners, oral diabetes meds, and calcium channel blockers. Tell your doctor when you take any of them! Ladies, ways to avoid interactions include adjusted doses and medication changes.