Rifamycin is a non-absorbable antibiotic that is administered orally for the treatment of travellers' diarrhea.

Rifamycin Uses:

• Travellers’ diarrhea:

  • Escherichia coli noninvasive strains that cause travellers' diarrhoea in adults are the indication for its usage.

• Limitations of use:

  • It is not indicated for the treatment of infections caused by invasive pathogens, diarrhea associated with blood or fever, and diarrhea caused by strains other than noninvasive strains of E. coli.

Rifamycin Dose in Adults

Rifamycin Dose in the treatment of Travelers' diarrhea:

• 388 mg orally two times a day for 3 days

Rifamycin Dose in Childrens

Use in children is not recommended.

Pregnancy Risk Category: C

• Exposure to the fetus is unlikely because of limited systemic absorption.

Use during breastfeeding:

• Although it is not possible to determine if the drug is excreted into breast milk, there is less chance of infant exposure due to minimal systemic absorption.
• The manufacturer suggests weighing the advantages of treatment for the mother against the potential risks to the infant from drug exposure.

Dose in Renal disease:

• The manufacturer has not provided any adjustments in the dose in patients with kidney disease.
• Because of its limited systemic absorption, dosage adjustment is not necessary.

Dose in liver disease:

• The manufacturer has not provided any adjustments in the dose in patients with liver disease.
• Because of its limited systemic absorption, dosage adjustment is not necessary.

Side Effects of Rifamycin:

• Central nervous system:

  • Headache

• Gastrointestinal:

  • Constipation
  • Dyspepsia

Rare side effects of Rifamycin:

• Gastrointestinal:

  • Abdominal pain

• Miscellaneous:

  • Fever

Contraindications to Rifamycin:

• Hypersensitivity to the drug or other antimicrobial drugs in the rifamycin family, or any component of formulation

Warnings and precautions

• Superinfection
  • The prolonged use of the drug may lead to bacterial superinfections.
  • difficile infection (CDI), which causes pseudomembranous collitis, has been seen even after 2 months of not taking antibiotics.

Monitor:

• Frequency of diarrhea and blood in stools.

How to administer Rifamycin?

• It is administered orally without regard to food with a glass of water.
• The pills shouldn't be chewed, crushed, or broken into pieces and inhaled.

Mechanism of action of Rifamycin:

• Rifamycin inhibits bacteria replication by inhibiting the beta subunit of the bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Protein binding: ~80%

Bioavailability: <0.1%

Excretion: Feces: 86%

International Brands of Rifamycin:

• Aemcolo
• Arrif
• Feng Li Fu
• Gentibiot
• Lan Qi
• Mastocid
• Otofa
• Rifan Spray
• Rifocin
• Rifocina
• Rifocina Spray
• Rifocine
• Rifocyna
• Rifonat
• Xing Suo Ning

Rifamycin Brand Names in Pakistan:

No Brands Available in Pakistan.