# My Story with Xifaxan



## Guest (Jun 20, 2017)

I've been suffering from IBS symptoms since I was about 16 or so. The worst of the symptoms being diarrhea (hence I'm on this subsection).

I am now 23 and for the past year or two, it has been getting worse, so I've been now actively searching for some solutions. I first tried changing my diet but the diarrhea still seemed to come out of nowhere, whether it be from potatoes or just groats or kasha. I then started taking probiotics which only seemed to help a bit, and eventually started other things like psyllium and L-glutamine, psyllium proving a bit effective.

Anyway, fast forward a couple months and I got a respiratory infection. The doctor prescribed me antibiotics and guess what? I had the best bowel movements in years. I then assumed that it must have been SIBO.

I then went to my doctor with the news and she prescribed me Xifaxan and during the treatment (I accidentally got the dosage confused for the first week and took a lower MG than required), I felt great and had solid movements. It didn't matter what I ate. I tolerated pretty much everything fine.

It's now been a couple days since the treatment and diarrhea has come back from eating simple things like bread with cheese and meat (which didn't bother me during the treatment). Oh, it's worth mentioning that I've been taking probiotics since the end of my treatment, and I was wondering: could the probiotics be to blame? Is it risky to not take probiotics after Xifaxan?

I'm at a crossroads and not sure what to do. If Xifaxan made me feel good, then my problem must be SIBO, so then I must ask myself: what is the best treatment for SIBO?

I thought I'd share my story. All the best.


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## JeffR (Jan 20, 2017)

I seem to be experiencing similar issues (not sure if I have SIBO). But I just finished Xifaxan and was having better bowels in the beginning (actually too good, almost constipated). Toward the end of my 2-week treatment I started getting loose bowels again (my doc told me to take probiotics after I finish xifaxan).

3rd day on phillips colon health and am starting to see an improvement (I was getting afternoon flare-ups before xifaxan, now i'm just getting looser bowels each morning and don't go for the rest of the day...this morning's was better formed than earlier this week).

Been having GI issues since November 2016 (after an extreme stomach virus)


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

That's the question that many of us are struggling with - how to treat SIBO?

Xifaxan has been the only thing to really help me in any meaningful way but I still cannot digest anything really and struggle with diarrhea and cramps daily. I have tried the cycle three times now of antibiotic and then probiotic and it always makes things worse. I have not yet tried VSL 3 but may consider doing so. The third time I took Xifaxan I didn't follow it up with a probiotic and still within a few weeks my symptoms were pretty bad again.

I am fairly confident my upper and lower GI tracts are all out of balance with bacteria but am at a loss to how to rectify this. Probiotics have not helped and my FMT didn't help either so I'm struggling to answer this question meaningfully. Long term antibiotics don't seem like a good or reasonable idea. And the herbal antibiotics induce too many side effects for me to tolerate.


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## Akn1965 (Jan 13, 2017)

Though Xifaxan is recommended for ibs-d it can't work in case of many people.I tried it two times with failure.
Mellosphere,
Vsl3 could not work for me. I took it for 1and1/2months.it is designed also to alleviate constipation.
Thanks.


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

Akn1965 said:


> Though Xifaxan is recommended for ibs-d it can't work in case of many people.I tried it two times with failure.
> Mellosphere,
> Vsl3 could not work for me. I took it for 1and1/2months.it is designed also to alleviate constipation.
> Thanks.


Thank you Akn. Disappointing news but as i expected.


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## Akn1965 (Jan 13, 2017)

mellosphere,
if you want to try Vsl3 you should also take saccharomyces boulardii with it.it gives a good result. But both are very expensive.So I gave up it.
Have you ever taken ginger?
I want try codeine for my abdominal pain.
What's your opinion about codeine.
Thanks.


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

My doctor has not allowed me to take codeine or else i would have tried it. I have tried s. boulardii but did not have a good experience. I also have tried ginger but it gives me heartburn. If i need something to settle my guts i prefer peppermint but if i take it consistently it loses its effectiveness.


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## Rboe (Mar 26, 2017)

Here is a diet designed to help SIBO. http://sibodietrecipes.com/the-sibo-diet/

I have done a lot of reading on IBS and SIBO and such. So far I think I have read only one story where the person was treated with Xifaxin and then was cured. I am sure there are others but Every other story is the antibiotics helped only while taking them, then the symptoms just came back.

I am being tested for SIBO today. I plan to use the diet along with antibiotics if I am positive. I am working with a naturopath.


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

So what does a person do if every single thing except meat causes me more cramps/diarrhea/insomnia on these diets? That's what i don't get. My body hates food at all times and of any consistency.


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## Akn1965 (Jan 13, 2017)

I have the same experience.A few foods are suitable for me.meat can't do with me. Fish,mutton,milk,egg, curd, ghee are my prohibited foods.
Thanks.


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## grchap1 (Oct 2, 2017)

Sorry if this is not relevant here. Is drowsiness normal with xifaxan? I have lot of bloating, pain and constipation and weight loss. So doctor started me on xifaxan for the past 3 days. Today I feel little drowsy the whole day and also the stool seems to dark green. Doctor said dark green stool is normal.

Is drowsiness normal with xifaxan?


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## mellosphere (Sep 22, 2015)

Yes it is easy to feel overwhelmed when taking xifaxan in my experience


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