Xifaxanta

Xifaxanta is an antibiotic that works in your digestive system to treat traveller’s diarrhoea in adults. Traveller’s diarrhoea usually happens when you eat or drink something contaminated, leading to a bacterial infection. This can cause symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and most often, diarrhoea. To help prevent traveller’s diarrhoea, it's best to eat from clean places and stick to bottled water.

When you consume contaminated food or water, it usually takes bacteria around 6 to 24 hours to start causing symptoms. This time frame is called the incubation period. Depending on the type of bacteria, one of two things might happen:

Xifaxanta contains rifaximin, which attaches to the enzyme RNA polymerase, necessary for protein production. By blocking RNA creation, it stops proteins from being made, ultimately causing the bacteria to die.

While most instances of travellers' diarrhoea are due to bacteria, some infections are caused by viruses or parasites. In these situations, Xifaxanta won't be effective for you.

Xifaxanta is available only in 200 mg tablets. Typically, the recommended dose is one tablet every 8 hours, adding up to 600 mg daily. Your clinician will determine the appropriate dose and timing for you.

A study examined the effectiveness of two antibiotics in treating travellers' diarrhoea. It included 187 patients, with 93 taking rifaximin (the active ingredient in Xifaxanta) and 94 taking ciprofloxacin over three days. After this period, both medications had similar success rates: 87% for rifaximin and 88% for ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, 83% of those on rifaximin and 85% on ciprofloxacin showed symptom improvement within 48 hours. This indicates that both antibiotics are equally effective in treating travellers' diarrhoea.

Unlike ciprofloxacin, rifaximin acts locally and doesn't enter the bloodstream. This means rifaximin tends to have fewer side effects and is usually considered safer.

Common treatments for traveller's diarrhoea include loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate. It's also a good idea to use oral rehydration salts to replace any fluids and electrolytes you've lost. Antibiotics are only suggested when really needed, and your clinician will determine if they're appropriate for you.

If you require antibiotic treatment, Azithromycin is another option. It has a different active ingredient but works in a similar way by stopping protein synthesis, which prevents bacteria from growing. Typically, you take one 500mg dose daily for 4-5 days. This might be more convenient if you find it hard to remember taking several doses each day.

Both treatments can help with traveller's diarrhoea, but one might be more effective for you than the other. This is because you might be resistant to one antibiotic, making it less effective at tackling the bacteria. If one doesn't work, you may need to try a different antibiotic to treat your infection.

Like all medicines, Xifaxanta can cause side effects in some individuals. Common side effects include:

No, you shouldn't take Xifaxanta if you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant.