This rate is similar to that found in a longitudinal study of a large sample of comparable patients. Pyrazinamide, rather than rifampin, is the usual cause of rash during anti-TB treatment. If rifampin causes minor rashes and acneiform reactions, they are virtually always self-limiting or can be treated symptomatically. Rifampin sometimes causes gastritis, but this is rarely a valid reason to discontinue rifampin. 6 Methadone interaction.
Rifampin accelerates the clearance of methadone by the liver.
When patients receive this increased dose of methadone, however, they risk overdosing on methadone if they do not take the rifampin. Rifabutin Rifabutin may be better tolerated than rifampin in some patients who have experienced idiosyncratic reactions, and it also reduces interactions with other drugs, including methadone and various HIV protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. 4 Recent studies indicate that rifabutin and rifampin have equivalent in vitro antituberculosis activity and are similarly effective and safe in 6-month chemotherapy regimens. 7,8 However, rifampin remains the drug of choice when it can be used. Notes and References NYC DOH, TB Control Program.