In clinical trials, more patients taking XIFAXAN vs. placebo for 2 weeks had relief of IBS-D symptoms for 10 weeks following treatment. Median duration of symptom relief was 10 weeks (range of 6 to 24 weeks). You can be retreated up to 2 times if symptoms return.

It is used to treat traveler's diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea. It is also used to prevent hepatic encephalopathy, a brain disorder that can occur due to severe liver disease. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.

There's no cure for IBS, but medications along with dietary and lifestyle changes can help you prevent flare-ups.

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea(IBS-D), the suggested dose of rifaximin is 400 mg three times or 550 mg twice daily for two weeks. IBS-D may require intermittent rifaximin treatment. Typically, 200 mg three times daily is given for three days in traveler's diarrhea.

Rifaximin is a gastrointestinal-selective antibiotic with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, an excellent safety profile, minimal drug interactions, and negligible impact on the intestinal microbiome.

Long-term treatment For traveler's diarrhea and IBS-D, Xifaxan isn't meant to be taken long term. If your doctor prescribes Xifaxan for these conditions, you'll typically take the drug for 3–14 days.

IBS does not shorten the lifespan of affected individuals or lead to major life-threatening complications in most patients, and most serious symptoms can be avoided through a controlled diet and avoiding stressful situations, as stress and anxiety are known to cause IBS flare-ups.

IBS Clinical Trials “Pipeline” Boom in 2023 Promising pipeline therapies include Olorinab, Blautix, ORP-101, Rifamycin controlled-release, and several other treatments.

Rifaximin Is Safe and Well Tolerated for Long-term Maintenance of Remission From Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy.

Notes for Professionals: Advise patients to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice during rifaximin treatment due to the risk of increased rifaximin exposure and adverse reactions. Rifaximin is a P-gp substrate and grapefruit juice is a P-gp inhibitor.

Although rifaximin exerts antibacterial effects against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in vitro, our study found that rifaximin administration did not affect the stability of the gut microbiota, and that the antibacterial effect of rifaximin in the intestine was not significant.

Most studies used doses around 600 mg twice daily in treatment periods up to 6 months and reported that rifaximin is effective and safe to prevent hepatic encephalopathy.