Drug & supplement interaction

Latilactobacillus Sakei + Rifaximin

Rifaximin brand name: Xifaxan.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Latilactobacillus Sakei has a moderate interaction with Rifaximin. Theoretically, taking Latilactobacillus sakei with antibiotic drugs might decrease the effectiveness of L.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Latilactobacillus Sakei and Rifaximin

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ANTIBIOTIC DRUGS

Why this applies to Rifaximin

Rifaximin falls under ANTIBIOTIC DRUGS — the group Latilactobacillus Sakei interacts with.

Theoretically, taking Latilactobacillus sakei with antibiotic drugs might decrease the effectiveness of L. sakei.
Latilactobacillus sakei preparations usually contain live and active organisms. Therefore, simultaneously taking antibiotics might kill a significant number of the organisms. Tell patients to separate administration of antibiotics and L. sakei preparations by at least two hours.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thing to keep in mind: Rifaximin is an antibiotic, and Latilactobacillus sakei is a live probiotic. The concern runs in one direction. The antibiotic can kill off the good bacteria in your probiotic before they have a chance to do their job, so you may simply get less benefit from the supplement. This doesn't make the rifaximin more dangerous or change how well it works against your own infection.

One nice point about rifaximin is that it stays mostly in your gut and isn't absorbed much, so this is more of a theoretical, timing-based concern than a worrisome one. If you want to take both, a simple fix is to space them out by at least two hours. As always, check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding the probiotic.

References
  1. Pierce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: The Stonesong Press, 1999:19.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Latilactobacillus Sakei Also Interacts With Other Medications

Latilactobacillus Sakei has 181 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Rifaximin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Latilactobacillus Sakei

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Latilactobacillus Sakei. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Latilactobacillus Sakei or Rifaximin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Latilactobacillus Sakei or Rifaximin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Rifaximin

This page covers Latilactobacillus Sakei only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Rifaximin page lists 44 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Bacillus Coagulans (moderate), Bacillus Subtilis (moderate), Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis (moderate) and Bifidobacterium Bifidum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 33 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Rifaximin page

“Activated charcoal is the one entry here I would treat as a hard stop while taking rifaximin (Xifaxan). Charcoal binds drugs in the gut and can cut how much gets absorbed, and it carries the only major rating among the 44 supplements on this page.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Rifaximin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Latilactobacillus Sakei and Rifaximin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Latilactobacillus Sakei
Top half

#648 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Rifaximin
Top half

#1,059 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Latilactobacillus Sakei

What is Latilactobacillus Sakei?

  • Chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal congestion
  • Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
  • Allergies
  • Gut and immune support
  • Skin health

Latilactobacillus sakei is a probiotic bacterium found in fermented foods like kimchi and certain meats, studied mostly for nasal sinus problems and eczema. Early research looks interesting, but evidence is still limited, so it should not replace proven treatments. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a weakened immune system.

Read the full Latilactobacillus Sakei monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Rifaximin

What Is Rifaximin Used For?

Brand name: Xifaxan

Xifaxan (rifaximin) tablets treat three distinct conditions. For travelers' diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli, it is approved for adults and children 12 and older. For irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), it is approved for adults. It is also used in adults to reduce the chance that hepatic encephalopathy (confusion and other brain symptoms caused by liver disease) will come back.

Important limits apply: Xifaxan should not be used for travelers' diarrhea that comes with fever, blood in the stool, or when a pathogen other than E. coli is suspected. It is also not suitable for bacterial infections outside the gut, because very little of the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream.

See full Rifaximin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Latilactobacillus Sakei

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Latilactobacillus Sakei — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
181Moderate
0Minor
2,648No known interaction
Moderate

181 interactions

Showing 60 of 181 moderate interactions — see all 181 on the Latilactobacillus Sakei page.

No interaction 2,648 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Latilactobacillus Sakei and Rifaximin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Latilactobacillus Sakei with Rifaximin?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Latilactobacillus Sakei and Rifaximin interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.