well i already have GP as well as IBS, but recently i was dx with SIBO. its been sheer hell going through it. my tummy was growing to the point that i looked about 4 months pregnant (which is medically impossible), and my appetite was completely gone. feeling all bloated and swollen and crampy (and cranky ).
i made it to my GI specialist and the minute he saw my tummy he knew exactly what it was. and, btw, it is not only due to my D, but also to certain meds i take for my scizophrenia (which cause intestinal imobility, similar to GP).
i was immeditately put on XIFAXAN 550mg 3/day. my MD gave me a 3 day sample, and told me that it was entirely possible for it to start working within the first 24 -36 hours. it is a VERY strong antibiotic which is specific to SIBO. so he called in my prescription to my local pharmacy. the cost, if Medicare did not cover it : $2,600. OMG. and in the USA, it does NOT come in a generic form.
i called up my favorite Canadian pharmacy, and found out that outside the US, it DOES come in a generic form and the cost for a 14 day treatment would be $186. (42 pills OOP) quite a difference.
well, i began taking the sample pack from my MD. and within about 1 and a 1/2 days, i felt back to normal. appetite returned, belly bloating disappeared.started feeling like this was the absolute cure to my problems. but then when i woke up this morning, i felt like i had the flu. i ached, i was exhausted, i felt all over generally crummy. and then i weighed myself. somehow, magically overnight i had put on 2 pounds.
so immediately, my husband and i were at the computer looking up side effects of XIFAXAN. sure enough, i was experiencing several of them. but the discomfort of the main problem had gone. (one of the side effects was " rapid weight gain." i was wondering “how rapid, and how much are we talking about here?” then i looked up patient reviews; they varied from 100% the best medication they had ever taken, and the absolute worst medication they had ever taken; there was no middle ground.
i found this very curious. has anyone out there had SIBO? has anyone out there taken XIFAXAN? has anyone who has taken XIFAXAN had good results from it?
please, please chime in. i am very eager to know your experiences!!!
and PS: i am not, as i thought i might be, allergic to gluten or peanuts, etc. no food allergies.