I've been on xifaxan for a while now, and yesterday I had surgery to get that abscessed stitch drained. Well, they went in, and he said my insides looked absolutely mangled and he couldn't even tell what was what, let alone if there was a stitch or not. So they decided to let it heal open. I've got a gaping wound now, it hurts like a mother^&%%@$ and to add the misery, they put me on amox/k clav...is it ok to take this with the xifaxan? I've taken two doses, and I feel like I'm going to projectile vomit. My head is splitting open, I can hardly walk because I'm so weak...I feel like crap.

Augmentin is actually two antibiotics already (amoxicillin and clavulanate), so you really are taking three at a time. However, the Xifaxan is not absorbed systemically, so it is useless for your wound infection, and you need something different for that.

If you are having such a bad reaction to the Augmentin, call the doc for something else, unless the reaction was less with the second dose than it was with the first. That would mean that your body was acclimating to it. Another consideration is that your dose is too high. If your weight is quite low, you probably need a lower than usual adult dose. When you take it can make a difference, as it should be taken at the beginning of a meal rather than after a meal or on an empty stomach.

If you are taking oral birth control pills be aware that Augmentin may reduce the effectiveness of them and you should use additional barrier contraception during the time you are taking it. This is true for many antibiotics, particularly those that are penicillin or tetracycline based. Xifaxan should be fine because it is not systemic.

Jan

Hi Chelsea, I don't have any answers for you but I can sympathize with what you're going through. I had to have my incision opened up in 3 places along my incision because it got infected from my recent surgery. Now I have to get it cleaned and packed everyday. Man does it ever suck! Try and keep a positive mindframe about everything. I know it can be frustrating thinking about what you're going through but your wound will heal. It will just take some time. As for the antibiotics...I was hospitalized last week for 4 days and was on two different kinds of antibiotics while I was in there. They made me feel like **** too. I couldnt figure out why I felt sooooo horrible but after they got out of my system the constant pukey feeling went away. I thought I was pregnant! Hang in there