Brief Answer:
Yes, methenamine hippurate can have such an impact

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. Methenamine hippurate is not an antibiotic, but is a urinary antiseptic drug, and yes it can cause irregularities in the bowel movements resulting in a presentation similar to yours, but not always. But in your case, with the pre-existing diverticulosis it may have more of an impact than it would in an individual with no pre-existing bowel conditions.

I would recommend you to stay on a liquid and/or semi-liquid diet for as long as you are on the medications, examples:

+Soups
+Fresh fruit juices
+Plenty of water
+Tea and/or coffee (but only if well tolerated)
+Fruits offering good hydration (E.g. watermelons)
+Probiotic drinks
+Avoid carbonated drinks
+Avoid alcohol
+Avoid lots of spices
+Avoid oily food
+Avoid fatty food
+Avoid fried food

I hope you find my response helpful. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.

Best wishes.

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Brief Answer:
I understand, but lifestyle changes are the best and most effective

Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.

I am glad you found my response helpful, and to be honest with you, I am an IBS-sufferer and understand how you feel. But telling you through experience, I have achieved most success with lifestyle changes and although the medications (which I take only during episodes) do help to suppress my symptoms, but they are habit-forming and harmful for the body in the long-run.

So I would prefer and advise you to choose lifestlye modifications over medication. But coming to your question on xifaxan (active ingredients rifaximin), it is an antibiotic used mainly for intestinal infections. You do not have an intestinal infection currently (from the information provided to me), which is why this medication will not serve any purpose presently. But if at all we do find an infection, then this antibiotic can be used to help treat the infection, but will not really help improve general health (i.e. it will not reverse any damage done to the colon over the years from diverticulosis).

Another thing about antibiotic use is that one particular antibiotic can be used only for so long, because things like resistance and so on develop; resulting in the requirement of stronger antibiotics and gradual worsening of the condition.

You can speak to your doctor about the use of xifaxan, but I hope you understand why I recommend lifestyle changes more than medication. But as you are currently on a urinary antiseptic, you may experience the bowel abnormality, but this is just temporary.

Thank you for your kind words, it really made my day. I am always here to help ma'am, so please do not hesitate to share anything with me at all.

Best wishes.

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Brief Answer:
Always at your service ma'am

Detailed Answer:
Hello once again XXXXXXX

I completely understand, as you really appreciate good health when you suffer from an episode (I know exactly what you mean). If you suspect to have an infection, then you should initiate the antibiotic, but make sure you complete the course (the same manner it was prescribed), and do not discontinue it if you just start feeling better, because then it can result in a resistance and you may never be able to use the same antibiotic again.

Please also know that if at all you have any issues troubling you, you can always write to me here. Just mention my name in the query and it shall be directed to me.

Best wishes.

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