According to statistics, diarrhea is one of the most common diseases. More than 90% of adults face this problem once a year. Medicines for diarrhea in adults belong to different pharmacological groups and are used depending on the cause of the disease.
Why does diarrhea develop?
Diarrhea is a violation of the normal activity of the intestine, accompanied by intense release from feces. This is a protective reaction of the body, aimed at removing harmful products from the intestinal lumen. Prolonged diarrhea threatens with dehydration, loss of nutrients and washing out of beneficial microflora.
Diarrhea is just a symptom of the disease. It is caused by the following factors:
- Violation of normal intestinal microflora due to antibiotic therapy.
- Irritable bowel syndrome, which most scientists associate withstress.
- Reproduction of pathogenic microbes ingested with food or with a general bacterial disease.
- Viral cause.
- A disease caused by single-celled parasites.
- Diarrhea as a result of helminths (worm infestation).
- Diarrhea when changing your usual diet - travelers' diarrhea.
Treatment of any type of diarrhea involves a bland diet and, if necessary, medication to address the cause of the disease and relieve symptoms.
Antibiotics
These adult diarrhea medicines are prescribed for viral or bacterial diarrhea. Systemic antibiotics are used, since bacteria from the intestines easily enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. Drugs must be prescribed by a doctor. Well, if a laboratory determination of the sensitivity of the pathogen is carried out.
For mild diarrhea, taking antibiotics is not advisable, as they themselves cause indigestion due to the destruction of beneficial intestinal microflora.
At home, other antibacterial drugs that are part of the group of intestinal antiseptics are used to treat diarrhea.
Intestinal antiseptics
This group includes well-known drugs for diarrhea in adults.
- Furazolidone. A drug from the group of nitrofurans. It is prescribed for the treatment of diarrhea of bacterial and invasivenature (salmonellosis, dysentery, amoebiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis). Take before meals 0.2 g four times a day for 3-5 days.
- "Enterofuril". Analogues - "Nirofuroxazide", "Ersefuril", "Stopdiar". It is a derivative of nitrofuran, active against streptococci and staphylococci, acts on salmonella, Escherichia coli and a number of other gram-negative bacteria. It is widely used in the treatment of diarrhea of an unexplained nature, since it does not disrupt the activity of the beneficial intestinal microflora. Incompatible with alcohol.
- Intertix. It has an inhibitory effect on bacteria, fungus from the genus Candida and dysenteric amoeba. It is used mainly for the treatment of diarrhea of fungal origin and for the prevention of amoebiasis in travelers. Not recommended for more than 1 month.
- "Rifaksimin". Analogue - "Alpha Normix". It has a very wide spectrum of antibacterial activity. Colors urine reddish. Often prescribed for the prevention of postoperative complications in the intestines.
Drugs are not absorbed into the blood, but act in the intestinal lumen. They have a wide spectrum of action against pathogenic bacteria, some are effective against fungi and protozoa. It is believed that intestinal antiseptics cause minimal damage to beneficial microflora and restore the bacterial balance in the intestine.
Enterosorbents
This group includes "Smecta" - this is the No. 1 antidiarrheal medicine. The action of adsorbents is based on the binding of harmful substances - toxins, pathogenic bacteria, excess bile and hydrochloric acid and their removal fromintestines. Sorbent particles have a porous structure; most of them are made from natural materials: shell rock, zeolites. They are not absorbed from the intestines. Assign for diarrhea of any etiology. With irritable bowel syndrome, enterosorbents do not eliminate diarrhea, but they alleviate the patient's condition by binding gases and eliminating flatulence.
Activated charcoal also belongs to enterosorbents, but doctors allow its use if modern drugs are not available - it is 5-6 times less effective and mechanically injures the intestinal mucosa. Drugs recommended for the treatment of acute diarrhea:
- "Smekta",
- "Enterosgel",
- Polysorb,
- Attapulgite.
Usually enterosorbents are taken in a course of 3-5 days, but not more than one week.
Means that restore normal microflora
By their action, preparations for the normalization of microflora can be divided into probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics contain a culture of beneficial bacteria, and prebiotics are a substrate that stimulates the development of their own microbes in the intestine. Doctors recommend taking probiotics regardless of what other diarrhea medication is prescribed. These are the following drugs:
- Eubicor. A preparation based on killed yeast and food bran. Has properties of sorbents.
- "Hilak forte". Prebiotic containing metabolic products of beneficial intestinal microflora.
- "Lineks". It consists of 3 types of bacteria that live in the thin and thickintestines: lactobacilli, enterococci and bifidobacteria.
- "Bactisubtil" and the like ("Sporobacterin", "Biosporin", "Bactisporin") contain spores of bacteria from the genus Bacillus, which inhibit the growth of pathogenic microflora.
The same group includes the drug "Enterol", but we will talk about it separately.
Enterol
The best cure for diarrhea of any origin is the Enterol probiotic. It contains dried fungi from the genus Saccharomyces. Thanks to the activity of these microorganisms in the intestinal lumen, Enterol has a complex effect that distinguishes it from other probiotics.
- Direct suppressive effect on pathogenic microflora does not affect beneficial bacteria.
- Saccharomyces bind bacterial toxins or break them down by secreting special enzymes.
- Have an immunomodulatory effect and stimulate the production of intestinal juice due to the release of polyamines. They also have antiviral activity by stimulating the production of antibodies.
Enterol activity decreases when taking antifungal drugs.
Dehydration
Acute diarrhea removes significant amounts of fluid and electrolytes from the body.
They must be replenished regardless of the appointment of other drugs for diarrhea. What medicines best restore water balance? These are primarily pharmacy saline solutions:
- Rehydron.
- Gastrolit.
They are sold in powder form, which is diluted in water. You need to drink often and in small portions.
Drugs that affect intestinal tone
What medicine for diarrhea can be harmful? Loperamide is often used to stop acute diarrhea. Meanwhile, its action is based solely on the treatment of symptoms, and not the cause of the disease. Loperamide belongs to the group of opiate drugs. By acting on intestinal receptors, the drug relaxes smooth muscles, and peristalsis (the movement of food masses) slows down or stops altogether. Thus, diarrhea, which has arisen as a defensive reaction of the body in order to remove harmful products and toxins from the intestines, stops. This approach is justified in the treatment of very few diseases:
- Irritable bowel syndrome.
- Crohn's disease.
- Secretory diarrhea.
- In the treatment of colon cancer.
Frequent use of Loperamide is not recommended, as well as taking more than 1 capsule.
Immune Boosters
Acute intestinal infection always develops diarrhea. Treatment - drugs from the group of antibacterial drugs and substances that stimulate the immune system. An excellent drug developed by domestic scientists in the late 1990s is the Galavit immunomodulator. Among other indications for use, it is recommended for acute intestinal infections, accompanied by symptoms of intoxication and fever. "Galavit" is compatible with all drugs prescribed for the treatment of diarrhea. It is produced in the form of tablets, suppositories and ampoules. Take two tablets once, then 1 tablet 3-4 times a day for 3-4 days until the signs of the disease disappear. Usually 1-2 days is enough.
How to combine medicines for poisoning and diarrhea
How to combine medicines for diarrhea in adults? If diarrhea without fever and signs of poisoning (headache, vomiting, sweating, heart rhythm disturbance), then an approximate treatment regimen is as follows:
- "Smekta" - 1 sachet three times a day. Between taking the drug, food and other medicines, you need to take a break. The course of treatment is 2-4 days.
- "Enterol" - for 7-10 days in the morning and evening 1 hour before meals.
- When dehydrated, drink Regidron.
Drugs for diarrhea in adults with fever, vomiting, headache:
- In addition to "Smecta" and "Enterol" take "Enterofuril" 200 mg four times a day for 3 days.
- "Galavit" - tablets under the tongue 3-4 times a day until diarrhea, vomiting and fever disappear.
Antibiotics and other antibacterial drugs, except for Enterofuril, cannot be prescribed on their own, as they cause an imbalance in the microflora in the intestine and can aggravate the situation. Loperamide is taken in emergency cases as an exception.
If there are signs of acute poisoning, indomitable vomiting, impurities in the feces of blood, you should immediately seek medical help. It also requires a medicalintervention if diarrhea lasts more than 3-4 days. Medicines for poisoning and diarrhea should be prescribed by a specialist.
Many people suffer from the symptoms of diarrhea, especially during dietary changes during travel, stressful situations or eating junk food. With a mild degree of the disease, you can conduct a course of treatment at home by taking drugs from the group of enterosorbents and intestinal antiseptics. To restore normal microflora, it is advisable to drink a course of probiotics.
