Study of Rifaximin Treatment for Adults With Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Abdominal Bloating

What this Trial Is About

Abdominal bloating is a common digestive symptom with unclear causes and complex mechanisms, often linked to both organic diseases and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders FGIDs. Recent attention has focused on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth SIBO, Oral-Cecal Transit Time OCTT, and gut microbiota imbalance as factors in Functional Abdominal BloatingDistention FABD. There is currently a lack of effective diagnostic tests and treatments for bloating, and this study aims to explore the effects of the antibiotic rifaximin on patients with SIBO who mainly experience bloating symptoms. The study also investigates psychiatric symptoms and gut microbiota to better understand bloatings causes and inform future treatments. Participants included patients with abdominal bloating and healthy volunteers. Patients receive rifaximin 0.4 g twice daily for two weeks. During treatment, medication intake and any side effects are recorded. Stool samples and psychiatric questionnaires are collected before and after treatment. One month after treatment, patients undergo a repeat breath test for hydrogen and methane, with additional symptom follow-ups at three and six months. Healthy volunteers provide stool samples for comparison but receive no intervention. Throughout the study, demographic data, clinical symptoms, laboratory test results, and breath test values are recorded. Psychiatric assessments for anxiety and depression are performed alongside stool microbiota analysis. Medication adherence and adverse reactions are tracked via diary cards. The main outcome is the rate of negative hydrogen and methane breath tests up to one week after treatment. Secondary outcomes include symptom remission rates during treatment and follow-ups. The total participation time includes treatment, testing, and follow-ups extending six months beyond treatment.

Efficacy of Rifaximin in Patients With Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Presenting With Abdominal Bloating.