Xifaxan for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea User Reviews

• Thumper
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 3, 2020

"I had terrible nausea all the time that was worse about 2 hrs after eating, my stomach would swell up with gas , I was belching but could not throw up, retaining water and terrible gas pain below my sternum. I have heart issues requiring water pills and blood pressure meds. I was stopping taking meds because of nausea and watery and gassy diarrhea, thought it was the end of me. Took all tests which were normal, probiotics made it worse. Finally convinced my Dr to try Xifaxan because read about SIBO on internet. The first 14 day course gave me 80% relief and felt much better , after 3.5 months symptoms came back so had another 14 day prescription. Felt good, now it’s been 3.5 months and symptoms are coming back. Is this possible? Can you stay on Xifaxan long term with 3-4 month intervals? My Dr is unavailable because of COVID virus. Any advise please.....thanks"

• Jano
• November 11, 2020

"I've struggled with IBS a good portion of my life, making it hard to eat a lot of things or even do normal things with friends or go to work all the time. It's always causing an inconvenience in my life. I finally had a doctor prescribe Xifaxan and she admitted she hardly does, cause it's so expensive the majority of people can't afford it or their insurance won't cover it. After struggling with my insurance company for weeks, it finally got approved. This was the best thing that has ever happened to me, I cried! I felt normal! No more pain! I also felt so terrible for everyone who has the same problems and can't get this medicine.... I was very fortunate and its seriously life changing! I've struggled with weight loosing my whole life and having IBS makes it worse... now I can eat what I want when I want and I feel normal! I'm gaining weight and I've never felt better. It's a miracle. Have not yet experienced any side effects."

• Mick
• July 8, 2019

"So far, this Xifaxan is a miracle drug. I have been on the drug for 4 days now and I am able to eat/drink items that I have not enjoyed in years (carbonated drinks/sweets/greasy foods). On a typical day, I would go to the bathroom at least three times each morning. Each morning I am having a solid stool one time! One time! I am hoping this medication continues to do its trick. Maybe even for long term.... fingers crossed."

• MsD
• November 5, 2016

"I have suffered from IBS-D for over 15 years. I tried numerous medications and nothing has ever worked .I went to a new dr and was recently prescribed Xifaxan and it has changed my life completely. In the first 24 hours I felt immediate relief.I am now able to eat again and not always turn to find the nearest bathroom.I don't have to wake up two hours before work anymore because my stomach is not upset.I have not felt "normal" in years and it's such a great feeling. I feel I can live a normal life with this medication . I am hoping some of you who suffer find relief . IBS is horrible and no one actually understands what it is like unless you have it . Thank goodness something worked ."

• Anonymous
• February 9, 2010

"I absolutely am amazed by Xifaxan. After suffering from IBS symptoms for years (you know, wake up with flat stomach, go to bed looking 7 months pregnant, in addition to painful cramps, horrid gas etc...), the Xifaxan eliminated my symptoms in a matter of days. My bad flatulence disappeared. Bloating..gone. Lost a few pounds to boot. Unfortunately, after two rounds in Sept-Oct, my symptoms were back in December. If I could, I would take Xifaxan every day. Insurance is not cooperative. After 24 hours on this latest round, my bloating is well diminished and my low back pain is better (maybe because when IBS symptoms aren't bad, I can more easily contract my abdominals)."

• Surv
• October 17, 2019

"I have SIBO/dysbiosis and was prescribed and took Xifaxan 3x/day for 2 weeks. Felt nothing. No die off or herxing. Then, several weeks later after completing the dose and still experiencing SIBO symptoms, I became seriously ill. No gut motility, could not eat or drink, experienced excruciating pain every time I took a breath, while having SEVERE pain throughout my body. Chills so bad that I was shaking. I don't even remember the first several days of the onset. A friend said that I called (don't remember this) and stated that I thought I was dying. She said I sounded terrified. Here's the thing. If you have a leaky gut, this drug does not "stay in the small intestine". So it had a systemic effect in a bad way. I am still recovering many weeks later and am not at base line. Actually, I feel worse than I did before I took Xifaxan. BEWARE....right now I have stomach pain and I didn't have this before. Most likely, it killed the good bacteria. Leaky gut should be a contra-indication."

• IBS...
• September 8, 2008

"I have IBS and recently my doctor had me try Xifaxan. After 3 days, I felt like my life had returned to normal. My bloating and diarrhea were under control. I didn't experience any unwanted side effects either."

• GottaGo
• September 20, 2016

"This drug has a higher efficacy if several things are also implemented at the same time. 1. eliminate foods you are intolerant (3 months to indefinitely) 2. while healing (3 months min) eliminate gassy hard to digest foods like cruciferous, onions, beans, alcohol, sugar alcohols, etc... 3. replete zinc - diarrhea depletes zinc and zinc deficiency perpetuates diarrhea 4. take a gentle fiber like acacia 5. take a high potency probiotic (vsl#3 and florastor) along with the fiber in between xifaxan doses and continue this while healing (at least 3 months) or longer. 6. address motility issues and hypochlorhydria and poor digestive enzyme production - if you aren't digesting properly if facilitates s.i.b.o. 7. NO TOBACCO!!"

• Suffe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2019

"I took 2 week course of Xifaxan for IBS-D and suspected SIBO. Had side effects the first 2 days and then tolerated well, however, it did nothing for my IBS symptoms. The real trouble started the day after I stopped taking Xifaxan. I now have severe abdominal pain, bloating and gas and can hardly eat anything. This has also resulted in my doctor ordering blood tests and an abdominal CT because there is no information about adverse effects of Xifaxan and he feels the need to rule out other things. I’m happy for those people who have had success with this drug, but, I’m not one of them. Completely miserable; much worse then before the drug!"

• vnldo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 7, 2016

"I used the 14 day dosage...for those 14 days, I suffered extreme gas & bloating with gas pains from my rectum into my shoulders, I was absolutely miserable but carried through, completing the prescription...for the next month or so, I continued to suffer with the extreme gas and pains, which gradually subsided...I suffered with occasional diarrhea, but rare and some constipation, till it all settled down. I have now been 2+ months with normally formed bowel movements. I do rarely have some urgency but the stools are formed, not liquid. This medication has been life changing for me...I can now sit and enjoy a meal with friends and family without constantly having on my mind that I am, at any point, going to need to rush to the bathroom."

• Kmiz
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2018

"Do not take this drug! It made my symptoms of Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) TEN TIMES WORSE. Before taking the drug I had very mild symptoms, just some light feelings of hunger after eating. Now, 6 days after finishing a 2 week course, I’m doubled over in pain, severely constipated, severely depressed, unable to sleep, and in a constant state of emergency. I’m worried that now I have IBS. Please do not take this drug."

• Cindy
• December 20, 2019

"I have had IBS-D for so many years I can not remember not having to deal with it. About 3 years ago I entered a research program with a blind study of Xifaxan. When I started taking the real drug I could tell a major improvement in less than a week and after the 14 days I had no signs of IBS-D. This lasted for about 4 months and slowly the IBS-D started back. I have been on a 14 day 3x a day of 550 mg. for the past 2 yrs and this last time has lasted me 9 months before symptoms started coming back. I will speak with my Dr. to get another prescription."

• KB1111
• January 30, 2016

"I took this 5 years ago after a colonoscopy for my extreme IBS issues. It totally changed my life so much. I've been having issues again lately so I'm trying it again for a 2nd time to reset my system. I still have occasional issues, but NOTHING like it use to be. This stuff has been a miracle for me!"

• Lynne
• October 5, 2015

"AWFUL MEDICATION. I was on Xifaxan for a week and a half when it started giving me crippling stomach cramps every time I ate. The cramps have persisted three weeks beyond stopping the medication and I can only eat plain rice/pasta and peas. It also didn't do what it was prescribed to do and I still have symptoms of IBS. All it did was give me a side effect that makes me not able to eat."

• lucky...
• June 19, 2011

"The only thing that gave me relief was this medicine. After having endoamoeba hystolitica (sp?), 3 years ago, and long after killing the amoeba, I had different symptoms related to intestines. Chronic loose bowels and bloating. I read about this medicine and convinced Doctor to get me a prescription for this (it wasn't as yet FDA approved for irritable bowel syndrome). Within 3 days I began to normalize, after 1 week was symptom free for 6 months. Slowly I am beginning to have problems again. I started my first dose again today and hope to normalize again. Wish it didn't seem to return. "

• Anonymous
• August 17, 2008

"This medicine saved my life. I have IBS and got some virus or something that attacked my bowels and made me sick for 6 weeks until a new doctor gave me this. Within days I was back on track. From six weeks of weakness and extreme diahrrea it was nice to be normal again."

• Anonymous
• March 2, 2012

"It definitely helped with cramping and diarrhea but I still did have the occasional episode of diarrhea. However, after 5 months I'm back to where I started. I don't know how I feel about having to take an antibiotic every 5 months or if thats even recommended/safe."

• JJay
• March 29, 2016

"After having IBS for about 20 years I went to a new GI doctor. After trying diets and numerous tests he put me on Xifaxan for IBS D. The first few days I had a grumbling stomach and it felt like my stomach might get worse. However after a week on Xifaxan my bowel movements were normal and I no longer needed to run to the bathroom. I even ate sugar for the first time in months and I had no reaction. I feel like my life has changed and I can go out without worries."

• Feldez
• July 5, 2019

"I was prescribed Xifaxan because symptoms of SIBO. No test done because they’re not reliable, according to the gastroenterologist. I followed everything the doctor suggested, FOODMap, Align probiotics, simethicone for gas. After 11 doses of the 550mg 3T daily, I decided to discontinue. The bloating has gotten so bad and I am now constipated. I feel so much worse now than when I saw the doctor. It works for some lucky patients but not for me...."

• MR Meat
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2019

"Xifaxan was prescribed to help my IBS. My stomach tolerated it for 4 days, but now I can’t stay out of the bathroom. It has destroyed my stomach and I have been taking pepto and imodium to slow it down but to no avail. Be careful this can wreck your stomach. I regret taking it"

• waverly...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2016

"since my new gastro couldn't be bothered to actually think about what might be wrong with me, she threw two weeks of Xifaxan at me, because, hey, if you can't figure out what a patient has, they must have IBS. my stomach is now so hard and bloated I can't wear my clothes, I can't sleep form the pain, I'm constipated (first time in my life!) and now, from the huge bloated stomach, which never goes down, really, it just goes from horrible to 9 months pregnant, I am having problems with sleep apnea. it's a nightmare. DO NOT LET YOUR DOCTOR GIVE YOU THIS DRUG IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE SYMPTOMS THAT THIS DRUG IS FOR. do the research on line. protect yourself. do not trust your doctor. i did. what a mistake."

• SIBOIBS
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2015

"This my third time taking xifaxan. First two times was 2 200mg 3xday. 6 tablets per day for 10 days for SIBO. Just started 550 MGS 3XDAY for 14 days. The cost is prohibitive $331 Co pay. So far not feeling much relief from abdominal pain. I was not retested for SIBO but prescribed this for IBS. I am also on gluten free and FODMAP diet. I have low IgA and IgG immunoglobulins. Everything seems to be just trial and error. I will continue to take it. Not very hopeful. Everything gets blamed on low immunoglobulins."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2014

"This was given to me for SIBO (I've suffered from irritable bowel syndrome for years). I took it 3x/day for 14 days. Although I had no side effects from this medicine it did not help with resolving my SIBO. I even did another test for SIBO after I took the antibiotics and there was absolutely no change. Also luckily my insurance covered so it was $70 but without insurance its around $900!"

• Tired...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 6, 2016

"I've had IBS-D for 25 years. Was always told there was nothing the medical community could do about it. So I suffered through it and took lots of immodium. So when I saw advertisements for Xifaxan I was so hopeful. Saw a new GI Doc and he immediately told me that this med was the best hope for IBS and that it's effectiveness was terrific. So I was so very, very hopeful this would work, and it did,,,,for the 14 days I was on it. The day after stopping my 14 day regime my extreme bloating was back and within a week my symptons were exactly as before. Now after 6 weeks my symptoms seem even worse. Going back to the Doc in 6 weeks. Will see what else might help. Good luck to all of you! It's a terrible disease to have to deal with!"

• SickT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2016

"It started to work during the two weeks I was one it. I was still going to the bathroom but it wasn't that awful urgent you better go now or have an accident. That two weeks was much better. However, once it was over I have been worse than I was even before the medicine. Now I have severe stomach pain, foul smelling gas and stool, I'm very bloated and when I get the feeling I need a bathroom I need to find one fact because it WILL come out no matter if I'm in the bathroom or not. I really had very high hopes that this would be just what I needed to help. I've had IBS-D all my life but it was diagnosed years ago when I was 16."