Clofazimine (Oral)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 29, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Lamprene

Uses for clofazimine

Clofazimine is used together with other medicines to treat a form of leprosy (also known as Hansen's disease), called lepromatous leprosy, including dapsone-resistant lepromatous leprosy, and lepromatous leprosy complicated by erythema nodosum leprosum. Lepromatous leprosy is a more severe and contagious form of the disease, has widespread skin bumps and rashes (multibacillary leprosy), numbness, and muscle weakness, and may also affect body organs (eg, nose, kidneys, male reproductive organs).

Clofazimine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using clofazimine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For clofazimine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to clofazimine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of clofazimine in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of clofazimine in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving clofazimine.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking clofazimine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using clofazimine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Bepridil
• Cisapride
• Dronedarone
• Levoketoconazole
• Mesoridazine
• Pimozide
• Piperaquine
• Saquinavir
• Sparfloxacin
• Terfenadine
• Thioridazine
• Ziprasidone

Using clofazimine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Alfuzosin
• Amiodarone
• Amisulpri...