Modern medicine is very difficult to imagine without antibiotics, which are actively prescribed for various diseases. To date, they are divided into various subgroups and are prescribed depending on the severity of the disease and the category of its pathogen. Among the broad-spectrum antibiotics, Rifampicin stands out, the instructions for use of which provide complete information about the drug. Doctors prescribe this drug to their patients quite often, so today we are doing a detailed review of it. In it, we will consider "Rifampicin", instructions for use, analogues and a list of contraindications.
Drug summary
From the instructions for use for "Rifampicin" you can get quite comprehensive information about this antibiotic. It belongs to the group of semi-synthetic drugs of a wide rangespectrum of action to which bacteria rapidly develop resistance. Therefore, it is not prescribed by attending physicians for a long time, after which the medicine is replaced by analogues. "Rifampicin" (instruction for its use is included in each box without fail) has them in large quantities. At the same time, they are produced by both domestic and foreign pharmacists.
The drug in small quantities actively affects Koch's bacillus, staphylococci, chlamydia, streptococci and other types of bacteria. With an increase in the concentration of the drug, it neutralizes E. coli, the causative agent of whooping cough, anthrax and similar microorganisms. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the only bacterium that remains insensitive, judging by the instructions for use, to Rifampicin is Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
It is noteworthy that the drug is equally active inside the cell and outside it. It is especially effective in the process of combating multiplying bacteria. "Rifampicin" stops their division and does not allow them to continue their vital activity in the human body.
After ingestion of one tablet of "Rifampicin" (not all forms of release of this drug are indicated in the instructions for use), the maximum concentration of the active substance is reached after two hours. In the digestive tract, the capsules are perfectly absorbed and excreted from the body along with urine, sweat and even tears.
It is worth considering that storing Rifampicin tablets (in the instructions for use of the drug, this fact is mandatoryorder reflected) must be kept away from sunlight. The drug is especially sensitive to them and to a humid environment. It is also not recommended to leave the drug open for a long time, it quickly interacts with oxygen, which immediately excludes its further use according to the course prescribed by the doctor.
Issue form
Since "Rifampicin" is quite common, the manufacturer produces it in several forms that are suitable for patients of different ages. Depending on the diagnosed disease, the attending physician not only prescribes the dosage, but also chooses a specific form of the drug. We will list all types of medicines produced by pharmacists in our country:
- Capsules "Rifampicin" (instructions for the use of this form of medicine are identical to its other types). They have a reddish tint and contain a brownish-orange powder inside the gelatinous shell. White blotches are allowed inside. The dosage of capsules can be different, depending on this, the manufacturer selects the appropriate packaging. For example, "Rifampicin" with an active substance content of 150 milligrams is packaged in glass bottles of twenty to thirty pieces. Capsules labeled three hundred milligrams are packed in packages of one, two and five thousand pieces. You can also find in pharmacies and 150-milligram dosage in blisters. Each contains ten capsules.
- Tablets "Rifampicin" 150 mg (instruction for use contains information about the drug of thisspecies in a different dosage: three hundred, 450, five hundred and six hundred milligrams). Externally, tablets differ little from capsules. They have the same reddish-orange hue and are packaged in different types of packages. For example, the instructions for use for "Rifampicin" 150 mg indicate that it is available in blisters of twenty and thirty pieces. A higher dosage drug can be packaged in jars of a hundred pieces. This is what happens, judging by the instructions for use, with Rifampicin 500 mg tablets. Those who are prescribed a similar dosage prefer to purchase a large amount of the drug at once.
- Powder for injection. From it, specialists prepare a solution for intravenous injection. The powder is sold in pharmacies in ampoules and has a reddish tint. Each ampoule is designed for 150 milliliters, in packs of five or ten ampoules. This type of "Rifampicin" is also produced in a higher dosage. These vials are packaged in cartons of five hundred pieces.
- Ear drops. They are available in bottles, each has a volume of ten milliliters.
It is noteworthy that sometimes doctors prescribe "Rifampicin" in the form of suppositories. It is impossible to find them on sale, therefore there is no instruction for use for Rifampicin suppositories. The fact is that they are made in special pharmacies according to a prescription issued by the attending physician.
Composition of the drug
In the instructions for use for capsules "Rifampicin" and its other forms of release is always indicatedthe composition of the agent. It should be borne in mind that this drug contains many auxiliary components, so when taking it, you must carefully monitor your condition with the help of regular tests and examinations.
The active substance in all forms of the drug is rifampicin. The dosage is always indicated on the packaging. The following substances can be considered as auxiliary components of tablets and capsules:
- magnesium stearate;
- primogel;
- silicon dioxide;
- gelatin;
- titanium dioxide;
- water;
- dyes.
If we are talking about powder for injection, then this version contains a smaller amount of excipients. This is usually:
- ascorbic acid;
- sodium sulfite;
- sodium hydroxide.
In the instructions for use for Rifampicin ampoules, their full composition is also always indicated by the manufacturer.
Indications for use
Referring to the instructions for use for "Rifampicin" (150 mg and other dosages), you can find out how wide the range of use of this drug is. He showed himself excellently in the fight against completely different diseases. First of all, the drug is prescribed for diagnosed tuberculosis of any form and location. "Rifampicin" is especially effective in the initial stages of infection with Koch's bacillus, it inhibits the reproduction of microorganisms, which significantly speeds up the healing process inpart of complex therapy.
Also often "Rifampicin" is prescribed as an antibiotic for prolonged bronchitis, otitis and pneumonia. For prevention purposes, the drug is prescribed to persons in contact with patients with tuberculosis, or to those who have already undergone treatment for this disease, but are at risk. When bitten by wild animals, doctors often advise taking Rifampicin to prevent rabies. The disease does not always proceed openly, and an antibiotic will help to destroy dangerous microorganisms, even in a latent form.
Very often the drug is prescribed after the diagnosis of meningococcal infections, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis, as well as in case of gonorrhea and brucellosis. In general, experts prefer to include "Rifampicin" in the complex therapy for infectious diseases of a different nature. In the initial stages, it is prescribed separately, in advanced cases - together with other drugs.
List of contraindications
In the instructions for use for tablets "Rifampicin" (150, 300, 450 and 600 mg), as well as capsules, there is always a list of diseases in which the drug should not be used. For injections, a number of contraindications are usually different.
If we are talking about tablets and capsules, then it should be borne in mind that patients should immediately stop taking the drug in case of individual intolerance, which may manifest itself as an allergic reaction. A clear contraindication is renal andliver failure. With such problems, the doctor will initially try to prescribe a different drug to the patient.
Also, Rifampicin should not be taken by patients with jaundice. Some of the contraindications are pregnancy, lactation and infancy. In all of the latter cases listed, the doctor may prescribe the drug with certain precautions and when the benefits of treatment far outweigh the possible he alth risks.
If you have been prescribed injections of "Rifampicin", then in this case it is necessary to refuse them for diseases of the veins (the drug is always administered intravenously), heart failure and childhood. Children are almost never given injections of the drug.
Medication Methods
Most often, the instructions for use for "Rifampicin" 150 mg in tablets or other forms and dosages do not indicate all the regimens for its administration. Only the attending physician can write them down, so you should not risk your he alth and prescribe the drug and its dosage yourself, based on vague ideas about its use.
Based on everything that we have already written about the drug, it becomes clear that it is mainly taken orally or intravenously. Tablets and capsules are taken approximately one hour before meals. In extreme cases, between taking the drug and food should be an interval of thirty minutes.
To doinjection of Rifampicin, the doctor or nurse should prepare an injection solution. This process takes a considerable amount of time. First of all, the powder in the ampoule is mixed with two and a half milligrams of water for injection. The powder must be completely dissolved, and only then it is injected into 125 milligrams of glucose (it should be a five percent solution). Injecting the medicine into a vein, the doctor takes into account that the rate cannot exceed 80 drops per minute.
If you are prescribed suppositories, then they must be administered rectally at night.
It is better to warm ear drops before use, for this it is enough to hold them in your hand for several minutes. In the process of instillation, the patient needs to sit, in this position the medicine enters the auricle faster.
A distinctive feature of the drug is the fact that when taken regularly, the risk of side effects is reduced. If you are scheduled to take Rifampicin in a day or two, then it is likely that you will experience a number of unpleasant body reactions to it.
In no case should this antibiotic be combined with alcohol, antacids are also not recommended. If it is impossible to do without such drugs, you should wait at least four hours after taking the antibiotic.
If you are prescribed a long-term intake of "Rifampicin", then do not neglect the control of the state of the liver and kidneys. In the first month, tests must be taken twice, in the future, one monitoring for a period of thirty days will be enough.
Determining the dosage
Judgingaccording to the instructions for use and reviews of "Rifampicin", we can conclude that in each case the doctor prescribes his dosage of the drug. Most often, it is tied to the disease, but sometimes it is also affected by the condition of the patient.
During the treatment of tuberculosis, an adult should receive four hundred and fifty milligrams of the drug daily. If necessary, the doctor can increase the dosage to six hundred milligrams of the active substance. The maximum allowable rate of "Rifampicin" is one thousand two hundred milligrams per day. However, only a doctor should control the treatment process and vary the dosage. With tuberculosis, the treatment period is often extended for one year or more.
If "Rifampicin" is prescribed for various infectious diseases, then the daily intake is usually divided into two or three times. The average dosage is nine hundred milligrams of the active substance. If we are talking about injections, then the concentration ranges from three hundred to nine hundred milligrams, which are divided into several infusions. The course of treatment in this case does not exceed ten days.
Acute gonorrhea requires a different dosage of Rifampicin. The medicine is taken once a day for two days. The dose should be close to 900 milligrams of the substance.
As a prophylaxis, the drug is prescribed very often. Its dosage in this case fluctuates around 600 milligrams. It can be divided or drunk in one go.
For otitis media, an antibiotic is injected into the auricle five drops three times a day. In somecases, it is possible to reduce the frequency of taking up to two times.
Pregnancy and lactation: is it worth taking Rifampicin
Women in the first trimester should definitely avoid taking this antibiotic. In the subsequent period, the doctor must carefully assess the risk to the mother and fetus. A baby in the womb may experience a number of developmental abnormalities. In the last months of pregnancy, both mother and baby are at risk of profuse bleeding. After birth, the concentration of the antibiotic in the baby's blood will be quite high, usually it is about thirty-three percent of what is in the mother's body.
When breastfeeding, the drug passes into milk quite easily and can harm the baby. It is better to stop taking Rifampicin while breastfeeding.
Prescribing the drug to children
Newborns and babies with insufficient body weight "Rifampicin" is not prescribed. In cases of emergency, the doctor may prescribe the drug, but only in combination with vitamin K. This significantly reduces the risk of bleeding.
If the baby was prescribed this drug in connection with the detection of infection with the Koch stick, then most often the dosage is calculated based on body weight. However, children under twelve years of age cannot receive more than four hundred and fifty milligrams of the active substance per day. A child over twelve years old can be given a dose of up to 600 milligrams per day. Reception is usually divided into two times.
For infectious diseases, the doctor calculates the dosage, focusing on eight to ten milligrams per kilogram of the child's weight. The course of treatment does not exceed ten days.
Analogues of the drug
Analogues of "Rifampicin" exist domestic and imported. All Russian manufacturers use the same rifampicin as the active substance. Among the most popular means are the following:
- Rifampicin-Akos.
- Rifampicin-Ferein.
- Farbutin.
Analogues of domestic production are produced in different forms: tablets and liquid form. Most often, these drugs are prescribed to patients with tuberculosis. Since the disease is treated for a very long time, the effect of addiction is quite possible. Therefore, doctors often change Rifampicin to similar drugs during treatment.
Foreign manufacturers send to our market the following drugs of the group we are interested in:
- "Rimpin".
- Macox.
- Rimaktan.
- R-qing.
The medicines listed are produced in India and are classified as affordable and popular. Of the German counterparts, one can name Eremfat. Very often they even have instructions for use identical to Rifampicin.
Reviews about Russian and foreign drugs of this group are distinguished by a mass of positive comments. Patients note that after the emergence of addiction to the original drug, butneed to continue treatment, analogues are the best option and give a good effect. For long-term treatment, the doctor may prescribe several types of drugs, changing them once every six months.
