Xifaxan

[ChrisDDD]

I was recently prescribed Xifaxan when at my last HepC checkup, I told my doctor and Lactulose he had prescribed for me wasn't strong enough, I guess you'd say, but when we tried increasing the dosage of Lactulose, I started having "accidents" necessitating wearing diapers.

Well, now I'm more disgusted.  I was going to start the Xifaxan tonight but first I always read the insert of any drug and do a little research on line.  This drug causes at least mild diarrhea, but also severe diarrhea, sometimes with blood in it, and it gets more fun the longer you read it.  Well, I didn't start it tonight because I have plans tomorrow and I don't want to be on a highway and get one of these urgent sensations that were also mentioned of having to empty your bowels.

So do most people on this drug get the mild diarrhea?  Hopefully anyone here who's been on it didn't have that side effect?  What percentage of people who take Xifaxan get the diarrhea?  I researched it in different forums here and also just on the web.  I'm not taking it.  The prescription was $1,400 before Medicare bringing it down to $330.  I hate this.  I hate diarrhea and not having control over my body and not being able to go out in public wondering when the next "urgency" will come.  So if anyone is familiar with this, I'd love to hear about it.  Thanks.

Chris

[ChrisDDD]

Of course I want to treat my illness or I wouldn't ask questions and do the kind of research into my illness and treatment options I've done.  Asking the same questions could be a result of HE and a bit of denial.  I wouldn't have gone through and failed three treatment regimens and about to begin a fourth if I wasn't interested in treating my illness.

"If you are not interested in treating your illnesses that is your choice but that is not the purpose of this forum. This forum and the hepatitis C forum are for people who are interested in getting support and real knowledge about their illnesses."  You don't need to tell me the purpose of this forum or talk down to me like I'm a child.

"learning about the real medical information (not something they imagined or read somewhere on the Internet)"?  Isn't the internet where a lot of people are getting their information and posting links to it on this forum?  Imagined?  What does that mean?

"Please have the decency to respect others who truly want support and advice."  That's just offensive.  I have been very respectful and have offered support over the years to numerous people.

"Cirrhosis of the liver can be a life threatening illnesses. Some people on this forum are very ill and seeking support and encouragement from others who are in the same boat ."  I'm sick enough to have been excluded from any clinical trials or treatment of any kind at this point.  I have cirrhosis, an umbilical hernia, and am now on two meds to treat my hepatic encephalopathy.  I'm not sick enough for you?

I get it.  You're right.  I need to follow my hepatologist's advice and advice I've been given in this forum, but you needn't be so brutal and condescending.  Why don't you just cross me off your list and don't correspond with me any further.

[ChrisDDD]

Thank you, Nan.  This helps a lot.  Take care.

[ChrisDDD]

Perhaps it is the HE causing me to be such a nuisance?  I sincerely apologize to you and everyone else for wasting your time.  You won't hear from me again.

[nan535]

My husband took Xifaxin pre and post transplant. It comes in 200 mg tabs and 550 mg tabs.

As he had some issues of edema pre transplant, he was unable to stay on it as his legs and feet swelled up even more. After transplant, his HE has returned due to some unusual complications.  He was started slowly on the Xifaxin - 200 mg  1x a day -  then 200 mg  2 X a day or 400 mg  - then 550 mg 1x a day -   then 550 mg 2X a day or 1100 mg.  It helped a lot and no, it did not cause diarrhea.

He is now off it as he had some interference issues with the Sovaldi. oddly, it caused more HE rather than stopping it. Now that he has stopped the Xifaxin, he no longer gets HE with the Hep C treatment.  Weird.

I would suggest you start slowly on the Xifaxin and work you way up to the
recommended dosage  550 mg  2X a day. How much you need depends on how serious your HE episodes are.  This is a balancing act with the lactulose.

Good luck
Nan

[HectorSF]

You have already been told by numerous people on Medhelp what to do if you want to properly manage your hep C and liver disease...
Follow your hepatologist's advice.

Why continue to create new posts about how you don't believe your hepatologist or what anyone else says? You apparently don't want to take anyones advice so why continue to repeatedly ask for it? Asking the same questions will only get you the same answers.

If you are not interested in treating your illnesses that is your choice but that is not the purpose of this forum. This forum and the hepatitis C forum are for people who are interested in getting support and real knowledge about their illnesses. Please respect others that do want to help themselves and are interested in learning about the real medical information (not something they imagined or read somewhere on the Internet) about how to better manage their medical conditions based on real medical information and others experiences with these issues.

Cirrhosis of the liver can be a life threatening illnesses. Some people on this forum are very ill and seeking support and encouragement from others who are in the same boat or others that have been through it and have needed liver transplantation to stay alive. Please have the decency to respect others who truly want support and advice.

Get your anxiety and depression issues properly managed. Perhaps then you will be able to deal with your other medical issues in a more rational and constructive way.

Hector