Case:
Recently, I witnessed a female patient in her second visit to a private clinic for Typhoid Fever. The patient had shown increased improvement with her symptoms but maintained a slight elevation in her oral temperature. The doctor decides to prescribe her two 300mg tablets of Rifampin per day for ten days, to be used in conjunction with two other medications that were unfamiliar. A 300 mg tablet of Rifampin, which is originally used for Tuberculosis (TB), is a very large amount to be consumed at once for a fever.
The doctor advised this patient to take two tablets of Rifampin each morning. I expressed to the patient that I personally thought, without any real medical degree, that this dosage is double what it should be and that the drug interactions were probably something she should look into. Upon this advice, the patient cut her dosage by half and stayed clear of drug interactions. Today, the patient has shown extreme improvement.
Side Effects:
If the patient had overdosed on Rifampin, she could have been faced with some extreme side effects, including but not limited to:
Allergic Reactions
Difficulty Breathing
Tightness in the Chest
Swelling of the Mouth, Face, Lips, or Tongue
Dark Urination
Decreased Urination
Chills
Fevers
Persistent Sore THroat
General Feeling of Discomfort
Joint Pain/Swelling
Loss of Appetite
Mental/Mood Changes
Nausea
Vomiting
Severe Stomach Pain
Unusual Bruising/Bleeding
Vision Changes
Wheezing
Yellowing of Eyes/Skin
Other Severe Effects:
It is also very important to note that Rifampin injections can have gastrointestinal effects in heartburn, epigastric distress, anorexia, vomiting, jaundice, flatulence, cramps, and diarrhea. The Rifampin injection can result in Hepatitis or abnormal liver function.
If Rifampin isn't supervised well through daily therapy, Thrombocytopenia is likely to occur, as well as cerebral hemorrhages and other hematologic fatalities.
Rifampin has also been noted to cause ataxia, fatigue, dizziness, inability to concentrate, mental confusion, behavioral changes, pains in extremities, and generalized numbness, as well as other effects on the Central Nervous System (CNS). Visual and menstrual disturbances have also been observed in female patients that use Rifampin.
Many Renal, Dermatologic, and Hypersensitivity reactions have been observed as well.
Recommended Medications for Typhoid Fever:
If you are experiencing Typhoid Fever, most health professionals in more developed nations will recommend Ciprofloxacin, Azithromycin/Zithromax/ZMax, Ceftriaxone, Cipro I.V., Cipro XR, Principen/Ampicillin.
Preventing Typhoid Fever:
To prevent Typhoid Fever, I recommend that you receive a vaccine if you plan to travel outside of the United States, Canada, northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. However, immunization is not always effective. Therefore, at-risk travelers should drink boiled and bottled water and eat well cook food.
