# Does Xifaxan Help Your Diarrhea?



## suffering (Sep 16, 2005)

I've seen reports that in the Pimentel studies, xifaxan only seems to help for bloating. They say it doesn't help diarrhea. Is that true? Anyone have IBS-D who has noticed that the xifaxan helps for diarrhea?


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

As far as i know,nobody has been cured by Rifaximin.In my case,my motility is worst.


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## mll (May 11, 2007)

Xifaxin has changed my life! Not only is the bloating gone, so is the diarrhea & stomach pain!!!!! I can't remember the last time I pooped like a normal person before taking this drug -


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## 13777 (Sep 5, 2006)

mll said:


> Xifaxin has changed my life! Not only is the bloating gone, so is the diarrhea & stomach pain!!!!! I can't remember the last time I pooped like a normal person before taking this drug -


Glad to hear it has worked for you! can you elaborate a bit about your condition before and after etc. I have tried it before but it has made me sick (as do a lot of other antibiotics) so I quit it after a couple of days. My GI is pretty sure that I am suffering from SIBO and I am too. I am getting ready to try it again along with a small daily dosage of erythromycin. About 5 years ago, I have had a part of my intestines removed which included my ileocecal valve, and so my GI thinks that now, bacteria can migrate freely from colon to small intestines and that is causing my D (unlike colon, the SI get easily iritated by bacteria). Appreciate any feedbackkc


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## 17908 (Oct 18, 2006)

Xifaxin definitely helped my diarhea. I'd say it did more for my diarhea than for bloating. However, after my 2nd 20 day regimen of Xifaxin, I'm feeling near 100%. The key is to take the Xifaxin until you definitely feel a difference. If I would have stopped after 10 days, I probably would think Xifaxin was worthless. Xifaxin has been the most important drug or treatment I've tried in the 6 or 7 years I've had IBS/SIBO/whatever. I wouldn't say I'm cured, but I'll accpet 90% cured.


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

npearcewill you have to keep taking it or are you done taking it?


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## 17908 (Oct 18, 2006)

eric said:


> npearcewill you have to keep taking it or are you done taking it?


My doc will only let me take it for up to 20 days (1200 mg per day). So I've been off it for about a month now. It seems to have helped even more than the first 20 day regimen about 6 or 7 months ago.When I'm on it for about 10 or 15 days I get to the point where I can eat absolutely anything with NO GI proglems. After the 20 day regimen I can slowly tell things bother me slightly, but nowhere near the way they used to.I wish some long term Xifaxin studies would become widely distributed. My doc is simply going off what Pimental's book says, so he's pretty reluctant to put me on it longer than 20 days.I'm also taking erythromycin for motility, although it doesn't seem to do anything when I compare it to the Zelnorm I used to be on.The Xifaxin actually works so well, that near the end of the 20 days I have to start eating more fiber to get things moving. I normally have trouble with diarhea not constipation.


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

So your actually taking two of them. Have they retested you for sibo each time?Did you have gas before and has that been effected at all now?


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## 17908 (Oct 18, 2006)

eric said:


> So your actually taking two of them. Have they retested you for sibo each time?Did you have gas before and has that been effected at all now?


I've taken 2 20 day regimens of Xifaxan . . . about 5 or 6 months apart. The second one ended about a month ago.I had terrible gas pains in the morning and after meals that bother me. The morning gas was one of my worst symptoms. Xifaxan knocked that problem back about 90% to 95%.I've never been tested for SIBO. I live in a very rural area, and I'd have to travel 4 hours to be tested. My doc thought we'd give this a try since I was text book SIBO symptoms . . . and we'd tried everything else. Whatever it is I actually have/had, Xifaxan helped.


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## mll (May 11, 2007)

I took 20 days of xifaxan and was doing wonderful (no more diarrhea, abdominal pains, etc) after about 4-5 days on the drug, but within 5 days of going off the xifaxan I was back to where I had started! I just completed a second round of 1200 mg of xifaxan and am now on indefinately on 40 mg daily - I can eat whatever I want, and experience no pains while still pooping like a normal person! I can remember the last time I felt so good!


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## kate072666 (Oct 1, 2002)

My gastro doc gave me samples of this...however i have not taken them yet. I have this fear of it not working or making me worse for some reason. I have specific phobias of meds...and especially antibiotics. I want to try them, but i am really sared...any advice?


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## 13777 (Sep 5, 2006)

mll said:


> I took 20 days of xifaxan and was doing wonderful (no more diarrhea, abdominal pains, etc) after about 4-5 days on the drug, but within 5 days of going off the xifaxan I was back to where I had started! I just completed a second round of 1200 mg of xifaxan and am now on indefinately on 40 mg daily - I can eat whatever I want, and experience no pains while still pooping like a normal person! I can remember the last time I felt so good!


I have the same fear b/c I don't react well to antibiotics. I told my doc about it. He said to start off slow(600 mg a day). Then I gradually moved up to 800 mg. Had some side effects, but not too bad. I decided to stick w/ it. I think I may have seen some improovement but now it is gone (I am on my 6th day). I want to talk to my doc about doubling dosage.be wellkc


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