The best strategy to fight diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics is to take probiotics, a food supplement easily found in the pharmacy, which contains bacteria that regulate bowel function. However, it is also important to adapt the diet, avoiding raw foods, difficult to digest and strong spices.
Other tips that can help reduce this side effect of the antibiotic are:
- Drink homemade whey, coconut water and fruit juices; Take easily digestible soups and broths; Avoid high-fiber foods such as fruit skins, wheat bran, oatmeal and dairy products; Avoid high-carbohydrate foods, which are prepared with wheat flour; take yogurt with probiotics or kefir or yakult because they help replenish the good bacteria in the intestine.
But if in addition to diarrhea the person also has a sensitive stomach, it is advisable to follow a light diet, easy to digest, such as chicken soup or mashed potatoes with boiled eggs, for example so as not to have a bloated stomach and feeling of indigestion
See more tips on what to eat in the following video:
Why antibiotics cause diarrhea
In this case, diarrhea happens because the drug eliminates all bacteria present in the intestine, both good and bad, which must always be in balance to ensure proper intestinal functioning. Diarrhea usually starts on the second day of taking antibiotics and stops when the medication is stopped. However, it may take up to 3 days after the medicine is stopped for intestinal recovery.
The proliferation of a bad bacteria called Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) can occur when taking antibiotics such as clindamycin, ampicillin or cephalosporins, which can cause a disease called pseudomembranous colitis.
Warning signs to go to the doctor
It is recommended to go to the doctor if the diarrhea is very strong and frequent, making studies or work impossible or if they are present:
- Fever above 38.3ยบ C; Have blood or mucus in the stool; Show signs of dehydration such as sunken eyes, dry mouth and dry lips; Do not stop anything in the stomach and vomiting is frequent; Intense abdominal pain.
In these situations, you should go to the doctor or the emergency room indicating the symptoms you have, when they appeared and also the medications you are taking or that you have taken in the last few days because these symptoms may appear after the antibiotic has stopped.
The use of medicines that hold the intestine like Imosec is not recommended and it is also not the best way to stop taking the antibiotics that the doctor or dentist has prescribed just because of this unpleasant side effect.
