How to stop diarrhea fast medicine

Medically Reviewed by Minesh Khatri, MD on June 19, 2022

Diarrhea is a common condition. But there are anti-diarrheal drugs that can ease your symptoms. They help keep you from losing too much fluid. They also replace nutrients you may have lost. You can get them with or without a prescription.

It’s watery poop that sends you to the bathroom three or more times a day. You might get belly cramps or feel sick to your stomach. There are a few different types:

Short-term, or acute, diarrhea may last up to 2 weeks.
Persistent diarrhea goes on for 2-4 weeks.
Ongoing diarrhea may come and go, but your symptoms will last a month or longer.

Some common causes include:

Tell your doctor if you get diarrhea a lot. You may have a medical condition. Treatment depends on what’s causing it.

They usually work for sudden or short-term diarrhea. You shouldn’t use them for more than 2 days. Be sure to read the directions. The dose is different for adults and older children. Ask your doctor before you give anti-diarrheal drugs to younger kids. Popular over-the-counter (OTC) options include:

Loperamide. Poop can’t move through your intestines as fast when you take this drug. It’ll come out less often and more solid when your body has time to absorb water.

Bismuth subsalicylate. This drug can ease inflammation and protect your intestines from germs. It may ease other symptoms like nausea or an upset stomach.

OTC anti-diarrheal medicine doesn’t usually cause problems. But like other drugs, there’s always a chance you could have unwanted side effects. Some are mild, while others are more serious. Check with your doctor if you get symptoms like:

Bismuth subsalicylate can make your tongue or poop dark. These changes typically go away once you quit using the drug. Very high doses of loperamide can cause serious heart problems or even death.

You may have more side effects if you take other drugs at the same time. Some medicines may not work as well if you take them with OTC anti-diarrheal drugs. Talk to your doctor if you have questions.

Your doctor may prescribe medicine to help control your symptoms if you often have diarrhea because of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). These medicines include:

Alosetron (Lotronex) is for some women with really serious IBS-D. Your doctor may give it to you if nothing else works. It could cause serious side effects, like constipation and less blood flow to your colon.

Eluxadoline (Viberzi) can slow down gut contractions. That might ease your pain. But you shouldn’t use it if you don’t have a gallbladder. It could lead to pancreatitis. That’s when your pancreas is inflamed.

Rifaximin (Xifaxan) is an antibiotic that works on certain bacteria in your gut. You’d likely only take it for 2 weeks. It’s sometimes used to treat traveler’s diarrhea.

New IBS-D drugs are in the works. Ask your doctor if there are more options you can try.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, can cause ongoing diarrhea. Your doctor will give you another kind of prescription to manage those conditions.

Don’t try to treat your diarrhea at home if you have signs of an infection. Talk to your doctor first if you have a fever or there’s blood in your poop. You may need an antibiotic or other medicine to get rid of bacteria or parasites.

Don’t take bismuth subsalicylate if you’re allergic to aspirin. Teenagers or kids with chickenpox or flu-like symptoms shouldn’t take it either. It raises their chances of Reye’s syndrome. That’s a rare condition that can hurt their brain and liver.

Don’t give anti-diarrheal drugs to babies or young kids. Ingredients like bismuth, magnesium, and aluminum can build up in their little bodies. The doctor can tell you which drugs are safe for children under 12.

Don’t take bismuth salicylate or other anti-diarrheal drugs if you’re pregnant without talking to your doctor first.

A probiotic may help. They’re pills or food with “good” bacteria or yeast in them. They can replace “bad” bacteria that live in your gut. More research is needed to know if they soothe diarrhea. Ask your doctor if they’re right for you.

Not eating foods you have a hard time processing may stop diarrhea. If you’re not sure what to avoid, talk to a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). They can help you figure out the problem foods.

Call your doctor if you have a high fever or your diarrhea gets worse after a couple of days. Tell them about any medicines you’re taking or if you have other health conditions. Get help right away if you or a loved one also has:

Blood or pus in their poop
Thrown up a lot
Unable to keep food down
More than six loose stools in one day
Serious belly or rectal pain
High fever
Confusion or a dizzy feeling

Diarrhea or loose stools may be caused by an infection, parasites, certain medications, intestinal disease, food intolerance, hormone disorders, bowel cancer or lactose intolerance. You can stop diarrhea fast with one of two different kinds of over-the-counter medication, Imodium (loperamide) or Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate).

The following two over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may be taken to get rid of diarrhea:

Imodium (loperamide): Loperamide slows down the movement of things through the intestines (bowels). This allows more fluid to be absorbed into the body. This reduces the number of loose stools and helps make more formed stools.
Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate): Bismuth subsalicylate balances the way fluid moves through the intestines. It reduces inflammation. It keeps bacteria and viruses that cause diarrhea from growing in the stomach and intestines.

Don’t use more than one OTC antidiarrheal medicine at a time unless the doctor suggests it. They may have similar active ingredients, resulting in you taking too much of a certain medication. Apart from the above options, another way to get rid of diarrhea is to take antibiotics. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics, if necessary. The doctor will not prescribe antibiotics for diarrhea caused by a virus.

Dietary recommendations

The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) is an old dietary recommendation. Staying away from heavy fatty foods and dairy except for probiotic-rich yogurt is almost always a good strategy. Dietary strategies are aimed at bowel rest and, therefore, following a bland diet can be helpful.
Consume as much fluid as possible, but avoid dehydrating beverages with sugar, caffeine, alcohol or prunes because they have a laxative effect.
Make up for the lost minerals by constantly sipping on oral rehydration solution (ORS) or a mixture of lemon, water, salt and sugar throughout the day. Clear soups, chicken broth, buttermilk and fruit juices are also hydrating.

An additional intake of coconut water, certain fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers and bottle gourd, with a regular dosage of water can help the body rejuvenate and recover from the impact of diarrhea. Drink plenty of fluids, such as soups and broths, which have concentrates of fresh and leafy vegetables for an elevated hydration level in the body. This should replenish nutrients that get flushed out of the body due to diarrhea. This will also strengthen the body and help it recover faster.

Treatment for any underlying condition, such as intestinal disorders, may help prevent diarrhea. Hand washing is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria that can cause diarrhea. Always wash hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing diapers and before meals. The following rules may also help prevent diarrhea:

Ensure that meat is cooked thoroughly.
Avoid eating raw meats, fish and shellfish, unless they are freshly prepared and from a reliable source.
Never place cooked meat on surfaces or plates that have held raw meat.
Disinfect benchtops, stovetops and chopping boards with a diluted bleach solution.
Limit consumption of fatty, sweet or spicy foods.
Avoid alcohol.
Consume more starchy foods, such as bananas, rice and bread.
Consume probiotics, such as yogurt.