A potent diarrhea medicine that can be purchased at the nearest pharmacy

Diarrhea is a digestive disorder that causes a person to have more frequent bowel movements with loose or loose stools. In addition, symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and weakness. Well, for most adults, diarrhea complaints can be handled with diarrhea medicine purchased at a pharmacy. However, what kind of medicine is the most effective?

Choice of drugs to treat diarrhea

In fact, diarrhea can heal on its own with home treatments such as drinking lots of water or drinking electrolyte fluids to replace lost fluids.

However, the symptoms of abdominal pain that make you go back and forth to the toilet often feel very disturbing. For that, you can take medicines that work to reduce the frequency of bowel movements. Here are the options.

1. Loperamide (imodium)

diarrhea medication for adults

Loperamide (Imodium) is a drug that works to slow down the movement of the intestines to produce stool in a denser form.

You can get this medicine with a doctor's prescription or buy it directly at a pharmacy. This drug is available in the form of tablets, capsules, or tablets that melt. There is also loperamide in liquid form, but this drug can only be obtained by prescription.

Adults are usually prescribed a dose of 4 mg of diarrhea in the form of tablets or capsules. The dose taken by mouth should not be more than 16 mg within 24 hours. Especially for chewable tablets, adults should not take a dose of this diarrhea medicine more than 8 mg per day.

2.Bismuth subsalicylate (pepto-bismol)

diarrhea medication for adults

In fact, this drug is more often used to treat stomach pain and ulcer symptoms. However, this drug also has anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory properties that are good for inhibiting the spread of bacteria that cause diarrhea.

This drug works to strengthen the walls of the stomach and small intestine to protect your digestive organs from bacterial infection. This medicine can be purchased at a pharmacy, but you need a prescription from your doctor.

Bismuth subsalicylate can cause side effects such as blackening of the stool and tongue. However, these effects may disappear after you stop treatment. Avoid using bismuth subsalicylate if your stool is bloody or contains mucus.

This drug is also not recommended for pregnant adults because it contains salicylates. According to the FDA, salicylates can increase the risk of bleeding and problems with the fetal heart when used in excessive or long-term doses.

3. Attapulgite

Attapulgite is a substance that slows down the work of the large intestine so that it can absorb more water so that the texture of the stool becomes denser. Stomach pain due to diarrhea will also gradually recover after taking this medicine.

Medicines can be taken before or after meals; choose the one that is most convenient for you. Don't forget to keep drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration during diarrhea.

Attapulgite is commonly found in a variety of diarrhea medications for adults. However, these drugs also commonly cause side effects, namely constipation after diarrhea and bloating.

4. ORS

diarrhea medication for adults

ORS is a drug that contains electrolyte and mineral compounds such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, anhydrous glucose, sodium bicarbonate, and trisodium citrate dihydrate. These compounds function to restore body fluids lost due to diarrhea.

ORS is available in powder or powder form, so it must first be dissolved in water. Use boiled water to dissolve ORS. This medicine can be taken with or without food first. The effect will begin about 8-12 hours after consumption.

You can buy ORS at a pharmacy or at a drugstore without a doctor's prescription. Some experts believe that drinking ORS or similar fluids containing electrolytes is better for treating diarrhea than drinking only mineral water.

5. Probiotic supplements

diarrhea medication for adults

Probiotic supplements are often used as drugs to treat diarrhea in adults caused by a bacterial infection E. coli and Salmonella .

Probiotics are good bacteria that help fight bacteria that cause diarrhea and intestinal inflammation. In addition, probiotics also function to balance the number of good bacteria that live naturally in the intestines to keep the digestive system smooth.

Probiotic supplements for diarrhea are available in capsule, tablet, powder and liquid extract form. Each of these drugs may contain different types of probiotics. Before buying, consult your doctor first so that the dosage can be adjusted according to your condition.

Antibiotic medication for diarrhea

If diarrhea is caused by a severe infection, you may need antibiotics to cure it. Antibiotics will help fight, slow down, and destroy the growth of bacteria in the body.

Even so, antibiotic drugs that are prescribed should not be arbitrary. Because, antibiotics can cause side effects in the form of indigestion that can exacerbate the problem.

The following is a selection of antibiotics that doctors prescribe to treat diarrhea.

1. Cotrimoxazole

Cotrimoxazole is an antibiotic that contains two types of medicinal substances, namely sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. This drug is given to patients who have severe diarrhea due to an infection with E. coli bacteria.

The dosage for adults is two tablets taken twice a day. Meanwhile, the dosage for children will depend on body weight. A common side effect of this antibiotic is headaches.

2. Cefixime

Cefixime is used for diarrhea caused by bacterial infection Salmonella typhi . Diarrhea caused by these bacteria also usually causes vomiting symptoms.

However, cefixime can potentially cause nausea and discomfort in the stomach. Therefore, consume foods that are not too heavy to digest while taking this medicine.

3. Metronidazole

This one antibiotic works to treat bacterial infections in the stomach or intestines. This medicine can be found in tablet or liquid form. The dose given will depend on your condition, but should usually be taken three times a day of 250-750 mg.

Consumption of this drug is not recommended for pregnant women, especially if the womb is still in the first trimester. Because, the effect can harm the baby in the womb.

4. Azythromycin

Included in the macrolide class of antibiotics, the drug azythromycin is usually given to treat diarrhea caused by bacteria Campylobacter jejuni.

Indeed, this drug can cause side effects in the form of mild stomach pain, feeling like having a bowel movement, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or flatulence. Fortunately, these side effects are mild and can improve on their own.

5. Ciprofloxacin

This drug serves to eradicate bacteria Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enteritidis. This drug will only be given if first-line antibiotics such as cotrimoxazole and cefixime do not show any effect in the patient.

6. Levofloxacin

This fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics is often used to treat traveler's diarrhea because of its ability to speed up the duration of the disease and can be better tolerated by the body. The effect will be felt about 6 - 9 hours after the first dose.

Remember, the use of antibiotics should not be arbitrary. You must check yourself first so that the antibiotics given are suitable for your condition.

Rules for using diarrhea medicine for adults who have diarrhea

Before taking diarrhea medicine, it is always important to see a doctor to find out the cause of your condition and the type and dose of the right one. If you are using a diarrhea medicine that is sold at a pharmacy, read the instructions for use and use the diarrhea medicine dosage according to the provisions.

The reason is that there are several diarrhea medications for adults who have certain ways of using them. If you are still confused about how to use it, ask your doctor or pharmacist how to use the medicine you bought.

There are a number of other things that adults who want to take diarrhea medicine also need to pay attention to, namely:

• If you are using prescription drugs for other conditions, ask your doctor whether you can take over-the-counter diarrhea medication or not.
• Do not take two different diarrhea medications at the same time without consulting your doctor.
• If your diarrhea causes bloody stools, you should not use over-the-counter drugs.
• Do not give children or babies medicines for diarrhea. Unless the doctor gives permission.

Drinking drugs that are sold at pharmacies or drugstores are generally effective for treating diarrhea. However, if the symptoms of diarrhea still appear after taking the medicine, do not delay consulting a doctor.

The maximum limit for you to do home remedies is 2 or 3 days. More than that, immediately see a doctor to get a more effective treatment. If the medication at the pharmacy is not working enough, your doctor can prescribe antibiotics, a stronger dose of diarrhea medication, or other medical treatments depending on the cause of your diarrhea.

Getting doctor treatment early can prevent dangerous complications of diarrhea.

Another thing to do besides taking diarrhea medicine

It turns out that your daily lifestyle can affect the severity and duration of your symptoms. Therefore, if you want faster healing, you should not just stick to drugs. Also do healthy habits such as:

• drinking lots of fluids to keep you from becoming dehydrated,
• eating healthy foods that are low in fiber and easy to digest, one way you can go on the BRAT diet,
• consuming foods high in probiotics such as yogurt and tempeh,
• avoid eating foods that make diarrhea worse, for example spicy, fried foods and those that are given a lot of artificial sweeteners, and
• eat small portions, this is done so that the intestinal workload is not too heavy.

If you are still choosing questions about diarrhea medicine, consult your doctor.

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