Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Treatment For Persistent Diarrhea
Question: My husband has what seems to be uncontrollable diarrhea, usually several times a day. He has no warning when it is coming so there are often messes to clean up. He has lost a lot of weight in recent weeks, after having his gall bladder removed. What can we do to try and bring it under control?
Brief Answer:
may need further investigations
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
The most common reasons for persistent diarrhea are: (1) infection- he should have a stool sample sent to the lab to see if there is a specific pathogen that needs treatment.
May be due to a particular bacteria that requires antibiotic
(2)inflammatory bowel disease- inflammation of the bowel can also cause severe and persistent diarrhea.
The most common inflammatory diseases are crohns disease and ulcerative colitis
(3)thyroid disease- abnormal levels of thyroid hormone can also cause diarrhea
(4)diabetes- if diabetes has affected the nerves in the bowel, there may be associated diarrhea
(5)side effect of medication
Treatment plan
(1)he should have samples sent to the lab for analysis
(2)no solid food because will not be absorbed and would aggravate the diarrhea
(3)probiotics can sometimes help to restore normal bacterial flora
(4)may need imaging to take a look at the colon eg colonoscopy
(5)use rehydration packets or gatorade to help replace both fluids and electrolytes
(6)meds such as lomotil or pepto bismol would help stop the diarrhea
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
may need further investigations
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
The most common reasons for persistent diarrhea are: (1) infection- he should have a stool sample sent to the lab to see if there is a specific pathogen that needs treatment.
May be due to a particular bacteria that requires antibiotic
(2)inflammatory bowel disease- inflammation of the bowel can also cause severe and persistent diarrhea.
The most common inflammatory diseases are crohns disease and ulcerative colitis
(3)thyroid disease- abnormal levels of thyroid hormone can also cause diarrhea
(4)diabetes- if diabetes has affected the nerves in the bowel, there may be associated diarrhea
(5)side effect of medication
Treatment plan
(1)he should have samples sent to the lab for analysis
(2)no solid food because will not be absorbed and would aggravate the diarrhea
(3)probiotics can sometimes help to restore normal bacterial flora
(4)may need imaging to take a look at the colon eg colonoscopy
(5)use rehydration packets or gatorade to help replace both fluids and electrolytes
(6)meds such as lomotil or pepto bismol would help stop the diarrhea
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
