Understanding Rifampicin

Rifampicin, also called rifampin, is an antibiotic. It treats serious bacterial infections! It is available orally as well as intravenously. Active tuberculosis patients often take ten milligrams for every kilogram of their body weight daily! The maximum dose per day is six hundred milligrams. Most patients need this medication for six months! It is often used along with other medicines. Doctors must know about severe, persistent, or bothersome side effects.

This antibiotic is an effective tuberculosis treatment! However, patients also have other medications for tuberculosis available to them. This medication is also a strong endocarditis treatment. It is often used as a leprosy treatment as well! Of course, patients must understand how it works before they take it.

How It Works

Rifampicin is an antibiotic! In fact, it is an antimycobacterial medicine. Thus, this medication fights bacterial infections. It does so by preventing bacteria from finishing RNA synthesis! This antibiotic binds to the beta subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. This is what stops the RNA transcription process. The patient's liver absorbs this medication. When it is excreted, it is through feces!

It takes two to four hours for this medication to reach peak concentration. In healthy individuals, it has a half-life of three to four hours! However, it will stay longer in liver patients. The half-life in end-stage kidney disease patients is up to eleven hours.

Continue reading to reveal the uses for this medication next.