Rifapentine, Oral ri-fa-PEN-teen

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antitubercular

Generic and brand names: rifapentine, oral; Priftin

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to treat tuberculosis (TB) of the lungs. It is always used with other medicines for tuberculosis.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• liver disease
• porphyria (nerve pain or sensitivity to sunlight)

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. This medicine may make hormonal birth control less effective. Talk to your healthcare provider if you need birth control. Do not breast-feed while you are taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval. This medicine may make breast milk look reddish orange.

How do I take it?

You may take this medicine with or without food. Taking it with meals may lessen the chance the drug will upset your stomach.

Check the label on the medicine for directions about your specific dose. Follow your healthcare provider's directions exactly. Take any other medicine your healthcare provider prescribes as scheduled. You must take all medicine your healthcare provider has prescribed for this treatment to be successful.

Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. Take it regularly for as long as prescribed, even if you start to feel better. The infection may return if you stop taking the medicine too soon.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What if I overdose?

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, heartburn, nausea, increased urination.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may color your urine, bowel movements, sweat, sputum (spit), and tears a reddish color. Contact lenses and dentures may be permanently stained. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

This medicine may cause diarrhea. Severe watery or bloody diarrhea may be a sign of a serious or life-threatening condition. If you develop severe diarrhea while you are taking this medicine or even as late as two months or more after having taken the last dose of this medicine, contact your healthcare provider right away. Do not take medicine to treat diarrhea without your healthcare provider's approval.

You will need to have regular checkups and blood tests to see how this medicine affects you. Keep all appointments.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

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 right away): Fever, appetite loss, unusual tiredness or weakness, nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, dark or cloudy urine, yellowish eyes or skin, pain or swelling of your joints, unusual bleeding or bruising, trouble urinating.

Other: Mild rash, mild diarrhea, itching, acne, upset stomach, constipation, red-orange color of urine, tears, and sweat.

What products might interact with this medicine?

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:

• antacids (Take this medicine at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after you take an antacid.)
• antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), clarithromycin (Biaxin), chloramphenicol, dapsone, and doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Monodox, Vibramycin)
• antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• anti-HIV medicines such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir), saquinavir (Invirase), and zidovudine (AZT, Retrovir, Combivir)
• antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), and valproic acid (Depakote, Depakene)
• barbiturates such as butabarbital (Butisol), pentobarbital (Nembutal), phenobarbital, and secobarbital (Seconal)
• benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), midazolam (Versed), and triazolam (Halcion)
• beta blockers such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol (Zebeta), carteolol, metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), penbutolol (Levatol), pindolol, propranolol (Inderal LA), sotalol (Betapace), and timolol
• birth control pills rings, patches, and implants and hormones such as conjugated estrogens (Premarin), estradiol (Estrace), levonorgestrel (Mirena), medroxyprogesterone (Provera), and norethindrone (Aygestin, Camila, Jolivette, Micronor) (talk to your healthcare provider if you need birth control)
• calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), felodipine, and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)
• corticosteroids such as cortisone, dexamethasone, fludrocortisone (Florinef), hydrocortisone (Cortef), methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisone, and prednisolone (Orapred)
• diabetes medicines that you take by mouth such as glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta), glipizide (Glucotrol), and repaglinide (Prandin)
• digoxin (Lanoxin)
• haloperidol (Haldol)
• immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine (Gengraf, Sandimmune, Neoral), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Prograf, Protopic)
• medicines that prevent heart rhythm problems such as disopyramide (Norpace), mexiletine (Mexitil), and quinidine
• medicines to treat erectile dysfunction such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra)
• methadone (Dolophine)
• quinine
• theophylline
• thyroid medicines such as levothyroxine (Levothroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid), liothyronine (Cytomel, Triostat), and liotrix (Thyrolar)
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin, imipramine (Tofranil), and nortriptyline (Pamelor)
• warfarin (Coumadin)

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medicine.

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.

How should I store this medicine?

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.