Tag: Methane

In a 2010 study published in the *Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology*, a combination of rifaximin (the active ingredient in Xifaxan) and neomycin demonstrated an 85% clinical response rate in treating irritable bowel syndrome patients who tested positive for methane on breath tests. This evidence supports the targeted use of these two antibiotics together for specific conditions, most notably Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) where methanogens are present.

While rifaximin is an FDA-approved treatment for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), its role in constipation is much more specific and conditional. Its effectiveness for constipation is not universal and primarily depends on addressing an underlying gut microbiome imbalance, such as methane-producing bacteria.