Drug & supplement interaction

Taurine + Rifabutin

Rifabutin brand name: Mycobutin.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Taurine and Rifabutin in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Rifabutin states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Taurine and Rifabutin

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Rifabutin and Taurine in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Taurine safety at a glance

Taurine overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term in healthy adults, but long-term safety is less certain.
Pregnancy Likely Safe When used in amounts found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of taurine when used in medicinal amounts during preg... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Safe When used in amounts found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of taurine when used in medicinal amounts during preg... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Rifabutin and Taurine? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Rifabutin

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Rifabutin is filed under 4 classifications — including cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inducers, antibiotic drugs, cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) substrates. Taurine has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — the most serious being antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and lithium (moderate) — and none of Rifabutin’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Taurine Does Interact With Other Medications

Taurine has 173 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Rifabutin isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 173 No known interaction 2,657 (incl. Rifabutin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Taurine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Taurine. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Taurine and Rifabutin May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Chest pain Worth acting on Additional detail

    Taurine

    “Changes in heart rate and increased blood pressure have been reported following the co-administration of taurine and caffeine, although the effects of taurine alone are unclear. In healthy individuals, consumption of energy drinks containing taurine increased platelet aggregation and decreased endothelial function.”

    Taurine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cardiac arrest.

    5 sources cited
    1. 77088. Bichler, A., Swenson, A., and Harris, M. A. A combination of caffeine and taurine has no effect on short term memory but induces changes in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure. Amino Acids 2006;31(4):471-476. PubMed
    2. 77151. Worthley, M. I., Prabhu, A., De, Sciscio P., Schultz, C., Sanders, P., and Willoughby, S. R. Detrimental effects of energy drink consumption on platelet and endothelial function. Am J Med 2010;123(2):184-187. PubMed
    3. 112268. Higgins JP, Liras GN, Liras IN, et al. Energy Drink Effects on Hemodynamics and Endothelial Function in Young Adults. Cardiology. 2021;146(2):258-262. PubMed
    4. 112741. Pallangyo P, Bhalia SV, Komba M, et al. Acute Myocardial Infarction Following the Consumption of Energy Drink in a 28-Year-Old Male: A Case Report. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2023 Jan-Dec;11:23247096231168811. PubMed
    5. 77136. Berger, A. J. and Alford, K. Cardiac arrest in a young man following excess consumption of caffeinated "energy drinks". Med J Aust. 1-5-2009;190(1):41-43. PubMed

    Rifabutin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Rifabutin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Fever / Vomiting reported in 5.6% of FDA reports for Rifabutin Additional detail

    Taurine

    “In clinical research, taurine reduced platelet aggregation. A case of massive intravascular hemolysis, presenting with confusion, dark urine, dyspnea, emesis, and fever, has been reported following the administration of a naturopathic vitamin infusion containing taurine, free amino acids, magnesium, and a vitamin B and D complex. However, the effects of taurine alone are unclear.”

    Taurine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in fever.

    2 sources cited
    1. 77245. Franconi, F., Bennardini, F., Mattana, A., Miceli, M., Ciuti, M., Mian, M., Gironi, A., Anichini, R., and Seghieri, G. Plasma and platelet taurine are reduced in subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: effects of taurine supplementation. Am.J. DOI
    2. 77177. Livshits, Z., Hoffman, R. S., Hymes, K. B., and Nelson, L. S. If vitamins could kill: massive hemolysis following naturopathic vitamin infusion. J Med Toxicol. 2011;7(3):224-226. PubMed

    Rifabutin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Rifabutin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Stomach upset Additional detail

    Taurine

    “Orally, constipation has been reported following the administration of taurine. Dyspepsia has also been reported after oral taurine use.”

    Taurine · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    2 sources cited
    1. 77231. Darling, P. B., Lepage, G., Leroy, C., Masson, P., and Roy, C. C. Effect of taurine supplements on fat absorption in cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Res 1985;19(6):578-582. PubMed
    2. 104165. Jang ES, Hwang SH, Kim JW, Jeong SH. Effectiveness of 4-week oral taurine treatment for muscle cramps in patients with liver cirrhosis: a single-arm pilot study. Yonsei Med J 2021;62(1):21-8. PubMed

    Rifabutin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Rifabutin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Diarrhea Additional detail

    Taurine

    Recorded for Taurine in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Stomach upset above.

    Rifabutin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Rifabutin. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Taurine but not commonly for Rifabutin: raised blood pressure, a heart attack, shortness of breath and an allergic reaction.

Effects for Rifabutin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Taurine come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 2,836 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Rifabutin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Taurine in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Safe

When used in amounts found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of taurine when used in medicinal amounts during pregnancy and lactation; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

How to take them

Some Rifabutin Products Have a Food Rule — Taurine Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Rifabutin says to take it with food. If you take Taurine on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Rifabutin with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Rifabutin products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

For those patients with propensity to nausea, vomiting, or other gastrointestinal upset, administration of rifabutin at doses of 150 mg twice daily taken with food may be useful.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Rifabutin — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

From our Q&A

Questions About Taurine or Rifabutin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Taurine or Rifabutin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Rifabutin

This page covers Taurine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Rifabutin page lists 180 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 136 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Rifabutin page

“Most people on rifabutin (Mycobutin) are treating or preventing serious mycobacterial infections like MAC or tuberculosis, often for months at a time, and this list deserves a careful read before adding a single capsule. Of the 180 supplements with an interaction on file, three carry a major rating, and all three can shift rifabutin's…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Rifabutin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Taurine as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 6,304 real supplement products containing Taurine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Taurine. Even though Taurine itself has no known interaction with Rifabutin, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Taurine and Rifabutin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Taurine
Top 5%

#34 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Rifabutin
Top half

#1,014 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Taurine reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Taurine and Rifabutin records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Taurine

What is Taurine?

  • Exercise performance and endurance
  • Heart health
  • Energy support
  • Eye and nerve health
  • Blood sugar support

Taurine is an amino acid your body makes naturally and that you also get from animal foods. It is widely used in energy drinks and sports supplements, and short-term use appears generally safe for most adults, though the evidence for many claimed benefits is mixed or limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before taking it regularly, especially if you have a health condition or take medications.

Amino acid (made in the body; also found in meat, fish, and shellfish) · Capsules, tablets, powder, energy drinks, pre-workout blends

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Taurine is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Taurine record says about it on its own.

Taurine: dosing

There is no single official recommended dose of taurine, and a standardized dose has not been firmly established for most uses. Amounts used in studies have varied widely.If you choose to take taurine, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed them.

From our Taurine monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Taurine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Rifabutin

What Is Rifabutin Used For?

Brand name: Mycobutin

Rifabutin capsules are used to prevent disseminated MAC (Mycobacterium avium complex) disease — a serious bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body — in patients with advanced HIV infection.

It is not approved to treat active tuberculosis (TB), and it must not be used alone in patients who have active TB, as this can lead to antibiotic resistance.

See full Rifabutin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Taurine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Taurine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
173Moderate
0Minor
2,656No known interaction
173 Moderate 2,656 No interaction
Moderate

173 interactions

Showing 60 of 173 moderate interactions — see all 173 on the Taurine page.

No interaction 2,656 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Taurine against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,656 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Taurine list.

See the full Taurine interactions page
See every supplement checked against Rifabutin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Taurine References

The 21 references that drive our Taurine monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Ahmad S, Robertson HT, Golper TA, et al. Multicenter trial of L-carnitine in maintenance hemodialysis patients. II. Clinical and biochemical effects. Kidney Int 1990;38:912-8. PubMed
  2. Machado-Vieira R, Viale CI, Kapczinski F. Mania associated with an energy drink: the possible role of caffeine, taurine, and inositol. Can J Psychiatry 2001;46:454-5. PubMed
  3. Obermann M, Schorn CF, Mummel P, et al. Taurine induced toxic encephalopathy? Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2006;108:812-3. PubMed
  4. Bichler, A., Swenson, A., and Harris, M. A. A combination of caffeine and taurine has no effect on short term memory but induces changes in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure. Amino Acids 2006;31(4):471-476. PubMed
  5. Iyadurai, S. J. and Chung, S. S. New-onset seizures in adults: possible association with consumption of popular energy drinks. Epilepsy Behav 2007;10(3):504-508. PubMed
  6. Berger, A. J. and Alford, K. Cardiac arrest in a young man following excess consumption of caffeinated "energy drinks". Med J Aust. 1-5-2009;190(1):41-43. PubMed
  7. Worthley, M. I., Prabhu, A., De, Sciscio P., Schultz, C., Sanders, P., and Willoughby, S. R. Detrimental effects of energy drink consumption on platelet and endothelial function. Am J Med 2010;123(2):184-187. PubMed
  8. Morchon, Simon D. and Perez Castrillon, J. L. [Hypoglycemia by intake of taurine]. Rev.Clin Esp. 2010;210(1):49.
  9. Livshits, Z., Hoffman, R. S., Hymes, K. B., and Nelson, L. S. If vitamins could kill: massive hemolysis following naturopathic vitamin infusion. J Med Toxicol. 2011;7(3):224-226. PubMed
  10. Schoffl, I., Kothmann, J. F., Schoffl, V., Rupprecht, H. D., and Rupprecht, T. "Vodka energy": too much for the adolescent nephron? Pediatrics 2011;128(1):e227-e231. PubMed
  11. Calabro, R. S., Italiano, D., Gervasi, G., and Bramanti, P. Single tonic-clonic seizure after energy drink abuse. Epilepsy Behav 2012;23(3):384-385. PubMed
  12. Fujita, T., Ando, K., Noda, H., Ito, Y., and Sato, Y. Effects of increased adrenomedullary activity and taurine in young patients with borderline hypertension. Circulation 1987;75(3):525-532. PubMed
  13. Darling, P. B., Lepage, G., Leroy, C., Masson, P., and Roy, C. C. Effect of taurine supplements on fat absorption in cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Res 1985;19(6):578-582. PubMed
  14. Fukuyama, Y. and Ochiai, Y. Therapeutic trial by taurine for intractable childhood epilepsies. Brain Dev. 1982;4(1):63-69. PubMed
  15. Franconi, F., Bennardini, F., Mattana, A., Miceli, M., Ciuti, M., Mian, M., Gironi, A., Anichini, R., and Seghieri, G. Plasma and platelet taurine are reduced in subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: effects of taurine supplementation. Am.J. DOI

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Taurine and Rifabutin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Taurine with Rifabutin?
We do not list a known interaction between Taurine and Rifabutin. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Taurine and Rifabutin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 5 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Taurine and Rifabutin at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Rifabutin says to take it with food. If you take Taurine on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Rifabutin with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Rifabutin products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Taurine and Rifabutin combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Rifabutin is filed under 4 classifications, and Taurine has documented interactions with 2 drug classes — none of Rifabutin's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Taurine interact with any other medications?
Yes. Taurine has 173 documented drug interactions in our database — Rifabutin is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Rifabutin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Rifabutin has documented interactions with 180 supplements in our database — Taurine is not one of them. The Rifabutin interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Taurine monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Rifabutin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Rifabutin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Rifabutin, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 21 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Rifabutin and Taurine?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.