Rifaximin
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PsychoJane
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Here, rifaximin has not been approved here yet so I have not had the "luck" to use it during my last flare. I was quite enthusiatic about it though. I've read interesting facts mostly related to the fact it is action is specific to the digestive tract and that the side effects are rarer. I Hope it will do good for your daughter.
They use this rifaximin to treat SIBO( small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Maybe the doctor thinks she has too many bacteria in her small bowel that is causing her symtptoms. It also has been used in some cases to treat C-diff.
nogutsnoglory
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I heard Rifaximin doesn't kill bacteria and just confuses them? I'm unfamiliar with it but interested if it doesn't wipe out the gut flora.
Oh it does wipe out gut flora! It is suppose to be effective at killing only certain types of bacteria I believe. It is not like a broad sprectrum antibiotic that kills ALL bugs, this one kills a select few I think. But yeah, it still wipes out gut flora...
nogutsnoglory
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I think there is a lot of misunderstanding And misinformation about it. So it kills the bad bacteria only?
kiny
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A lot of antibiotics work when the cell splits or does something with it's DNA or RNA, the antibiotic will try to interfere with this process. Rifaximin stops RNA synthesis of the bacteria, it can kill bacteria and it's broad spectrum. Rifaximin is only interesting because it has extremely low bioavailability, which is why it has so few side effects.
Rifaximin is not active against intracellular bacteria, it can't for example penetrate a macrophage where a bacteria is hiding, which is why it's not used for mycobacteria for example.
It's close ally, rifampicin, is effective against intracellular bacteria, but the flipside of the coin is that rifampicin has very high bioavailability and it acts in the whole body, which is why it also have more side effects than rifaximin. Rifampicin will be used against intracellular bacteria, it's used for TB and other mycobacteria etc.
Rifaximin is however effective against AIEC for example, but it creates a lot of resistance, but there's reason to use it for crohn's disease, since you can't keep using quinolones like cirpo for example, you can give rifaximin for years to people, you have to stop a quinolone after a few weeks or people get tendon issues and central nervous issues. That's why rifaximin is popular, because it has extremely low bioavailability, which means you can use it for extended periods of time without side effects.
Rifaximin is not active against intracellular bacteria, it can't for example penetrate a macrophage where a bacteria is hiding, which is why it's not used for mycobacteria for example.
It's close ally, rifampicin, is effective against intracellular bacteria, but the flipside of the coin is that rifampicin has very high bioavailability and it acts in the whole body, which is why it also have more side effects than rifaximin. Rifampicin will be used against intracellular bacteria, it's used for TB and other mycobacteria etc.
Rifaximin is however effective against AIEC for example, but it creates a lot of resistance, but there's reason to use it for crohn's disease, since you can't keep using quinolones like cirpo for example, you can give rifaximin for years to people, you have to stop a quinolone after a few weeks or people get tendon issues and central nervous issues. That's why rifaximin is popular, because it has extremely low bioavailability, which means you can use it for extended periods of time without side effects.
I was told that it kills only certain bacterias. It is different from most of the other antibitoics out there because it does not leave the digestive tract ( it does not get in the blood at all) so there are less side effects like yeast infections and such. You can still get the intestinal side effects though like diarrhea and nausea etc....
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