# On Rifaximin for week - seems to make it worse



## j390 (Jul 17, 2016)

Have Ibs for almost ten years. Bloating, pain and sometimes constipation. Recently it seems to have gotten worse, so I went back to the gastro. He wanted to try rifaximin, but the insurance wouldn't pay for it, so he gave me augmentin. Symptoms seemed to have gotten worse. In the last two months new symptoms are: constant upper bloating under ribs. Burping. A little bit of chest pain. Bones cracking all over. The worst symptom is the constant upper bloating under ribs.

Just recently I had a bunch of blood tests. Everything is normal besides b12 being a bit low. Had a ct scan. Everything was normal besides for swollen lymph nodes in the small intestine. Had a endoscopy, colonoscopy and everything was normal. Had a hydrogen glucose breath test which came back negative.
Anyways the doctors still wanted to try rifaximin. Finally the company gave it for free. So I've been taking 550mg twice per day. Symptoms seem to get worse on the rifaximin. Upper bloating, some chest pain, and constipation. I've been on it for a week, and I'm starting to think both of the antibiotics may be the cause of my worsening symptoms. I'm thinking this might be indigestion/acid reflux, which was caused by the antibiotics.

So I'm debating if I should finish the next week of rifaximin, or should I stop here?

Does it take time for the rifaximin to take affect? Does it get worse before it gets better? Or are these antibiotics really making my symptoms worse, and I should get off as soon as possible?

Any advice?


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