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Rifaximin

I finished a course of rifaximin a month ago and my symptoms completely disappeared. I have crohn's disease and was in a bit of a flare up - bit of blood in stools, sloppy/sticky unformed stools and bad indigestion. Also was taking humira which I've been on the last 8 years.

Anyway off it a month and now my indigestion is back (and quite bad - vomited yesterday).

Just wondering anyone on it long term?

Also, how does this not show, at least in my case, that the cause of my crohn's is bacterial related? Why can't they find an antibiotic to cure it then or prescribe fecal transplants more readily and easily?
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
As you know, Rifaximin is an antibiotic. But the fact that it cleared up your symptoms does not necessarily indicate that the cause of your disease is bacterial. That might be the case, but it also might not because many antibiotics, including Rifaximin, also have a direct anti-inflammatory effect. So did your symptoms decrease because the drug killed off some harmful bacteria, or did they decrease because the drug knocked the inflammation down? Hard to say for sure.
 
As you know, Rifaximin is an antibiotic. But the fact that it cleared up your symptoms does not necessarily indicate that the cause of your disease is bacterial. That might be the case, but it also might not because many antibiotics, including Rifaximin, also have a direct anti-inflammatory effect. So did your symptoms decrease because the drug killed off some harmful bacteria, or did they decrease because the drug knocked the inflammation down? Hard to say for sure.
Would you know the mechanism of an antibiotics potential mechanism as an anti-inflammatory? Wiping my gut bacteria (potential overgrowth) which can potentially be causing inflammation? Sounds more unlikely that it is indirectly wiping a bacteria causing my crohns in the first place tbh. I might be too zoned in that it is bacteria though and I'm not open to other ideas. Sick of the propaganda type bs that it is auto-immune with 0 actual evidence of that. Crohns is a joke to me (sorry for the mini-rant)
 

curlywurly

Well-known member
Location
Lancashire
Hi basedjawline
I have been put on Rifaximin for the next two weeks due to small intestine bacterial overgrowth I have been told it has nothing to do with crohn's.
I have crohn's colitis & Hiatus Hernia I have recently been bloated with nausea and heartburn, maybe you have SIBO?
 
Hi basedjawline
I have been put on Rifaximin for the next two weeks due to small intestine bacterial overgrowth I have been told it has nothing to do with crohn's.
I have crohn's colitis & Hiatus Hernia I have recently been bloated with nausea and heartburn, maybe you have SIBO?
Hi basedJawline,
I have been on rifaximin for the past 16 years. I take 275 mg twice a day. I started Humira about 8 months ago. I also take lialda, curcumin, and cultured vsl3. I'm doing very well now. My last calprotectin was 23. Needless to say, I have no Crohn's symptoms. If you think that the rifaximin helped you, perhaps you could keep taking it. I'm convinced that since it is basically not absorbed, there are no side effects.
By the way, I give myself the 40 mg Humira shot every 3 weeks instead of the recommended 2 weeks, because Humira does have side effects.
 
Hi basedjawline
I have been put on Rifaximin for the next two weeks due to small intestine bacterial overgrowth I have been told it has nothing to do with crohn's.
I have crohn's colitis & Hiatus Hernia I have recently been bloated with nausea and heartburn, maybe you have SIBO?
Hey mate nah I have a severely strictured duodenum (D2). My gastro said it was just a bacterial overrowth too and not crohns related lol. In the end they actually no nothing at all about this disease. just throwing different drugs at me and seeing which one sticks. done with gastroenterologists tbh.
 
Hi basedJawline,
I have been on rifaximin for the past 16 years. I take 275 mg twice a day. I started Humira about 8 months ago. I also take lialda, curcumin, and cultured vsl3. I'm doing very well now. My last calprotectin was 23. Needless to say, I have no Crohn's symptoms. If you think that the rifaximin helped you, perhaps you could keep taking it. I'm convinced that since it is basically not absorbed, there are no side effects.
By the way, I give myself the 40 mg Humira shot every 3 weeks instead of the recommended 2 weeks, because Humira does have side effects.
I took mesalizine (lialda) for nearly 10 years too, I don't recon it did too much other than potentially fuck up my liver. Nice one with the curc though and the one specific strand of bacteria I have found helps is B infantis if you want to look into that one.

I've started a complete fruit cleanse (the last 6 weeks) and my symptoms have greatly improved (I can link you to the videos I've watched if this interests you). Avoiding surgery and avoiding going on methotrexate and changing to high dose infliximab and I'm pretty confident I can potentially cure my incurable 'disease' right now. I'm back to taking my humira every 3 weeks, I'll wait till my next scope and decide if I want to go off it and keep with the holistic medicine approach/lifestyle changes/living how I am supposed to.
 
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