---
title: Does rifaximin help with IBS symptoms that worsen during PMS?
description: In these 3 women, taking rifaximin during the premenstrual phase improved their IBS symptoms including bloating, pain, and diarrhea. The improvement continued
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-exacerbates-irritable-bowel-syndrome-pms-ibs-2008/
---

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- Does rifaximin help with IBS symptoms that worsen during PMS?

Study, 2008

# Does rifaximin help with IBS symptoms that worsen during PMS?

In these 3 women, taking rifaximin during the premenstrual phase improved their IBS symptoms including bloating, pain, and diarrhea. The improvement continued across multiple menstrual cycles, suggesting the treatment may have lasting benefit.

 Early or limited evidence

3 women (ages 23, 28, 34) with IBS symptoms that worsened during the premenstrual phase.

## What they did

This case series followed 3 women with IBS whose symptoms got worse before their period. Each woman took rifaximin 200 mg three times a day for 3 days when their premenstrual symptoms started. The doctors checked on them after their treatment.

## What they found

Woman 1 (age 23, constipation-type IBS) reported improvement in pain, gas, and bloating after treatment during 2 menstrual cycles. Woman 2 (age 28, diarrhea-type IBS) had substantial improvement after treatment during 3 menstrual cycles and didn't need the medicine during the 4th cycle. Woman 3 (age 34, chronic diarrhea) had complete resolution of diarrhea after treatment during 2 menstrual cycles.

## What it means for you

Rifaximin may help IBS symptoms that get worse before your period. However, this was only 3 women, so we cannot know if this works for everyone. This study had no control group to compare the results against.

3

women in the study

200 mg

dose of rifaximin, taken three times daily

3 days

length of treatment

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual Syndrome Exacerbates Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Pms-IBS) Authors Christine L. Frissora Journal The American Journal of Gastroenterology Year 2008 Study design Study Participants 3 What was tested Rifaximin 200 mg three times daily for 3 days at the onset of premenstrual symptoms. Read the paper [doi.org/10.14309/00000434-200809001-01187](https://doi.org/10.14309/00000434-200809001-01187)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[IBS and gut symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ibs-gi/)

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