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Rifampin - anyone take with food?

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Posted 9/8/2015 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
I know Rifampin is prescribe to be taken on empty stomach. I'm having trouble with that.

Is it something we can ignore - like the doxy - it's usually prescribe to be taken on mt stomach, but we ignore that...and take with food.

Also, if I take it with just a small amount of food...ie a few bites...is that any different than a whole meal?
I am finding with just a few bites of food, it is okay.

It's not actually affecting my stomach, but my esophagus...getting a bit of burning, and phlegm from it.


Hoping that taking it with food doesn't render it useless....
Posted 9/8/2015 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
Girlie,

Do whatever you can more easily tolerate. My Doc said "so what if you loose 3 or 4% dosage" by taking it with food.
Posted 9/8/2015 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
My LLMD told me to never take any of the abx he prescribed without food, regardless of what the bottle says. I always take my Rifampin with food, as well as my tetracycline and tindamax. I know it is definitely getting absorbed because all my bodily fluids look like orange kool-aid, lol! Rifampin always makes me nauseous even with food. I don't think I would be able to stomach it without food.
Posted 9/8/2015 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks tickbite! So, it's not 'awash' - just losing a little bit of it....and maybe since I'm only taking a bite or two of food...I won't lose much.

Phew! I was really stressing over this. I took a day off yesterday because the phlegm, bit of burning...etc. was just too much.

I think it's doing 'something' already, though, and I've only been on it since mid August (and full dose for a few days)...my symptoms are feeling a bit different - so....hoping this is 'the one'...lol
Posted 9/8/2015 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Teejay - I know - my pee is orange, so it's getting absorbed.
But, someone posted on here once if your other is orange (from the bowels) then it means it's not getting properly absorbed...so I guess I will check that out.

So, that's two Dr.'s saying with food is okay...great...I feel better!
Posted 9/8/2015 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe take it with a food that is absorbed like a couple crackers? For me personally I only take it with out food on an empty stomach. It doesn't turn my pee the orangish red color if I take it with food ... Instead it just turns my poops red which is not what I want. I find rifampin has a strong binding affinity with food. Also if my poop goes red my pee doesn't get very orange.

I also find it's more effective against my symptoms taken without food. I take all my abx without food now and I stomach them all fine like that. I even did the 3000 mg amoxicillin on an empty stomach. I think ceftin is the only one I need to take with food.
Posted 9/8/2015 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
LP - I thought I'd be reading a post from you on this...lol.

So, my pee is orange-ish - so that's good.
Posted 9/8/2015 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
I have been wondering the same thing! For the first 3 weeks or so, my urine was a red color even when taking with food but it seems to have gone back yellow recently even though I am not doing anything different. Is it possible your body gets used to and diminishes this side effect?

I am very concerned with protecting my gut so have not really tried without food.
Posted 9/8/2015 10:45 PM (GMT 0)
Girlie, I always took it with food as per directions of Dr. H.
Good luck with it!
T.
Posted 9/8/2015 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the responses!

Wonder - my pee is orange, not red....I wonder if that means anything?

Trishums - is that THE Dr. H.?
Posted 9/8/2015 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
I always read it could turn urine orange.

Yes, it is him. I was VERY lucky to get in there 3 years ago (somehow an appt opened with his PA) . . . and have counted my blessings since. I was on a steep downward spiral as I had been with another doc who was completely UNDERTREATING me and I was just getting sicker.
I think that bad experience (with doc #1) is at least part of the reason I have been so hysterical about my niece getting aggressive enough treatment early on . . .
Good luck with rifampin!!
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