Atovaquone/Rifabutin; Rifampin
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Rifabutin and rifampin speed up how quickly your liver processes atovaquone. Atovaquone slows down how quickly your liver processes rifabutin and rifampin.
What might happen:
The levels of atovaquone in your blood may be decreased, which can cause atovaquone not to work. The levels of rifabutin and rifampin in your blood may increase and cause more side effects than normal.
What you should do about this interaction:
Make sure that your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together. Your doctor may want to consider changing one or both of the medicines or closely monitor how well each medicine is working.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
References:
1.Mepron (atovaquone) US prescribing information. GlaxoSmithKline November, 2006.
2.Malarone (atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride) US prescribing information. GlaxoSmithKline March, 2010.
