Background: The most prevalent functional bowel disorder, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), has no known cure. Research has shown that bacterial overgrowth plays a role in the pathophysiology of this condition. This study aims to assess the impact of an antibiotic that is not absorbed. The main goal of the trial is to determine whether giving patients with IBS who do not have constipation a 400 mg/d oral rifaximin treatment for 14 days is effective. This study’s secondary goal is to determine if a 14-day treatment of 400 mg of rifaximin taken three times a day is as safe for IBS patients without constipation as a placebo. Methods: We enrolled patients in this two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study based on Rome III criteria. For two weeks, the treatment group was given 400 mg of rifaximin three times a day. Before being included, at the conclusion of the treatment, and one week after the regimen, each patient had a safety and symptom assessment. The Likert scores of the two groups’ symptoms and the primary endpoint the percentage of patients who experienced satisfactory alleviation from IBS symptoms were compared. Results: The percentage of subjects in the rifaximin arm who had sufficient improvement from their IBS symptoms is higher than that of the placebo (68% vs. 39.1%). Following a two-week course of therapy, there was a sustained significant improvement in both groups’ bloating score (P < 0.002), pain score (P < 0.001), and overall score (P < 0.002) after one additional week. There were no noteworthy side effects noted. Conclusion: Taking 400 mg of rifaximin three times a day for two weeks significantly reduced overall IBS symptoms.

Background: The most prevalent functional bowel disorder, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), has no known cure. Research has shown that bacterial overgrowth plays a role in the pathophysiology of this condition. This study aims to assess the impact of an antibiotic that is not absorbed. The main goal of the trial is to determine whether giving patients with IBS who do not have constipation a 400 mg/d oral rifaximin treatment for 14 days is effective. This study’s secondary goal is to determine if a 14-day treatment of 400 mg of rifaximin taken three times a day is as safe for IBS patients without constipation as a placebo. Methods: We enrolled patients in this two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study based on Rome III criteria. For two weeks, the treatment group was given 400 mg of rifaximin three times a day. Before being included, at the conclusion of the treatment, and one week after the regimen, each patient had a safety and symptom assessment. The Likert scores of the two groups’ symptoms and the primary endpoint the percentage of patients who experienced satisfactory alleviation from IBS symptoms were compared. Results: The percentage of subjects in the rifaximin arm who had sufficient improvement from their IBS symptoms is higher than that of the placebo (68% vs. 39.1%). Following a two-week course of therapy, there was a sustained significant improvement in both groups’ bloating score (P < 0.002), pain score (P < 0.001), and overall score (P < 0.002) after one additional week. There were no noteworthy side effects noted. Conclusion: Taking 400 mg of rifaximin three times a day for two weeks significantly reduced overall IBS symptoms.