posted
My child is about to start Rifampin 150 mg twice a day for Bart (barely 85 pounds). Any concerns I should be aware of, i.e., ototoxic, anxiety, tendon issues, etc.?
Did this combo help eliminate Lyme and/or co-infection-induced headache or striae or body aches?
How long before improvement was seen?
She is also continuing on Zithromax and Minocycline--yicks, so many drugs! Does this sound like a good combo for Bart or too much?
She can't swallow pills, so we compound the meds into capsules, open them, and mix them with food for her to take.
Can Rifampin be mixed with Zith and Mino and given at the same time?
Any dairy, sun, or lying down concerns with Rif? (I'm already careful about all of the above because of the Zith and Mino but not sure if the same applies to the Rif?
Parents: Any success with this combo for your child? Did your child tolerate it well?
Thanks for any input.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
Rifamin makes urine turn dark. Orange almost brown.
I had emotion herxs first week, bawled at everything. The Meir Kat Manor commercials on Animal Planet was one of my triggers.
Posts: 2675 | From ct, usa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
I just had a lot of dizziness and nausea for the first week.
And yes, orange urine is also side effect, and my paperwork said if you wear soft coontacts, they can be permanently stained.
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
So it made you weepy? Did you feel weepy before prior to adding meds, i.e., was Lyme & co causing emotional symptoms?
My daughter's mood has been great through most of this--unbelievably strong and positive with only occasional bouts of "when will I ever feel well again?" and a bit of OCD--but for the most part, she's been phenomenal.
I'm concerned that the Rifampin will change her personality or make her depressed--when she was on Mepron, it really effected her.
Anyone else experience this side effect on Rifampin?
(Thanks for the heads up on the urine color change. One less thing to freak out about!)
I guess I will just have to wait and see her response.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Random things about rifampin that the slip that comes with it should tell you.
1. If possible take it on an empty stomach
2. Rifampin lowers the effectiveness of other drugs - for example sleeping pills might not work as well.
3. Can lower white blood cell count. Need to get regular blood tests, but I imagine you are already doing that.
When I first started it I had insomnia. It passed. I also had increased agitation, which also passed. If your daughter isn't having these problems they may not appear.
Yes, it turns urine and bowel movement orange. On the plus side you don't have to wonder if you have taken your medicine, all you have to do is look in the toilet.
Kathy
-------------------- Severe neurological problems. Probably sick for years. Became chronically sick in Aug 2007. Undiagnosed for another 15 months. Started treatment for lyme and bart Sept. 2008. Improving, but very slowly. Posts: 515 | From washington dc | Registered: Aug 2008
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tickbattler
Unregistered
posted
Venus -
Do you recall how long the agitation lasted? One of my 5 year old twins has been on it for 2 months now and I am not seeing any improvement in his hiper, agitated behavior or his OCD symptoms. It has actually gotten a bit worse. I was hoping to see a change for the better by now.
My other twin boy started it about the same time and he got worse initially, (rages, tantrums, anger) but after about 5 to 6 weeks, he started making a turnaround. Now after 10 weeks, he smiles much of the time and his anger and rages are almost completely gone.
Momwithhope - with regard to the physical symptoms of muscle pain that my second twin had, they went away almost immediately after starting the rifampin. He did wet his bed twice during the first month, which I think was a herx. The psych issues took longer, as I mentioned above.
Also, I give it to my boys about an hour before breakfast and dinner. I open the capsules and mix them in applesauce. They haven't complained of any side effects, but they did seem more tired that first week on it.
posted
I've been on Rif for just over a month. The first couple of weeks were rough -- major anxiety, anger, neuro symptom increase, confusion, brain fog. It also turned my urine orange.
I take it with Mino, Zith, Mepron and Diflucan. My LLMD said nothing about it effecting these drugs, but that doesn't mean it doesn't.
I think most drugs are inhibited by dairy so I try to take it away from this. I also take it, as much as possible, on an empty stomach.
After maybe 3 weeks things settled down a bit and I seem to be on an even keel with the anxiety, anger, etc. The urine thing seems to come and go now.
The only other thing I can add is that if I take it too close to some of my supplements, it gives me wicked, and I mean WICKED, heartburn. Feels like someone dumped a bucket of acid in my stomach. Not sure which supp it reacts with, but I thought that was important to note.
posted
Those of you who experienced anxiety and confusion, did you have these symptoms prior to the Rifampin and the Rifampin just increased those symptoms? Or were these symptoms new to you with starting the Rifampin?
My daughter currently doesn't have those symptoms and am hoping she won't get them with starting Rifampin.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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ukcarry
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 18147
posted
Yes, my urine turned orange too and I had increased muscle pain, especially shoulder and back ache,so much so that LLMD had me stop for a week and reintroduce every other day for a while.
I eventually developed a strong allergic hives response to it in combination with Tinidazole and Azithromycin [don't think it was the Azithro].
Some people, however, have no problems with it and find it v.helpful, so hope she's one of them,
posted
My 12yo son has been on Rifampin for a few months now, and it has been a good drug for him. He had a moderate herx for about a week after starting, and has had continual improvement since then. No stomach upset, no abnormal blood chemistry.
I think that overall, Rifampin tends to be one of the better tolerated abx with fewer side effects than most. That being said, some people have a poor reaction - but I think they are milder and less frequent than with an abx like doxy.
I was actually a little hestitant to start him on Rifampin since the way it works is a bit unsettling to me - it actually has the same action on humans as it does on bacteria, just at a much lower effectiveness.
Posts: 263 | From Capital Region, NY, USA | Registered: Jun 2008
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linky123
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19974
posted
My son and I are both on rifampin. My son also takes bactrim. He has shown no real side effects except some difficult, oppositional behavior, which he has had in the past.
Now it just seems a little worse... a side effect of the rifampin, I don't know. It's only been a few weeks, so hard to tell yet if it's working.
I have had some bad diarrhea with it, but no other problems, this is a common problem for me with lots of meds. Does anyone know if rifampin is given as an IV or injection?
We try to drink lots of distilled water with it, which tones down the orange urine and problems with contacts. Thanks.
Linky
Posts: 2607 | From Hooterville | Registered: Apr 2009
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I've had to get the Rifampin compounded due to some of the commercial brands containing dairy, which my daughter can't have.
Anyway, we pick it up tomorrow from the pharmacist and will probably start on Wednesday.
It has been prescribed as 150 mg twice a day, but I may just start with one capsule a day for the first couple of days just to see how she does.
Hopefully that won't cause bacterial resistance, etc.
(The pharmacist said that Rifampin is processed through the liver versus the Mino, which is through the kidneys. I couldn't really understand what she said about the Zith--seemed to be a whole different process, i.e., through the tissues?--I don't know, but any advice for kidney support?)
Amanda: You mentioned that giving it with food may reduce the absorption of it by 40%? I wonder if that is the case for the Zith and Mino too? And that is why I'm not seeing as good a response to these meds as we had hoped?
I'm torn now as to what to do. My daughter has a very sensitive stomach so we have had to give ALL her meds AFTER her meals, i.e., on a full stomach. Plus they are mixed in with pearsauce since she doesn't swallow pills.
I hate to think that she won't be getting the full benefit of these meds, but I also don't want her stomach becoming an issue. She seems to be handling the meds, at least GI wise, good right now. I will have to think about this issue.
tcw wrote: "...is a bit unsettling to me - it actually has the same action on humans as it does on bacteria, just at a much lower effectiveness." Just wondering if you could explain this a bit more, i.e., as to what it is that it is doing--I probably will be sorry I asked this, but I am a "rather know than not know" type of person.
Thanks again everyone. I am still nervous about her starting this, but I will keep you posted.
Posts: 648 | From northeast | Registered: Feb 2009
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