Treatment Options for Diarrhea
Updated on October 30, 2024
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Diarrhea is a symptom of many health conditions. It refers to passing runny or loose stool more than three times a day. You might experience diarrhea along with cramping, intense urges to poop, feeling sick, and abdominal pain. People of all ages get diarrhea, and most people get it at least once a year.
Severe diarrhea lasts longer than a few days or causes bloody stools, fever, extreme pain, or unwanted weight loss; it warrants a trip to the doctor for possible further treatment or testing for an underlying issue. Acute diarrhea most often occurs due to a viral or bacterial infection. However, medication and bowel surgery side effects, intolerances to certain foods, or chronic bowel conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can lead to long-term or chronic diarrhea.
Diarrhea typically clears up in a few days without treatment and doesn’t lead to any further health problems. You can take steps at home to help speed that process along and return more quickly to your normal pooping schedule and consistency.
Medication
Most people only need over-the-counter (OTC) medications to manage short-term diarrhea. However, doctors may recommend against using OTC diarrhea drugs if symptoms such as fever or bloody stools develop, or if you have diarrhea for longer than 48 hours.
Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection, especially if your immune system is compromised. They may administer a blood test or ask for a stool sample to identify which bacteria or microorganism is causing your symptoms. The antibiotic prescribed depends on the type of bacteria causing diarrhea, but this might be more common in people who get traveler’s diarrhea after picking up harmful bacteria from unsanitary bathrooms or food preparation.
Antidiarrheal Agents
This class of drugs reduces how much fluid enters the bowel and slows down bowel movements, meaning you will need to visit the bathroom less often.
These include the following:
- loperamide (Imodium, Maalox)
- bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Bismusal, and Pink Bismuth)
Loperamide is available as a capsule, tablet, or powder that you can dissolve in fluid and take by mouth.
Bismuth subsalicylate also comes as a chewable tablet. It’s capable of reducing inflammation in the gut and attacking some organisms that can trigger diarrhea. Some people take bismuth subsalicylate to treat heartburn and stomach pain.
Loperamide’s most common side effects are constipation and fatigue. Taking more than the recommended dose can affect heart rhythm, so people with slow or irregular heartbeats or low potassium should avoid loperamide. Children under two years of age shouldn’t use loperamide. Bismuth subsalicylate has links to buzzing or ringing in the ears, so speak with your doctor if any side effects emerge while taking it.
Fluoroquinolones
Doctors traditionally prescribe this class of antibiotics as a first-line treatment for traveler’s diarrhea or to target specific bacteria. Fluoroquinolones are considered broad-spectrum, meaning they can attack a wide range of bacteria.
Drugs in this class include the following:
- ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
- levofloxacin (Levaquin)
In parts of the world, including South and Southeast Asia, fluoroquinolones have become less effective because of antibiotic resistance. Campylobacter, salmonella, and shigella may be developing increased resistance to fluoroquinolones in some locations. The drugs also carry a black box warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — its strongest caution — due to side effects that might include heart damage, low blood sugar, mental health effects, and soft tissue problems such as tendon inflammation and rupture.
Antiparasitic Drugs
Parasites are microorganisms that live inside another organism. In humans, these can include protozoa, ectoparasites, and helminths. Different classes of antiparasitic drugs target various parasites. For example, antigiardial agents, including metronidazole, attack giardia (found in standing water such as lakes and ponds), which can cause diarrhea.
A wide variety of antiparasitic drugs are available, and they may cause a range of side effects — some of which include diarrhea. Discuss these with your doctor.
Your diarrhea might result from a chronic health condition, such as a food allergy or IBD. Your doctor will work with you to figure out the underlying issue through testing and come up with an appropriate treatment plan. Likewise, if you can take medication to manage some health conditions, diarrhea may be a side effect of medication. Your healthcare provider may alter the dose or switch you to another medication.
Whether you need prescription antibiotics, antiparasitics, or OTC antidiarrheal drugs, always speak to your doctor about any medications you take or underlying conditions before taking diarrhea medications. Follow the instructions on the packaging closely and report any serious side effects to a medical professional.
Lifestyle Changes
Making adjustments to your diet can ease pressure on your digestive system and help reduce diarrhea frequency. Some causes of diarrhea are closely linked to diet. For example, people with lactose intolerance have problems processing a particular sugar in many dairy products, leading to diarrhea. Doctors may recommend avoiding this trigger by cutting out dairy or whichever food is causing the problem.
A Bland Diet
A bland diet may be easier on your digestive system than your usual diet and can help ease symptoms, especially when recovering from an acute diarrhea episode. Some doctors refer to this as the BRAT diet, after some of the more common foods that they recommend during bouts of diarrhea:
- Bananas
- Rice
- Applesauce
- Toast
Other foods that are good to eat on a bland diet include the following:
- Bread
- Crackers
- Pasta made with refined white flour
- Soup, especially broth
- Cooked, canned, or frozen vegetables
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Lean, tender protein like poultry or whitefish that is steamed, baked, or grilled with no added fat or whole spices
While you’re sticking to a bland diet, you may want to avoid the following:
- Fatty dairy foods
- Fried foods
- Raw vegetables
- Sugary foods
- Dried fruits or seedy fruits like berries or figs
- Whole-grain bread, crackers, or pasta
- Strong cheeses
- Spicy or strongly flavored items like hot peppers and garlic
- Highly seasoned, cured, or smoked meats and fish
Eating small snacks and meals during the day may ease the pressure on your digestive system. Talk to your doctor about when you should return to eating other foods.
Fluids and Electrolytes
Since fluid loss during diarrhea can lead to dehydration, make sure that you take appropriate steps to replace the fluids and electrolytes. You can sip fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated. Ice chips, popsicles, and Jell-O are other good options. Drinking at least a cup of fluid after each runny bowel movement can help prevent dehydration.
Be sure to replenish electrolytes as well as fluids by drinking fruit juices or sports drinks, such as Gatorade, and eating soups with clear broth. Salty foods like pretzels, crackers, and soups can help you maintain sodium levels along with good fluid intake.
However, be wary of the sugar in juices and sports drinks, as too much can worsen diarrhea symptoms. For children, talk to your pediatrician about oral rehydration solutions to prevent dehydration, like Pedialyte.
In very severe and long-lasting cases of diarrhea, your doctor may recommend treatment with fluid and electrolytes via intravenous infusion in the emergency room.
Complementary Treatments
Diarrhea often resolves without medical intervention, but it can still feel unpleasant or uncomfortable while a virus is passing through your body. Likewise, people with chronic problems that cause diarrhea, like IBS or IBD, may benefit from treatments for symptoms around diarrhea, such as anal soreness. These treatments may not replace dietary measures or medications, but they may help you feel better during or after diarrhea.
Anal Relief
Excessive pooping can leave your anus feeling sore, burning, or itchy. Pooping itself might hurt, or you might feel uncomfortable afterward. To help your butt feel better during periods of diarrhea, try the following:
- Sitz Bath This is a warm bath, filled to a low level with water, in which you lay down for 15 to 20 minutes. Soaking the area between the anus and genitals can help relax the ring of muscles that open and close the anus, or anal sphincter, which can reduce pain and help the anus heal. Be sure to pat your anus dry instead of rubbing it when you leave the bath.
- Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) This is water-repellent and can help to moisturize and soothe the anus.
- Mild Soap To keep the anus clean after diarrhea, use mild soap, rinse the area well, and pat yourself dry. You can also use unscented baby wipes.
Probiotics
Probiotics are microorganisms that can help restore balance to the community of bacteria in the gut (microbiome) by boosting its population of good bacteria. Probiotic products often feature the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families of bacteria. Pharmacies and health-food stores sell oral probiotics in capsule, powder, or liquid form. Manufacturers also sometimes add them to foods, such as certain brands of yogurt. Fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut naturally provide smaller amounts of probiotics.
Probiotics don’t provide a quick fix, but there is mixed evidence that they may help patients with diarrhea due to conditions like IBS regulate their digestive system over a longer period.
That said, more research is necessary to better understand which strains of bacteria and what doses are most helpful, so a careful trial in discussion with your physician is warranted.
The Takeaway
Depending on the cause, most acute diarrheal episodes pass without treatment, but OTC antidiarrheal agents can reduce how often you poop, and a doctor might prescribe antibiotics or antiparasitic drugs depending on the situation (for example, if you are immunocompromised or have a specific infection).
Sticking to soft, low-fiber foods and drinking fluids with electrolytes regularly can support smoother digestive function recovery and a reduced risk of dehydration. However, people with chronic conditions that cause diarrhea may need to speak to a doctor about switching their regular medications or managing symptoms long term.
Common Questions & Answers
What are some steps you can take at home to help speed up the recovery process for diarrhea?
Replace fluids by drinking water, fruit juices, or sports drinks. Eat a bland diet that consists of soft, not spicy foods. Consider taking over-the-counter medication if necessary. Talk to your doctor about underlying health conditions or medication side effects. Consider taking probiotics.
Why is it important to replace fluids when you have diarrhea?
Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, so it's important to drink plenty of fluids to replace what the body is losing.
What is a bland diet, and why is it recommended for diarrhea?
A bland diet consists of soft, not spicy foods that are easy on the digestive system. It is recommended to ease diarrhea symptoms and promote recovery.
Can over-the-counter medication help with diarrhea?
Yes, over-the-counter medications like loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate can help ease the discomfort of diarrhea. However, if diarrhea lasts longer than a few days, it's important to see a doctor for additional treatment.
How can probiotics help with diarrhea?
Probiotics are microorganisms that can restore balance to the intestinal tract by increasing good bacteria. Studies have shown that taking probiotics may help treat certain cases of diarrhea, but more research is needed to determine the most effective strains and doses.
Resources We Trust
- Cleveland Clinic: Diarrhea
- Harvard Health Publishing: Is Something In Your Diet Causing Diarrhea?
- Mayo Clinic: Diarrhea
- American Cancer Society: What to Do for Diarrhea?
- National Institutes of Health: Treatment for Diarrhea
Meet Our Experts
Yuying Luo, MD
Medical Reviewer
Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.
Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.
She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.
Adam Felman
Author
Adam is a freelance writer and editor based in Sussex, England. He loves creating content that helps people and animals feel better. His credits include Medical News Today, Greatist, ZOE, MyLifeforce, and Rover, and he also spent a stint as senior updates editor for Screen Rant.
As a hearing aid user and hearing loss advocate, Adam greatly values content that illuminates invisible disabilities. (He's also a music producer and loves the opportunity to explore the junction at which hearing loss and music collide head-on.)
In his spare time, Adam enjoys running along Worthing seafront, hanging out with his rescue dog, Maggie, and performing loop artistry for disgruntled-looking rooms of 10 people or less.
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Resources
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- Campbell S et al. Antiparasitic Drugs. StatPearls. May 2023.
- Bland Diet. MedlinePlus. May 4, 2024.
- Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Diarrhea. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. November 2016.
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- Gastrointestinal Soft Diet Overview. Cleveland Clinic. February 2021.
- What to Do for Diarrhea. American Cancer Society.
- Nemeth V et al. Diarrhea. StatPearls. November 21, 2022.
- Is something in your diet causing diarrhea? Harvard Health Publishing. August 8, 2023.
- Diarrhea. Mayo Clinic. August 3, 2024.
- Sitz Bath. Cleveland Clinic. September 11, 2022.
- Probiotics. Cleveland Clinic. October 30, 2023.