# xifaxan has made my ibs-d worse...



## 14555 (Jan 19, 2007)

Hey guys..i have been lurking this site for a while but now i need some help. i went to a doctor about my ibs-d and prescribed xifaxan for 10 days. after the first couple of days..i got a terrible attack, very painful and was completly drained. this happened to me last monday night, wedensday during the day and again this morning. i have never had this happen to me at this rate. i used to get it once a month for the most part. i know the xifaxan was supposed to kill the bad bacteria but obviously it hasnt helped. the doctor didnt give me the breath test to see if i even had sibo and didnt mention anything about taking a probiotic. i stoped taking it after day 5 because i didnt think it was helping. can anyone help me?? has this happened to anyone else?should i take probiotics? should i keep taking the xifaxan?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

One problem with antibiotics is they can kill off enough total bacteria to let a C. diff overgrowth get going which can make diarrhea a lot worse and stay worse.I know some antibiotics do this frequently, I don't know how likely it is with this one.Some antibiotics cause bad diarrhea just on their own as a side effect, I don't know if this one does.I would call the doctor to report your symptoms. This may not e the right antibiotic for you, or you might need to be tested for C.diff.K.


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## 14555 (Jan 19, 2007)

thanks so much for the response. right now i have been up since 4am and im supposed to work and i cant seem to get up and go. i will call my docotor today...


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## Nanobug (Nov 7, 2006)

> quote:i went to a doctor about my ibs-d and prescribed xifaxan for 10 days


I'd say that is a good strategy.


> quote:after the first couple of days..i got a terrible attack


It's quite normal for antibiotics to cause diarrhea attachs: it's called antibiotic-associated diarrhea. When taking antibiotics, people should take Saccharomyces boulardii. You should probably take it now to help correct whatever imbalances you have, including infection with Clostridium difficile (C. diff.)


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## 14555 (Jan 19, 2007)

thank you so much for your response. i talked to my doctor and i asked about probiotics. she said that it was her plan to give me some after i finished the xifaxan. should they have been taken at the same time?im going back to her office tuesday and i will see how i feel at that point. she might prescribe levsin, lomotil or some other stuff if i dont get any better. i stopped taking it..should i level out to pre-xifaxan state or do i need probiotics to get back to that point? (when i mean pre-xifaxan i mean not have the d attacks..i could normally regulate it with diet and a small amount of immodium.)thanks!


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## Nanobug (Nov 7, 2006)

> quote:should they have been taken at the same time?


In the case of Saccharomyces boulardii, tha answer is yes. For all the others, the answer is no.


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## 17908 (Oct 18, 2006)

I took Xifaxan for 20 days. The first 3 or 4 days I had some HARSH D attacks. My doc said it was totally normal. The attacks went away fairly quickly, and I proceeded to have good luck with the Xifaxan.


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