Medicine for Chronic Diarrhea
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Diarrhea Features
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Diarrhea is a condition in which feces pass through the large intestine too quickly. This rapid passage does not give the large intestine enough time to absorb water and electrolytes back into the body. As a result, stools end up being watery.
Causes
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Chronic diarrhea may be caused by a long-term course of antibiotics, which destroys helpful bacteria in the colon, or food intolerances such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease. A person with lactose intolerance is unable to digest the sugars naturally found in milk. A person with celiac disease is unable to tolerate gluten, a protein found in foods made with wheat, barley and rye. Chronic diarrhea may also be caused by an underlying illness such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease.
Complications
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With chronic diarrhea, water and salts are lost in feces at a much higher rate than normal. This can quickly lead to dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes.
Medication Treatment
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If the diarrhea is caused by bacterial growth in the colon or by a parasite, antibiotic treatments can help relieve your symptoms. However, antibiotics are not effective in treating diarrhea which is caused by a virus. Over-the-counter medications that slow food's passage through the colon can help treat acute diarrhea, but they are not recommended for chronic diarrhea since they do not address underlying problems such as irritable bowel syndrome or infections.
Fluid Intake and Other Considerations
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Because diarrhea causes your body to lose large amounts of water and electrolytes, you need to drink plenty of fluid and take in more salts than normal so that you do not become dehydrated.
When to Seek Medical Care
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You should see a doctor if your diarrhea persists for more than 3 days, is associated with severe abdominal pain or high fever, or if there is blood in your stool.
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