Some people who experience diarrhea immediately go to the pharmacy to buy antidiarrheal medication, but at the same time, they are not sure whether to take it before or after meals.
Should antidiarrheal medication be taken before or after meals?
The basic principle of medication consumption should be determined based on the characteristics of the medication itself and whether it is harmful to the gastrointestinal tract. Antidiarrheal medication has a constricting and astringent effect. In order to better enter the intestine and take effect quickly, it is usually recommended to take it before meals. However, for some antidiarrheal medications that have a strong stimulating effect on the gastric mucosa or for individuals with severe gastrointestinal diseases, whether to take antidiarrheal medication before meals should be done under the guidance of a doctor.
Is it necessary to take antidiarrheal medication immediately when experiencing diarrhea?
Some people blindly take antidiarrheal medication as soon as they discover or worsen diarrhea. In fact, this is a treatment misconception. For infectious diarrhea (such as enteritis, dysentery), appropriate bowel movements are a protective mechanism of the human body. Diarrhea helps eliminate bacteria, viruses, and other toxins from the body, reducing harm to the body. Taking antidiarrheal medication blindly at this time will only have a "keeping the enemy within" effect.
Treatment method: If infectious diarrhea occurs, antibacterial medication should be taken under the guidance of a doctor, and antidiarrheal medication should be taken appropriately.
Can antibiotics and antidiarrheal medication be taken simultaneously?
If antidiarrheal medication is needed, it is not recommended to take it simultaneously with antibiotics. Generally, there should be a time interval of about one hour between the two. This is because antidiarrheal medication has a certain adsorption effect. If taken simultaneously, antibiotics, vitamins, etc. may be adsorbed and not absorbed by the intestinal mucosa, affecting their effectiveness.
Do not take antidiarrheal medication with milk at the same time.
If antidiarrheal medication is taken when a patient has diarrhea, do not consume milk at the same time. Milk not only reduces the effectiveness of antidiarrheal medication, but the lactose in milk can also worsen the symptoms of diarrhea. Therefore, patients with diarrhea should not consume milk while taking antidiarrheal medication.
Does taking too much antidiarrheal medication cause constipation?
Most antidiarrheal medications work by reducing intestinal motility and protecting the intestine from irritation, and are generally used for severe or long-term diarrhea. If antidiarrheal medication continues to be taken after diarrhea is relieved or disappears, it is possible to cause constipation.
