Type of medicine: antimycobacterial
Generic and brand names: rifabutin, oral; Mycobutin
This medicine is taken by mouth to prevent Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease in people with HIV infection. It may be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.
Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:
Also tell your healthcare provider if you are taking any other medicines to treat HIV or AIDS such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), indinavir (Crixivan), saquinavir (Invirase), ritonavir (Norvir), or nelfinavir (Viracept).
Do not take this medicine if you have an active tuberculosis (TB) infection. It may make TB resistant to treatment.
Females of childbearing age: Tell the healthcare provider if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. This medicine may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. Ask your healthcare provider about other methods of birth control. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.
Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. If this medicine causes nausea or vomiting, you may divide the daily dose into 2 doses (morning and evening) and take it with food. You can open the capsule and sprinkle the powder on soft food such as applesauce to make it easier to swallow.
Taking this medicine with high-fat meals may affect the way the medicine works. Ask your healthcare provider about this.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.
If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.
Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain.
Contact your healthcare provider if you develop:
These may be symptoms of MAC or TB.
This medicine may cause diarrhea. Severe watery and bloody diarrhea may be a sign of a life-threatening condition. If you develop severe diarrhea while taking this medicine or even as late as two or more months after having taken the last dose of this medicine, contact your healthcare provider right away. Do not take medicine to treat diarrhea without your provider's approval.
You will need to have blood tests regularly to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments for these tests.
Your urine, feces, saliva, sputum, tears, sweat, and skin may be colored brown or orange by this medicine. This will stop when you stop taking the medicine.
Contact lens wearers: This medicine will permanently stain soft contact lenses. Wear hard lenses or eyeglasses during treatment.
If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider you are taking this medicine.
Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.
Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away). If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; chest pain or tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).
Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Fever and chills; chest pain; muscle or bone pain; cough; night sweats; blurred vision; eye pain or redness; headache; severe tiredness or weakness; a sore throat; unusual bleeding or bruising; yellow skin or eyes; severe, watery or bloody diarrhea.
Other: Rash, change in taste, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, diarrhea, gas, discolored body fluids.
When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:
If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.
Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.
This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.
Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.
Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
Do not share medicines with other people.
