title: Slow transit constipation associated with excess methane production and its improvement following rifaximin therapy: a case report.
abstract: Constipation, a common problem in gastroenterology practice, may result from slow colonic transit. Therapeutic options for slow transit constipations are limited. Excessive methane production by the methanogenic gut flora, which is more often found in patients with constipation, slows colonic transit. Thus, reduction in methane production with antibiotic treatment directed against methanogenic flora of the gut may accelerate colonic transit resulting in improvement in constipation. However, there is not much data to prove this hypothesis. We, therefore, report a patient with slow transit constipation associated with high methane production both in fasting state and after ingestion of glucose, whose constipation improved after treatment with non-absorbable antibiotic, rifaximin, which reduced breath methane values.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Lucknow, India. udayghoshal@gmail.com
authors: Uday C
authors: UC
authors: Ghoshal
authors: Deepakshi
authors: D
authors: Srivastava
authors: Abhai
authors: A
authors: Verma
authors: Asha
authors: A
authors: Misra
references: Indian J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jan-Feb;25(1):6-10
references: 16567886
references: J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2010 Jul;16(3):299-305
references: 20680169
references: Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2009 Jun;5(6):435-42
references: 20574504
references: Am J Gastroenterol. 2010 Jun;105(6):1407-11
references: 19953090
references: Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2008 Sep;20(9):998-1008
references: 18482250
references: J Clin Gastroenterol. 2010 Sep;44 Suppl 1:S49-53
references: 20495470
references: Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2006 Jun;290(6):G1089-95
references: 16293652
references: Dig Dis Sci. 2010 Feb;55(2):398-403
references: 19294509
references: Natl Med J India. 2007 Sep-Oct;20(5):225-9
references: 18254516
references: Am J Gastroenterol. 2007 Apr;102(4):837-41
references: 17397408
references: Clin Nucl Med. 1996 May;21(5):379-82
references: 8732832
references: J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2010 Jan;16(1):40-6
references: 20535325
references: N Engl J Med. 2011 Jan 6;364(1):22-32
references: 21208106