Efficacy/Effectiveness

It is used to treat diarrhea syndrome caused by acute intestinal infection and diarrhea caused by intestinal bacterial flora abnormalities such as diarrhea in summer and diarrhea in travelers, as well as to prevent infection before and after gastrointestinal surgery. It is also used to treat hyperammonemia, which has a high ammonia concentration in the blood, because the amount of ammonia produced by colon bacteria can be reduced by affecting the intestinal flora.

Capacity/Usage

It can be administered to adolescents and adults over the age of 12, and the usage and dose depending on the purpose of treatment are as follows. Treatment is recommended not to exceed 7 days, but the dose and number of doses can be increased or decreased according to the doctor's instructions.

Use/dose for treatment purposes

Take 200 mg once every 6 hours

Prevention of infection before and after gastrointestinal surgery 400 mg once every 12 hours

Take 400 mg of hyperammonia once every 8 hours

Precautions for use

In the case of children and adolescents using children and adolescents under the age of 12, there is a lack of evidence for safety and effectiveness.

Elderly people generally have low physiological functions such as liver and kidney, so side effects are likely to occur, but oral rifaximin follows the adult dose as it is because the amount of absorption in the body is small.

Pregnant women and lactating women 

• Although abnormalities have been reported in animal experiments, studies on pregnant women or people who may be pregnant are insufficient. Since the amount of absorption in the body is small, the effect on the fetus is thought to be limited, but it is not administered to pregnant women or women with potential pregnancy unless the potential benefit is greater than the risk.

• There is a lack of research on whether it is transferred to breast milk. In the case of lactating women, drug administration should be decided in consideration of the risk of drug exposure to infants and the benefits of treating lactating women.

Rifaximin is an antibiotic that prevents and treats intestinal infections. It is classified as a rifamycin antibiotic due to its chemical structure, but unlike other rifamycin antibiotics, when taken orally, the amount absorbed into the body from the gastrointestinal tract is very small, less than 1%, so it mainly acts on bacteria in the barrier rather than systemic action through blood. It inhibits bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase to exhibit antibacterial effects.

Side effects

The main side effects that can occur when administering Rifaximin are as follows. Other detailed information can be found in the product manual or permission information for each product. If side effects occur, inform experts such as doctors and pharmacists so that appropriate measures can be taken.

Common side effects (reported by more than 10% of users)

• Cardiovascular system: Peripheral edema, etc

• Central nervous system: dizziness, fatigue, etc

• Soy sauce: ascites (concentration of body fluid in the abdominal cavity), etc

• Digestive system: Common side effects such as nausea (reported from 1 to 10% of users)

• Central Nervous System: Headache, Depression, etc

• Skin: itching, rash, etc

• Musculoskeletal system: Muscle spasms, joint pain, etc

• Others: abdominal pain, anemia, nasopharyngitis, fever, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, etc

Rare side effects (reported by less than 1% of users)

Anaphylaxis, diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile bacteria, dermatitis, hives, etc

Storage method

Store at room temperature (1-30℃), shielded airtight container

Manufacturer

Cipla