Clinical medicine profile
Rifaxamin
Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class)
- Route
- See product SmPC
- Schedule
- POM
- ATC
- Not assigned
- PPB status
- registered
This profile needs source confirmation
Some sections contain general class guidance rather than medicine-specific evidence. Confirm prescribing decisions against the current SmPC and Kenya STG/EML.
Safety essentials
The information most likely to change a prescribing or dispensing decision.
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to the active substance or excipients.
- Additional absolute contraindications are indication- and product-specific — consult SmPC.
Precautions
- Obtain allergy and medication history.
- Adjust for renal/hepatic impairment, pregnancy, lactation, extremes of age and interacting drugs.
- Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest appropriate duration.
- Monitor for expected class adverse effects.
Dosing matrix
Population and organ-function guidance, shown together for faster comparison.
Traveler's Diarrhea: Adult and children>12 years:200mg TID x 3/7. Hepatic Encephalopa-thy: 550mg BD. Irritable Bowel Syndrome with diarrhea in adults:550mg TID x 2/52.
See label paediatric section if present; otherwise use paediatric formulary — do not extrapolate adult doses.
Review renal impairment dosing; many agents need CrCl/eGFR adjustment.
- CrCl 0–120: Confirm renal dosing in product SmPC / primary label.
Review hepatic impairment dosing; monitor LFTs if agent is hepatically cleared or hepatotoxic.
Use, effects & interactions
Indications
- Overt hepatic encephalopathy in adults, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and travelers' diarrhea caused by noninvasive strains of E. coli.
- Clinical selection for Rifaxamin should follow culture results where relevant, Kenya STG/EML recommendations, and the current product SmPC.
- Class context: Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class).
- Confirm site-specific dose, duration and monitoring before prescribing.
Adverse effects
- Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, ascites, dizziness, headache, depression, allergic reaction, muscle spasms, arthralgia, and peripheral edema
Drug interactions
Open multi-drug checker ↗- Professional use: confirm indication, dose, duration, monitoring and patient counselling points against current Kenya STG / EML and the product SmPC.
- Document allergy status and key interactions.
Mechanism & disposition
An antibiotic that selectively inhibits DNA-dependent RNA-polymerase Mechanism is agent-specific.
Read complete mechanism
An antibiotic that selectively inhibits DNA-dependent RNA-polymerase Mechanism is agent-specific. At receptor, enzyme, ion channel, transporter or microbial target level, the drug alters a physiological or pathological pathway to produce its therapeutic effect. Confirm precise molecular mechanism in current SmPC / pharmacology reference for this INN before high-stakes decisions.
Product-specific
Product-specific
See product SmPC
are product-specific. Consider food effects, protein binding, hepatic CYP/UGT
when adjusting for organ impairment, age and drug interactions. Verify parameters in the current SmPC.
Pregnancy, lactation & diet
Use only if potential benefit justifies potential risk; prefer agents with better reproductive data when alternatives exist.
Assess infant risk vs benefit of maternal therapy; prefer agents with lactation data.
Brands & loaded prices
| Brand | Manufacturer | Pack | Observed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| RIFAXA | DAIMA BIASHARA / Wholesale Import | 200MG TABS 10*S | KES 812.70daima_biashara_price_list |
Sources & review state
Decision support only. Confirm patient-specific decisions against the current product SmPC, Kenya STG/EML, and professional judgement.