A medicine for leprosy and drug-resistant tuberculosis
Clofazimine
A specialist medicine used as part of combination treatment for leprosy and drug-resistant tuberculosis, well known for turning the skin reddish-brown.
What is Clofazimine?
Clofazimine is a specialist medicine used as part of combination treatment for leprosy and, alongside other medicines, for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Its most characteristic effect is that it gradually turns the skin, and sometimes urine, sweat and other secretions, a reddish-brown colour; this is usually reversible but can take many months to fade after stopping. It can also cause stomach and tummy problems and, less commonly, affect the heart's rhythm (the QT interval). It is always used as part of a combination, under specialist supervision, and the full course must be completed.
Education and reference only. This is a plain-language guide to Clofazimine — it deliberately contains no doses. Doses depend on the person, the brand and the reason for treatment, and belong with your prescriber. Always check the BNF, the product labelling (SmPC) and follow medical advice.
What it is
Clofazimine is a specialist antimycobacterial medicine, meaning it works against the family of bacteria that cause leprosy and tuberculosis. It is used as part of combination treatment for leprosy, where it is one of the standard medicines, and it is also used together with other medicines to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis. It is taken by mouth, usually for a long time, and is always used alongside other drugs rather than on its own, to prevent resistance. Because of this and its distinctive effects, it is prescribed and supervised by a specialist team.
How it works
Clofazimine acts against mycobacteria, the bacteria that cause leprosy and tuberculosis, and it also has an effect that helps calm inflammation, which can be useful in some leprosy reactions. Because it builds up and stays in the body's fatty tissues and skin for a long time, it works slowly and steadily, which is part of why treatment lasts many months and why its reddish-brown colouring of the skin develops gradually and lingers after stopping. It is always combined with other medicines so the bacteria are attacked in more than one way, reducing the chance of resistance.
Company & origin
Originated / developed by: Specialist manufacturer.
A specialist medicine used in the UK as part of treatment for leprosy and, in combination, for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Practical use
How to take Clofazimine
General, dose-free guidance — always follow your prescriber's and the leaflet's specific instructions.
- Take it by mouth as prescribed, with food, which helps it be absorbed and reduces stomach upset.
- Expect a gradual reddish-brown colouring of the skin and secretions, and know this usually fades slowly after stopping.
- Take it as part of the full combination of medicines and complete the whole course, even when you feel better.
- Report severe or ongoing tummy pain, nausea or diarrhoea promptly.
- Tell your team about any heart-rhythm problems or other medicines that affect the heart rhythm.
Weighing it up
Advantages & disadvantages of Clofazimine
Advantages
- An effective part of combination treatment for leprosy and for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
- Also helps calm inflammation in some leprosy reactions.
- Taken by mouth, which is convenient for long courses.
Disadvantages
- Gradually turns the skin and secretions reddish-brown, which fades only slowly after stopping.
- Commonly causes tummy and gut problems, which can occasionally be serious.
- Can affect the heart's rhythm and must always be used with other medicines.
Practical use
Good to know
The most striking thing about clofazimine is that it gradually turns the skin a reddish-brown or darker colour, and can tint the urine, sweat, tears and other secretions; this is expected, usually reversible, but can take many months to a few years to fade fully after the medicine is stopped, and some people find it distressing. The next most important points are that it commonly causes tummy and gut problems, such as pain, nausea or diarrhoea, which can occasionally be serious because the drug can collect in the gut wall, and that it can affect the heart's electrical rhythm (the QT interval), so the team may check this and review other medicines that do the same. It is always used as part of a combination, the full course must be finished even when symptoms improve, and it is best taken with food.
Who should not take it / use with caution
- People who have had a serious allergic reaction to clofazimine should not take it.
- It is used with caution in people with heart-rhythm problems or those on medicines that affect the QT interval.
- It is used with care in people with ongoing tummy or bowel problems and in liver problems, under specialist guidance.
Monitoring
- Reviewing how the infection responds over the long course of treatment.
- Watching for severe tummy or gut symptoms.
- Checking the heart's rhythm where appropriate and reviewing other medicines.
Side effects
- A gradual reddish-brown colouring of the skin, and tinting of urine, sweat and tears.
- Tummy pain, nausea, diarrhoea or other gut upset, which can occasionally be severe.
- Dry skin and itching, and less commonly changes in the heart's rhythm (the QT interval).
Key interactions
- Medicines that affect the heart's QT interval should be reviewed when taking clofazimine.
- Tell your team about all your medicines, including other tuberculosis or leprosy treatments.
- Taking it with food affects how it is absorbed, so follow the advice you are given.
Available as: Capsules taken by mouth.
Answers
Clofazimine: frequently asked questions
What is clofazimine used for?
It is used as part of combination treatment for leprosy and, together with other medicines, for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Why does it turn my skin a different colour?
Clofazimine gradually turns the skin and secretions reddish-brown because it builds up in the body's tissues; this is usually reversible but fades only slowly after stopping.
Will the colour go away?
Yes, it usually fades after the medicine is stopped, but this can take many months to a few years because the drug lingers in the body.
Why must I take it with other medicines?
It is always used as part of a combination so the bacteria are attacked in more than one way, which reduces the chance of resistance.
Does it affect the heart?
It can affect the heart's electrical rhythm (the QT interval), so your team may check this and review other medicines that do the same.
Authoritative sources
- BNF
- NICE CKS
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