posted
I know there are many posts about Rifampin but I have very specific questions. Currently, I take Minocycline 100 mgs twice a day. I do this when I get up and right before bed. This works for me as long as I don't take it too far away from food or my stomach gets a bit queasy. I'm planning to add Rifampin tomorrow. When is the best time to take it? With my minocycline morning and night or separated from that? Should I take it with food...the directions say on an empty stomache. What has worked best for those of you here? I also take Nystatin and probiotics but usually do those mid day so not to interfere. Lastly, I had to ramp up with the minocycline..should I do the same with the Rifampin? Thanks so much!!!
Posts: 98 | From cambridge ma | Registered: Oct 2005
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
Nicolette,
I'm on ceftin and rifampin, and one of the biggest challenges for me was the scheduling aspect of it all. I know it's most ideal to have a separation of two hours bet probiotics and antibiotics and both probiotics and rifampin should be taken on an empty stomach.
What I've ended up doing is Breakfast-- food, plus morning abx and supplements mid-morning -- rifampin Noon -- food plus supplements Mid-afternoon -- probiotics and other empty-stomach supplements
Dinner -- food plus antibiotics and supplements early evening -- rifampin night -- probiotics and any other supplements
It's not perfect this way, but it's the only solution I've been able to come up with. Maybe others will have tricks I haven't thgought about!
Good luck. Oh, and by the way, I ramped up rifampin slowly. I did have a brutal headache for about a week, but after that, I've had no side effects.
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Definitely go SLOW with the Rifampin or you'll be miserable!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
You need to take Rifampin on an empty stomach an hour away from food.
You could try:
Wake up - probiotics. Wait an hour. Take Rifampin. Wait an hour and then eat and take supllements. Take the mino an hour later.
Afternoon, take probiotics around 3. Take Rifampin an hour before dinner. Wait an hour and have dinner. Then take your mino again. Take probiotics again at bedtime.
Or take Rifampin around 8pm and probiotics at bedtime.
It can be a challenge, but using a daily pill organizer with dividers should help.
Go SLOW on the Rifampin - it's a tough one to take but extremely effective.
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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TheCrimeOfLyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4019
posted
I took Rifampin on an empty stomach and I ramped up slowly. I actually opened the capsules up and took half at first.
Rifampin crosses the bbb very easily as well as minocycline- that is one HECK of a combo you got going on there.
I didnt take my rifampin with anything else, so I cant answer about spacing it.
-------------------- You want your life back? Take it. Posts: 3169 | From Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Registered: Jun 2003
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liz28
Unregistered
posted
Take it on an empty stomach, at least three hours away from your other antibiotics if possible.
Rifampin and mino are both notorious for raising liver enzymes, so it's a good idea to pile on the liver support. It's better to splurge a little now than to be forced off antibiotics by liver problems and have to start all over.
What others said about ramping up is true. You can start slowly.
I got a lot of benefit from a supplement called vinpocetine. It might be a Buhner's herb, under the name vicamin. It increases oxygen flow to the brain, which makes your antibiotics more miserable in the short term but saves time, hopefully, in the long run.
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I am currently on Rifampin, Zithromax, Minocycline, diflucan and pulsing flagly. It certainly is a balancing act.
I also take nexuim and zofran to control nausea and reflux.
I take the nexuim one hour before taking the rifampin. I then take 600 mg of rifampin and wait one hour prior to eating breakfast. This seems to work well for me. I have been on rifampin for almost four weeks now.
At breakfast I take my other meds not mentioned here and also the zithromax, minocycline and diflucan.
At dinner I take zithromax and minocycline again. The problem I am having is by the end of the day I have great diffiuclty taking the minocycline. I have found the minocycline to be more difficult to deal with since starting rifampin.
I have not done flagyl in a month since there is no way I can tolerate that at this time. I am hoping to be able to get back on it soon since my daily fevers are going back up again and others symtoms are slowly beginning to pop up again.
I hope this is of some help. My doctor suggested I split the dose of rifampin but I decided I want to maximize the benefit of the drug and take it on an empty stomach. I did not ramp up but we are all different. The first two weeks were tough but nothing compared to past experiences when introducing new meds.
Listen to what your body is telling you. I think the pill organizer is a great idea. I certainly have found that sytem to be usefull. I even keep one organizer in my nighstand for those meds I take during the night and early hours and another pill organizer in the kitchen for meds I take with my meals.
Best Wishes, Debbie
Posts: 162 | From RI | Registered: Aug 2003
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