Xifaxan for SIBO

Canada has xifaxin for ! $100 give or take -google it!

@kanaazpereira
I too have been on Xifaxan and it lasted for 5 months and then it started all again.
My question is, “what is feeding this bacteria is Xifaxan is suppose to kill it”?
My last dose was $2500 and I had to go to a prescription program to get it lower but my other drugs went up.

Hi @glennas, and welcome to Connect!

I am tagging @astaingegerdm who has also mentioned taking Xifaxan and may have more to share.

Thank you so much! I am struggling to understand it all.

I’m just about to start Xifaxan for hydrogen dominant SIBO. After reading about the cost, I must be very lucky because my insurance paid for it at 100%. Did anyone have any major side effects from taking this antibiotic? Also, might it help with the constant nausea I experience from SIBO?

I have been on this med. Problem with it is that once I went off, my symptoms returned. And that is the problem with Xifaxan is it treats the Symptoms and not the CAUSE of the symptoms - so what's the point if you have to take it over and over again! Changes in your diet is what is needed. I went gluten free, dairy free and sugar free and I started so much better. My doctor then tested me for gluten sensitivity and I tested positive for gluten intolerance but not celiac disease, allergies to dairy so I switched to sheep and goats milk products as well as nut milks and I was advised to eat certain fruits only due to their low level of sugar ( everything in the berry family), eat Greek yogurts because of their live cultures. I also was advised to buy as much organic fruits and vegetables as I could as the chemicals (one being glyphosate) sprayed on fruits and vegetables are toxic. (There is a spray you can use on fruits and vegetables called ECOS fruit and veggie wash which I use if I cannot get an item that is organic. And I also read all the ingredients on any box or jar to see what is in it. And if there is a paragraph long of list, I do not bother. Nothing should have that many ingredients. I look for 4-6 ingredients.
Best of luck - it is a journey to get your digestive tract back to health. And one other thing, I worked with a nutritionist for awhile and she shared with me that our digestive tract is like a second brain - whatever we are thinking about that causes us stress affects our gut. Learn to calm your stress either through breathing techniques or meditation - even 5 minutes of meditating helps. And there is a great app called INSIGHT TIMER that has a multitude of breathing techniques and meditations (some as short as 3-5 minutes). It is incredibly helpful!

I was recently diagnosed with SIBO after over a year of trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. I had a bowel resection in January 2025 for smoldering diverticulitis. It was successful but my digestive system would not adjust. After finally finding a GI who ordered a breath test I was diagnosed. Xifaxen helped but didn’t cure. I have a follow up appointment in a few days and am hoping to learn how to prevent it.
And yes, it is extremely expensive even with insurance.

@foxj I would ask ask all with SIBO (that's me also) to think about this; Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. What is the "key" word here? overgrowth. We need all shall always have bacteria in the small intestine, it is needed for digestion. It is the "overgrowth" of bad bacteria that is the "flare" up. There is no "cure" for SIBO. We each need to understand our own unique individual bodies and define for ourselves what works and what does not.

@gigi4
Thanks for your reply. I agree with it all, the stress too. I’m in the process of eliminating and adding foods that make a difference. I tested off the chart for hydrogen and high for methane. The doc is only treating the hydrogen with the Xifaxan and it returns.
Interesting about the Celiac too. I’ve been tested 5 times for Celiac because they were sure it was that and always negative. I’m so glad I found this group.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

@lorabell
I’m not sure about helping with the nausea but it makes sense that it would. I had a little every now and then.
Best of luck!