OpenClaim

Rifampin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of rifampin include off label use, drug interaction, and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, based on 17,070 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 8.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Rifampin side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for rifampin.

1
Drug Ineffective8.6%1,474
2
Off Label Use6.8%1,163
3
Drug Interaction6.2%1,050
4
Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia And Systemic Symptoms5.4%919
5
Nausea3.8%645
6
Pyrexia3.7%626
7
Condition Aggravated3.5%589
8
Acute Kidney Injury3.2%551
9
Product Use In Unapproved Indication3.2%542
10
Vomiting2.9%496
11
Rash2.6%452
12
Drug Resistance2.6%441
13
Diarrhoea2.4%404
14
Drug Intolerance2.3%396
15
Paradoxical Drug Reaction2.3%390

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that rifampin caused these reactions.

Report severity

86.3%Serious14,732 reports
44.8%Hospitalizations7,652 reports
10.3%Fatal1,751 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Rifampin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside rifampin. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Ethambutol-hydrochloride22.0%3,750
2
Isoniazid21.3%3,632
3
Pyrazinamide16.9%2,880
4
Azithromycin7.5%1,277
5
Levofloxacin7.4%1,255
6
Amikacin-sulfate6.0%1,024
7
Vancomycin5.5%939
8
Moxifloxacin-hydrochloride4.8%824
9
Linezolid4.5%765
10
Daptomycin4.1%700
11
Clarithromycin3.4%574
12
Doxycycline3.1%526
13
Clindamycin3.0%513
14
Prednisone2.7%454
15
Ciprofloxacin2.6%436

Taken alongside

1
Ethambutol-hydrochloride14.9%2,548
2
Isoniazid10.7%1,828
3
Pyrazinamide7.9%1,342
4
Azithromycin5.9%1,000
5
Acetaminophen5.5%946
6
Prednisone4.7%802
7
Vancomycin4.5%776
8
Furosemide3.7%630
9
Aspirin3.6%621
10
Levofloxacin3.3%560
11
Albuterol3.2%554
12
Omeprazole3.2%545
13
Levothyroxine-sodium3.0%509
14
Pantoprazole-sodium2.9%498
15
Amlodipine2.8%480

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports rifampin side effects

44.4% of rifampin adverse event reports involve female patients and 46.5% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 54%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female44.4%
Male46.5%
Unknown9.1%

Age group

< 22.2%
2–113.4%
12–173.7%
18–6454.0%
65+36.8%

What is rifampin used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking rifampin when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal AbscessAbdominal InfectionAbdominal LymphadenopathyAbscessAbscess LimbAcinetobacter InfectionAcneAcne CysticAcne VarioliformisAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdrenal Gland TuberculosisAdverse EventAlcaligenes InfectionAlopecia ScarringAlpha Haemolytic Streptococcal Infection

Showing 15 of 896 indications

Rifampin brand names and reporting trend

Rifampin is sold under the brand name Rifater.

Brand names

Rifater16,329

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking rifampin with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.