Drug Detail:Rifamycin (Rifamycin [ rif-a-mye-sin ])
Drug Class: Rifamycin derivatives
Usual Adult Dose for Traveler's Diarrhea
388 mg orally 2 times a day
- Duration of therapy: 3 days
Comments:
- Doses should be taken in the morning and evening, and each dose should be taken with 6 to 8 ounces of liquid.
- Alcohol should not be taken concomitantly.
Use: Treatment of travelers' diarrhea caused by noninvasive strains of Escherichia coli
Renal Dose Adjustments
No adjustment recommended.
Liver Dose Adjustments
No adjustment recommended.
Precautions
NARROW THERAPEUTIC INDEX:
- This drug should be considered a narrow therapeutic index (NTI) drug as small differences in dose or blood concentrations may lead to serious therapeutic failures or adverse drug reactions.
- Generic substitution should be done cautiously, if at all, as current bioequivalence standards are generally insufficient for NTI drugs.
- Additional and/or more frequent monitoring should be done to ensure receipt of an effective dose while avoiding unnecessary toxicities.
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
- Hypersensitivity to the active component, any of the other rifamycin class antimicrobial agents, or any of the ingredients
Safety and efficacy have not been established in patients younger than 18 years.
Consult WARNINGS section for additional precautions.
Dialysis
Data not available
Other Comments
Administration advice:
- Each dose should be taken orally with 6 to 8 ounces of liquid and swallowed whole, without chewing, crushing, or breaking.
- Alcohol should be avoided concomitantly during treatment.
- This drug may be taken without regard to food.
General:
- Limitation of use: Treatment should be limited to infections proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria; this drug should not be used to treat patients with diarrhea complicated by fever/bloody stool or caused by pathogens other than noninvasive E coli.
- Culture and susceptibility information (including local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns, in some cases) should be considered when selecting treatment.
Patient advice:
- Patients should be instructed to avoid consuming alcohol concomitantly during treatment.
- Patients should be told to contact their healthcare provider if their signs/symptoms of travelers' diarrhea do not improve or worsen during treatment.
- Advise patients to speak to their healthcare provider if they become pregnant, intend to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
