Antibiotics For Diarrhea - How To Choose? List, Indications And Contraindications

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 09:49

Antibiotics for diarrhea

Antibiotics for diarrhea do not always need to be taken. You can not start drinking antibacterial drugs without first finding out the cause of the problem. However, there are situations in which taking antibiotics is the only treatment.

Content:

• Indications for taking antibiotics for diarrhea
• Why doesn't regular diarrhea require antibiotics?
• How to choose a drug to treat diarrhea?
• What antibiotics are prescribed for diarrhea in children?
• Recovery of bowel function after taking antibiotics
• Contraindications to antibiotic treatment
• Precautions

Indications for taking antibiotics for diarrhea

There are specific indications for the appointment of antibiotic therapy against the background of diarrhea.

This applies to those cases when stool liquefaction was triggered by a disease that is bacterial in nature:

• Salmonellosis.
• Cholera.
• Dysentery.

If diarrhea is the result of a viral infection, then antibacterial drugs should be discarded. Failure to comply with this recommendation threatens the development of complications.

Taking antibiotics allows you to destroy the pathogenic bacterial flora, but along with it, they kill the beneficial bacteria that are always present in the intestines. That is why it is forbidden to use them without good reason. As a result of improper therapy, it will only be possible to aggravate the course of the disease.

Symptoms that may indicate the need for antibiotic therapy:

• Copious loose stools.
• The presence of green impurities in the stool.
• The presence of mucus in the stool in large quantities.
• The presence of blood in the stool.

Why doesn't regular diarrhea require antibiotics?

Diarrhea is not always caused by bacteria.

The reason for the thinning and frequent stool can be:

• Viral infection (enteroviruses, rotaviruses, caliciviruses).
• Parasitic invasion (helminth infection).
• Toxic infection.
• Intestine infection with protozoa.

Moreover, it is not always the infection that causes diarrhea.

The cause of its occurrence can be reduced to one of the following factors:

• Taking medicines.
• Inflammation of the small or large intestine against the background of chronic damage to the digestive tract.
• Ischemic bowel disease.
• Diseases of other organs included in the digestive system.
• Failure in the processes of food digestion.
• Impaired absorption of nutrients.
• Lactase deficiency.
• Enzymatic insufficiency, disturbances in the work of the gallbladder.

Sometimes diarrhea develops against a background of neurological disorders, for example, with strong emotional excitement or stress.

As a rule, intestinal infections that were not provoked by the bacterial flora go away on their own. Taking antibiotics is not required in this case. Moreover, they are capable of causing serious harm to health. For example, if diarrhea was provoked by the ingestion of enterotoxins, then taking antibiotics can cause toxic and infectious shock.

It is dangerous to take antibacterial drugs if the intestine is affected by E. coli bacteria. Under the influence of these drugs, bacteria begin to produce shigatoxins. They have a hemolytic-uremic effect. This can cause the infection to spread throughout the body and be very difficult to get rid of.

Diarrhea that develops while taking antibacterial drugs or after their cancellation also cannot be treated with these drugs. This will lead to the fact that the entire intestinal microflora will be completely destroyed, there will be a failure in metabolism. Against this background, osmotic diarrhea often develops, which is fraught with serious complications for human health.

How to choose a drug to treat diarrhea?

To get rid of diarrhea and not harm your own health, you first need to get medical advice. Only after passing all the necessary tests, the doctor will be able to choose an adequate therapy. It will be etiological, that is, proceed from the causes of the disease.

The goal of antibacterial therapy is to destroy pathogenic flora, eliminate symptoms of the disease, and restore normal bowel function.

The antibiotic is selected depending on the sensitivity of the pathogenic flora to it. In addition, your doctor may prescribe intestinal antiseptics to help clear up the infection faster.

If a patient has a history of an allergic reaction to one or another drug, then before taking an antibiotic, he is prescribed special allergenic tests.

Reception of antibiotic therapy is possible for the following indications:

• The patient has an infection provoked by an invasive bacterial flora. Diarrhea is characterized by profuse loose stools with mucus and blood.
• Against the background of an intestinal infection, the patient's condition is complicated by other somatic diseases. Kidneys, heart, lungs can be affected. The development of such a serious complication as blood poisoning is not excluded.

It is mandatory to take antibiotics in the treatment of dysentery and escherichiosis, when the infection spreads with the blood stream throughout the body. Sometimes antibiotics are recommended for people with traveler's diarrhea.

Effective drugs for the treatment of diarrhea:

• Levomycetin is a drug that has been used to treat bacterial diarrhea for many years. Levomycetin has a wide spectrum of action, due to which it fights against most pathogenic microorganisms.
• Metronidazole is an antimicrobial and antiprotozoal drug.
• Ciprofloxacin is a modern antibacterial drug that allows you to get rid of most of the causative agents of diarrhea.
• Amoxicillin is an antibiotic that is effective against a number of intestinal and extraintestinal pathogens.

In any case, before taking this or that drug, you need to get medical advice.

What antibiotics are prescribed for diarrhea in children?

Antibiotics for the treatment of diarrhea in children are prescribed only when the disease is caused by a bacterial infection. Viral diarrhea is treated with other medications. Before starting treatment, you should establish the exact cause of the diarrhea, which will allow you to choose a targeted drug.

Prescription of antibacterial drugs in childhood requires the following diseases accompanied by diarrhea:

• Botulism;
• Salmonellosis;
• Dysentery;
• Giardiasis;
• Typhoid and paratyphoid fever;
• Cholera, etc.

With botulism

The causative agent of botulism is Clostridium Botulinum. Infection occurs when eating foods containing this bacterium. Homemade canned food is especially dangerous in this regard.

Botulism symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain. A severe course of the disease requires taking the following medicines:

• Levomycetin. Children 3-8 years old are given sweat 125 mg, 3-4 times a day. Children 8-16 years old are prescribed 250 mg of the drug 3-4 times a day. The course of treatment lasts 7-10 days.
• Ampicillin. The dose of the drug is calculated depending on the patient's body weight (12-15 mg / kg). The drug is taken 4 times a day. The course of treatment lasts 5-10 days.

With salmonellosis

The causative agent of salmonellosis is Salmonella. Infection occurs while eating food contaminated with this parasite.

Salmonellosis symptoms: profuse and prolonged diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, high body temperature.

Salmonellosis requires the following medications:

• Furazolidone. The dosage of the drug is calculated by the doctor. It depends not only on age, but also on the weight of the child. The course of treatment lasts at least 10 days.
• Levomycetin. Children 3-8 years old are given sweat 125 mg of the drug, 3-4 times a day. Children 8-16 years old are prescribed 250 mg of the drug 3-4 times a day. The course of treatment lasts 7-10 days.
• Doxycycline. The drug is prescribed for the treatment of children over 8 years old. The dose calculation depends on the weight of the child (2-4 mg / kg). Frequency of admission: 1-2 times a day.

With cholera

The causative agent of cholera is Vibrio cholerae. Infection occurs when eating food or water containing Vibrio cholerae.

The causative agent of cholera settles in the small intestine and provokes the following symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, limb cramps.

For the treatment of cholera, the following drugs are prescribed:

• Levomycetin. Children 3-8 years old are given sweat 125 mg, 3-4 times a day. Children 8-16 years old are prescribed 250 mg of the drug 3-4 times a day. The course of treatment lasts 7-10 days.
• Tetracycline. The drug is prescribed for the treatment of children over 8 years old. The dose is calculated based on the child's body weight (25-50 mg / kg), Tetracycline is taken 4 times a day. The duration of treatment is 5 days.

With giardiasis

The causative agent of the infection is Giardia (Lamblia) intestinalis. Infection occurs by ingestion of food or water, which contains the parasite. Possible transmission of giardiasis through unwashed hands.

Symptoms of the infection include severe diarrhea, lack of appetite, nausea, and bloating.

Treatment of giardiasis requires the appointment of the following antibiotics:

Metronidazole. The drug is prescribed for children over 12 years old. The dose calculation depends on the child's body weight (7.5 mg / kg). Frequency rate of admission - 3 times a day.

With typhoid and paratyphoid fever

The causative agent of the infection is Salmonella. Infection occurs when food or water containing pathogenic microorganisms gets inside. They settle in the small intestine.

Symptoms of typhoid fever: diarrhea, which can be replaced by constipation, flatulence, lack of desire to eat, headaches.

Typhoid and paratyphoid fever are treated with the following medicines:

• Chloramphenicol. Children under 3 years old - 15 mg / kg. Children 3-8 years old 150-200 mg. Children over 8 years old, 200-400 mg. The drug is taken 3-4 times a day for a week (maximum 10 days).
• Amoxicillin. Children 2-5 years old are prescribed 125 mg 3 times a day. Children from 5 years and older are prescribed 250-500 mg 3 times a day. The course of treatment lasts for 5-12 days.

With dysentery

The causative agent of the infection is Shigella. The bacteria enters the body through unwashed hands or by drinking dirty water.

Dysentery is characterized by the following symptoms: profuse diarrhea with mucus, blood and pus, vomiting and nausea, headache, weakness.

The following medications are required to treat dysentery:

• Furadonin. The dose calculation depends on the child's body weight: 5-8 mg / kg. The received daily dose will need to be divided into 4 doses.
• Ersefuril. The drug is prescribed for the treatment of children aged 6 years and older. The patient should drink 3-4 capsules per day. The course of treatment lasts for a week, but no more.
• Intetrix. Children are prescribed 1-2 tablets 2 times a day. The course of treatment is 10 days.

Recovery of bowel function after taking antibiotics

Diarrhea after taking antibacterial drugs is very common. This can happen when high doses of a drug are prescribed, or in the case when it was selected incorrectly.

Diarrhea can begin after long-term treatment with antibacterial drugs, even if the therapy was fully justified and was prescribed by a doctor. The fact is that such drugs are harmful not only for the pathogenic, but also for the intestinal microflora. In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to take drugs to restore and maintain the intestinal biocenosis at the stage of antibiotic treatment. These are the so-called probiotics and prebiotics.

Many patients ask themselves the question: how to make sure that the treatment of diarrhea does not lead to a violation of the intestinal microflora? In order to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea, or quickly get rid of it, you need to know and follow certain recommendations.

The own intestinal microflora is sensitive to the components that make up the antibacterial agents.

To restore the natural biocenosis of the small and large intestine, the following tips should be taken into account:

• Follow a diet.
• Take medications aimed at correcting the intestinal microflora.
• Prevent dehydration of the body.
• Avoid severe intoxication of the body.

Preparations that allow you to restore the intestinal microflora:

• Probiotics that contain live bacteria.
• Prebiotics, which contain components that contribute to the normalization of the intestinal microflora.
• Synbiotics, which contain substances that make up probiotics and prebiotics.

In addition to the fact that these drugs allow you to restore your own intestinal microflora, they also help to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, thereby bringing closer recovery. Taking probiotics and prebiotics allows for better absorption of vitamins from food, and also creates favorable conditions for the body itself to be able to produce vitamins necessary for its vital functions. At the same time, the digestive functions are normalized, the intestines are cleaned from toxic substances.

Probiotics

After entering the intestines, beneficial bacteria contained in the preparation begin to actively grow and multiply.

All probiotics are presented in 4 groups:

• First generation (monobiotics). These preparations contain only 1 type of bacteria: bifidobacteria, colibacteria or lactobacilli.
• Second generation (antagonists). These preparations contain yeasts and bacteria that help inhibit the growth of pathogenic flora. They themselves do not settle in the intestines, being excreted naturally.
• Third generation (multicomponent drugs). These probiotics contain several types of bacteria that, after entering the intestines, begin their growth and development.
• Fourth generation (probiotic sorbents). These preparations, in addition to beneficial bacteria, contain sorbents, which increases the effectiveness of the treatment.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics contain components that are the basis for the nutrition of beneficial flora, which contributes to its growth and reproduction.

This can be pectin, fiber, sorbitol, xylitol and other carbohydrates. Prebiotics should be combined with probiotics.

Synbiotics

These drugs combine complexes of beneficial bacteria and the basis for their growth and development. That is, symbiotics have both the effects of probiotics and prebiotics at the same time. It is this group of drugs that doctors most actively prescribe for the treatment of diarrhea triggered by the intake of antibacterial drugs.

Diet

Diet is a must when treating diarrhea. A lightweight menu allows you to reduce the load on the digestive system, provides a basis for quick recovery, saturates the body with nutrients.

When a person suffers from profuse diarrhea, he needs to focus on the following foods:

• Boiled eggs.
• Steamed omelet.
• Slimy porridge: semolina, rice, buckwheat.
• Decoction of rice.
• Kissel with fruits and berries.
• Baked apples.
• Crackers.

For cereals to have the necessary astringent properties, they must be boiled in more water than usual. Cereals should be boiled well. This will allow not to burden the intestines.

Kissel should be cooked based on sweet berries and fruits. You can dilute the juice with water.

When the acute stage of diarrhea has passed, it is allowed to introduce fish and meat into your menu. Low-fat varieties should be preferred. Meat dishes should be prepared in the form of soufflés, cutlets, casseroles, meatballs. The method of heat treatment should be chosen as gentle as possible - it is steaming or boiling.

Soups and purees are cooked on the basis of vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, broccoli. Eating sweet peppers, white cabbage, legumes and mushrooms should be avoided.

In order not to aggravate diarrhea and gas formation, the menu should be free of products such as coffee, carbonated drinks, black bread, spices. They can be consumed no earlier than 10 days after recovery. The same rule holds true for fatty, fried, salty and pickled foods. Dairy products should be treated with caution.

Lactic acid drinks perfectly restore intestinal microflora. Therefore, it is useful to drink yoghurts, kefir, leaven. You should purchase those dairy products that have a short shelf life. On the packaging you can read what kind of microorganisms this or that drink is enriched with. You can enter kefir and yogurt after the diarrhea is completely stopped.

Prevention of dehydration and intoxication

During each stool, the patient loses a large amount of fluid, so it must be replenished in a timely manner. Otherwise, the person is at risk of dehydration. In addition to water, you can drink weakly brewed green and black tea, herbal decoctions, juices diluted with water.

Lemon juice has an excellent antiseptic effect, so it can be added to drinks, but in limited quantities.

Astringent effect is provided by compotes based on quince, bird cherry and blueberry.

Contraindications to antibiotic treatment

In 80% of cases, intestinal infections go away on their own, therefore, taking antibacterial drugs is justified in no more than 20% of cases. Antibiotics should be prescribed by a doctor, and only on the basis of laboratory tests. It is important to evaluate the benefits of taking the drug and the possible harm it can cause.

Not every diarrhea of an infectious origin requires antibiotic therapy. Sometimes it is enough to provide the patient with high-quality rehydration so that the intestines cope with the pathology on their own.

In addition, taking antibiotics can harm the body. So, there is a group of bacteria that produce enterotoxins. When these bacteria die quickly, which is facilitated by antibiotic therapy, a person can develop infectious toxic shock. This condition poses a threat not only to the health, but also to the patient's life.

A similar condition can develop during the massive death of E. coli, which produce shiga toxin, which has a hemolytic uremic effect.

In case of salmonellosis, taking antibacterial drugs is associated with an increase in the time period during which the bacteria will be removed from the body.

Taking antibiotics may not prevent, but provoke a strengthening of the stool. This condition is called antibiotic-associated diarrhea. So, antibiotics have a detrimental effect on the intestinal microflora, which disrupts the absorption of carbohydrates. As a result, the patient develops osmotic diarrhea. This state of the body is a favorable environment for the growth and development of pathogenic flora.

Clavulanic acid and Erythromycin affect intestinal motility. Preparations from the tetracycline and penicillin groups are capable of provoking an inflammatory process on the colon wall.

Therefore, diarrhea develops either while taking antibacterial drugs, or after their withdrawal. In order to prevent the development of more severe complications, it is necessary to carry out rehydration therapy and follow the instructions given by the doctor.

Precautions

Diarrhea can be life threatening. Therefore, if it does not go away for several days, you should consult a doctor. Immediate consultation with a specialist requires acute intoxication, severe pain and disturbances in the functioning of other organs.

A terrible symptom is the presence of pus and blood in the feces. Self-medication in this case is an unacceptable measure. Moreover, this applies to the independent prescription of antibacterial drugs.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.