Rifamate is a medicine used to treat tuberculosis. Rifampin and Isoniazid are both antibiotics effective against bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
Doctors prescribe Rifamate to treat persons diagnosed with active tuberculosis. The doctor may also prescribe other medicines along with Rifamate to treat tuberculosis.
Rifamate is an important part of most anti-tuberculosis campaigns. If you are prescribed to use Rifamate for tuberculosis, you need to finish the whole course of treatment to prevent complications.
Rifamate is available in capsule or tablet forms for oral consumption. You need a prescription to purchase Rifampin And Isoniazid.
2 What to Know Before Using
Your doctor will inform you of what you need to know before using Rifamate. If you have allergies to Rifamate, tell it to your doctor right away.
You also have to mention if you have allergies to Rifamycin antibiotics such as Rifampin, Rifapentine, and Rifabutin. Before receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid, make sure to tell all your health problems to your doctor.
You cannot take Rifamate if you have the following health problems:
Have epilepsy or have recently experienced seizures
Alcohol abuse or drinking alcohol every day
You cannot receive Rifampin And Isoniazid if you previously experienced severe side effects from Isoniazid, such as drug fever, chills, and inflammation of the joints.
You need to have monthly liver tests when receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid. The drugs can cause severe and sometimes fatal liver problems, especially in patients between ages 35 to 65 years.
Tell the doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid. The effect and safety of Rifampin And Isoniazid combination to unborn babies are not fully understood. Isoniazid itself is proven to cause harm to fetuses. If you are nursing a child, you need to stop breastfeeding before and while receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid. Many medicines are expressed in breast milk and the effect of Rifampin And Isoniazid to very small babies are not fully known.
The doctor may order lab tests before prescribing Rifampin And Isoniazid to make sure you do not have health problems.
You have to understand that Rifampin And Isoniazid may reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills. If you are taking birth control pills, tell them to your doctor before receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid. Ask the doctor about the use of barrier birth control devices like condoms and diaphragm with spermicide to prevent pregnancy.
The doctor will advise you to stop intake of alcohol before receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid. Taking alcohol with Rifampin And Isoniazid may increase the risk of liver problems. If you took alcohol while on Rifampin And Isoniazid, call the doctor right away.
Tyramines can increase the risk of dangerously high blood pressure levels when taken with Rifampin And Isoniazid.
You need to reduce or avoid foods rich in tyramines such as:
Hard cheeses
Cured, smoked and processed meats and fish
Pickled or fermented food items
Soy and soy products
Broad beans and snow peas
Dried and ripe fruits
Meat tenderizers
Yeast-based items like marmite and vegemite
Alcoholic beverages.
You have to reduce intake of foods like tuna, Skipjack, and sardines while receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid. These foods are high in histamines, and taking them with Rifampin And Isoniazid may cause low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, headache, sweating, or flushing.
You need to take extra vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) when receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid to reduce the likelihood of side effects. The doctor will prescribe you with vitamin B6 to take every day. Rifampin And Isoniazid are not safe and not recommended for use in children.
Make sure to tell all the medicines you take before taking Rifampin And Isoniazid, including prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Before prescribing Rifampin And Isoniazid, the doctor needs to know if you are taking any of the following medicines:
To use Rifamate properly, you must follow all instructions given by your doctor. If you take Rifamate and other anti-TB drugs as part of TB control program, expect to take the medications with close supervision of health professionals for at least two months.
Rifamate must be taken on an empty stomach. Take it one or two hours before a meal.
If you are taking an antacid, take Rifampin And Isoniazid at least 1 hour before taking the antacid. If you are also taking aminosalicylic acid granules, you must take them 8 to 12 hours after taking Rifampin And Isoniazid.
Follow your doctor’s dose and do not take more or less than needed.
Do not stop or change doses without doctor’s permission, even if you start to feel better.
If you missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and stick to the original schedule. Do not double the dose to make up for the missed dose. If you skipped taking Rifampin And Isoniazid for a day or more, call your doctor right away.
Keep your supplies of Rifampin And Isoniazid away from heat, moisture and light. Do not freeze.
4 Precautions to Take
Before using Rifamate, there are some precautions you must take. The doctor will order several lab tests to determine if the medicine is working and check for early signs and symptoms of side effects.
Make sure to stick to scheduled clinic appointments and lab tests. Maintain open communication with your doctor while receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid.
If symptoms did not improve within 2 weeks or you experience side effects, call the doctor right away. Rifampin And Isoniazid often cause changes to lab tests results. Make sure health providers know you are taking Rifampin And Isoniazid.
You need to have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) while taking Rifampin And Isoniazid, especially if you have eye pain, blurred vision or unusual vision changes.
Note that Rifampin And Isoniazid may reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills. It is very important to avoid getting pregnant because Rifampin And Isoniazid may harm the unborn baby, and in addition to the fact that tuberculosis is also dangerous to the fetus. Ask your doctor about alternative birth control methods you can use.
If you became pregnant while receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid, call the doctor immediately.
Liver problems are a known adverse effect of Rifampin And Isoniazid, especially in patients aged 35 years and above, those who take alcohol and women belonging to Hispanic or Black ethnicities. Avoid taking alcohol while receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid to reduce the likelihood of adverse effects to the liver. Make sure to have regular lab tests, especially liver function tests, to check for early signs of liver damage.
Rifampin And Isoniazid may cause your body fluids to become reddish-orange to reddish-brown. Your urine, feces, sweat and sputum may be affected, but this effect will disappear after stopping the medication. However, this may permanently discolor soft contact lenses. Hard contact lenses are unaffected by discoloration caused by Rifampin And Isoniazid.
Avoid or greatly reduce intake of foods high in tyramine while receiving Rifampin And Isoniazid. You also have to avoid foods high in histamines such as tuna, Skipjack, and sardines.
Call the doctor at once if you experience symptoms of:
If you experience diarrhea, call the doctor first.
Rarely, Rifampin And Isoniazid may cause a very serious form of diarrhea called pseudomembranous colitis, which can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody and watery diarrhea. If these symptoms occur, call the doctor right away.
Rifampin And Isoniazid may affect blood sugar levels in persons with diabetes. If you have diabetes, make sure to call your doctor to change the dose of anti-diabetic medicines. Diabetes may also increase the toxic effects of Rifampin And Isoniazid to the nerves.
Call the doctor if you experience tingling sensations in the hands or feet.
Rifampin And Isoniazid may cause changes in the blood and result to increased susceptibility to infections and bleeding. This can make you more prone to infections, bleeding, gum problems and slow healing of wounds. Be careful in using toothbrushes, dental picks, and dental flosses. You may have to delay dental work until blood counts show that everything is okay.
5 Potential Side Effects
Make sure you meet with your doctor in using Rifamate to avoid unwanted potential side effects.
Call the doctor right away if you experience the following:
Severe allergic reactions such as hives, itching, skin rash, difficulty breathing, swelling of the mouth, lips or tongue
Symptoms of low vitamin B6 such as confusion cracks in corners of the mouth, irritability, redness or sores in the mouth and scaly skin rash
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