Hi,I am Dr. Andrew Rynne (Family Physician). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
My mother is 85 and has a bad eye infection. She has been on oral antibiotics and her stomach is so upset that she can barely eat. It has given her extreme diarrhea, too. I can't imagine she is absorbing any medicine, she tries to eat to offset the effect of the antibiotic but everything goes right through her. Mostly she eats cereals, crackers and ice cream. She eats yogurt on the crackers for "good bacteria." The doctor won't let her go on just eye cream. What can we do?
Thank you for the query. As per the history, your mother is 85 yrs old, with a severe eye infection for which she required oral antibiotics, and presently suffering from diarrhoea. I n all probabilities, the diarrhoea is an antibiotic induced one (very common with high end antibiotics). In this case, it is advisable to maintain her fluid and electrolyte balance, she requires plenty of oral fluid intake and oral rehydration salt/solution. Probiotic drugs are advisable (like lactobacillus), and she can continue having curd, as this is helpful. There are certain drugs which are specifically taken for this condition (like metronidazole and oral vancomycin), however, these should be taken only after consulting your physician. If symptoms persist or worsen certain infection parameters need to be checked like total white blood cell count and stool for C.difficile toxin. Hope this helps you.
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Suggest Treatment For Diarrhea In An Elderly
Thank you for the query. As per the history, your mother is 85 yrs old, with a severe eye infection for which she required oral antibiotics, and presently suffering from diarrhoea. I n all probabilities, the diarrhoea is an antibiotic induced one (very common with high end antibiotics). In this case, it is advisable to maintain her fluid and electrolyte balance, she requires plenty of oral fluid intake and oral rehydration salt/solution. Probiotic drugs are advisable (like lactobacillus), and she can continue having curd, as this is helpful. There are certain drugs which are specifically taken for this condition (like metronidazole and oral vancomycin), however, these should be taken only after consulting your physician. If symptoms persist or worsen certain infection parameters need to be checked like total white blood cell count and stool for C.difficile toxin. Hope this helps you.