Antibiotics, probiotics, colonoscopy, general anesthesia, abdominal surgery, potent antacid use, excessive or adverse reaction to vaccination, severe food poisoning, intestinal infections, or brain injury are triggers for bacterial overgrowth. It is important to remember that this is just a list of potential triggers and not a list of events to be avoided. nnNote: Chronic, low-grade sinus or dental infections are very common events that can cause a temporary and prolonged worsening of symptoms that might be misconstrued as a relapse but, in fact, is not. A mild runny nose, cough, or flair of allergies can cause enough neurological stress to worsen anxiety, hyperactivity, aggression, and stimming. A simple ten-day course of nasal corticosteroid spray (e.g., OTC fluticasone) can improve the symptoms and lead to a positive trajectory of improvement once again.

It is not unusual to stop rifaximin or the oils because of an illness (e.g., an intestinal virus with vomiting) or other unusual life events (e.g., hospitalization, travel). There is no well-defined method to restart the protocol, but I generally recommend waiting until the intervening event has passed before resuming treatment. Then I would just pick up with everything where I left off. There is no need to slowly add back the different elements of the protocol one by one.

Yes. The Nemechek Protocol for Autonomic Recovery is designed to reduce elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the presence of abnormally primed M1- microglia. These 2 pathological processes prevent recovery from brain injury, interfere with neuronal/synaptic pruning, interfere with brain development in utero, and are a key feature of the neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS). It is capable of reversing a wide range of chronic neurological conditions (migraine and cluster headaches, chronic fatigue, generalized anxiety, depression/PTSD, ADD/ADHD) as well as intestinal disorders (heartburn, reflux, IBS, constipation, diarrhea, etc.), and it’s potent anti-inflammatory effect substantially reduces symptoms associated with autoimmune disorders (Crohn’s, psoriasis, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, etc.)

Other antibiotics are much less likely to reverse bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine, have the potential to cause more side effects, are prone to the development of microbial resistance, and can additionally damage the microbiome of the intestinal tract, which is not believed to be the case for rifaximin.

Dr. Nemechek has never seen a difference in clinical responses between the different brands of rifaximin.