rifaximin Side Effects
Also known as: Xifaxan
Analysis of 19,891 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
19,891
Death-Related
5,855
29.4% of reports
Hospitalizations
7,784
39.1% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 5,855 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 3,977 |
| HEPATIC CIRRHOSIS | 378 |
| HEPATIC FAILURE | 329 |
| RENAL FAILURE | 251 |
| HOSPITALISATION | 208 |
| LIVER DISORDER | 176 |
| THERAPY INTERRUPTED | 170 |
| HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY | 161 |
| HOSPICE CARE | 160 |
| PNEUMONIA | 144 |
| SEPSIS | 124 |
| FALL | 118 |
| AMMONIA INCREASED | 115 |
| HEPATIC CANCER | 112 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 105 |
| DIARRHOEA | 98 |
| PRODUCT USE ISSUE | 98 |
| INSURANCE ISSUE | 94 |
| MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME | 92 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 90 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 7,784 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| HOSPITALISATION | 1,697 |
| AMMONIA INCREASED | 696 |
| THERAPY INTERRUPTED | 628 |
| HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY | 618 |
| CONFUSIONAL STATE | 473 |
| FALL | 445 |
| INABILITY TO AFFORD MEDICATION | 399 |
| DIARRHOEA | 398 |
| DEATH | 390 |
| INSURANCE ISSUE | 358 |
| PNEUMONIA | 343 |
| HEPATIC CIRRHOSIS | 335 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 316 |
| NAUSEA | 297 |
| DYSPNOEA | 284 |
| PRODUCT USE ISSUE | 280 |
| FATIGUE | 273 |
| LIVER DISORDER | 264 |
| ASCITES | 263 |
| HEPATIC FAILURE | 259 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About rifaximin Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 19,891 voluntary reports linked to rifaximin and its brand equivalents (Xifaxan), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 5,855 (29.4%) listed death as an outcome and 7,784 (39.1%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 52% were female and 48% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 5,220 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is death with 3,982 submissions, followed by hospitalisation and diarrhoea.
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.