Some of the most commonly used medicines are lactulose and XIFAXAN.
Lactulose is an artificial sugar. It comes as a very sweet liquid that is taken by mouth. Lactulose works by helping to cause more bowel movements. This helps to flush out toxins that may travel through your blood to your brain.
XIFAXAN is a nonsystemic antibiotic that slows the growth of bacteria in the gut that are believed to be linked to symptoms of overt HE. XIFAXAN is the only FDA-approved medicine indicated for the reduction in risk of overt HE recurrence in adults. It was also proven to help reduce the risk of HE-related hospitalizations.
Expert guidelines recommend using both lactulose and XIFAXAN together to help reduce the risk of overt HE recurrence.
Talk to your healthcare provider before taking XIFAXAN if you have severe hepatic (liver) impairment, as this may cause increased effects of the medicine.
Learn more about XIFAXAN.