Rifaximin - Antibiotic

Cipro is pretty cheap - nothing like rifaxamin. Just price it.

I had high hopes, but unfortunately Rifaximin did not work for me. Jesus Christ, why is it so expensive there....where do you live?

@Linguist

Jesus Christ, why is it so expensive there....where do you live?

Australia, if it's was on the PBS for the condition you have, then it would be $30 for 50 tabs. If it's NOT on the PBS, as in my case, for your condition you pay whatever the pharma companies want to charge. As noted, the compounding chemist made up the rifaximin for $75 for 30 tabs. It doesn't look like it's going to work for me though.

@Scott

Cipro is pretty cheap - nothing like rifaxamin. Just price it.

I'll definitely price Cipro and see what the cost is here although cost is country specific. If it's below $100 for 50 tabs I can live with that. I note, Scott, form earlier correspondence/posts you are on long term cipro and that long term Flagyl didn't work for you. If you don't mind, what are the consequences of using Cipro long-term?

Regards,

Kevin

I have had no consequences (to date) from long-term Cipro, other than having to add Flagyl after a few years. I keep to the lowest dose that works for me (500 mg once daily), which is pretty low. Long-term Cipro can have various consequences, but not for most users. Flagyl alone never worked for me, but it's been a brilliant supplement to Cipro.

@Scott,

Thanks for the reply. It looks like Cipro is the way to go. Assuming the price non-PBS here is workable, I don't know why I'm stuffing around with essentially untested or limited testing (for chronic pouchitis) rifaximin.

Will ring pharmacy now and get a price.

EDIT: Well did that, my local pharmacy has some sort of deal going with the supplier (about a third of the going rate) and they can do 56 Cipro tabs for $51.40 (comes in lots of 14), essentially 92c a tab (amazing, almost as cheap as the PBS subsidised version).

So I have emailed my GI an asked why are we not trying this medication? Will let you know what happens (eventually). Again, thanks for the heads-up.

I tried Rifaximin for chronic pouchitis, did nothing for me. The GI switched me to a non-traditional anti-biotic called Vancomycin and it works WONDERS. Better than cipro or flagyl. And it's not absorbed either. He has started using this for his chronic pouchitis patients and told me it works great. It comes in pill form and IV solution (but you can take shots of it orally). If cipro or flagyl aren't cutting it, this might be worth a try.

@Mahshelly,

If cipro or flagyl aren't cutting it, this might be worth a try.

Thanks for the heads-up. I have passed the info on to my GI and suggested that this may become our Plan C. If he hasn't heard of the antibiotic, it will give him some incentive to familiarise himself.