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Digestive Health | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (20)
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@jacqincalifornia Methane is created by Archaea which is a different organism than bacteria and my understanding is this is why they use 2 antibiotics for treatment of IMO. Research has shown that Methane slows the movement of the gut down which contributes to constipation.
I didn't find the antibiotics to be rough at all, but I was pretty miserable before taking them so there's that. The hardest part for me was just the feeling like you're constantly popping pills. If you haven't gotten the RXs yet, just a word of warning from experience Rifaximin is ridiculously expensive, make sure insurance will cover it or check into things like GoodRx coupons and confirm the cost before you go to pick it up.
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@sm80 Thank you again. You are correct about the reason for the antibiotic cocktail for IMO instead of just Rifaximin. I have Tricare (TFL) and get my prescriptions from Express Scripts. It's more expensive than my usual copay amount but not actually ridiculously expensive, about $50 if I read the website correctly. Tricare, not Medicare is my pharmacy provider and though they often cover the same meds, that's not always the case. Thankfully in this case.
Another possible wrinkle I'll consult with my doctors about is the potential for Neomycin to cause inner ear problems which, if they do occur, are not necessary temporary. I already have some mild hearing loss and tinnitus so I will ask my doctor about alternatives to take with Rifaximin, like metronidazole. I appreciate this discussion.