Diagnosis
Your healthcare professional likely will ask you questions about your symptoms, recent diet, recent use of antibiotics, and other questions about your health history. A sample of your stool may be sent to a lab for testing.
Treatment
Treatment for antibiotic-associated diarrhea depends on how bad the symptoms are.
Treatments to cope with mild antibiotic-associated diarrhea
Mild symptoms are likely to clear up within a few days after starting antibiotics or shortly after the treatment ends. You may need to switch to a different antibiotic.
Treatment of C. difficile infection
Treating C. difficile infection or a related bacterial infection requires stopping the original antibiotic. Your healthcare professional likely will prescribe antibiotics to kill the C. difficile bacteria. You also might be asked to stop taking medicines that lower stomach acids.
Additional treatments may be needed for recurring C. difficile infections. These may include medicines or a procedure to restore healthy bacteria in the colon. Severe disease may require surgery.
Self care
To manage diarrhea symptoms:
- Drink enough fluids. Drink plenty of water and fluids that have electrolytes, such as broths or sports drinks or other bottled drinks with electrolytes. Oral rehydration solutions with water, electrolytes and sugar are available without a prescription. For infants and children with diarrhea, ask a healthcare professional about using an oral rehydration solution, such as Pedialyte, to replace fluids.
- Ask about antidiarrheal medicines. Teenagers and adults may be able to take an antidiarrheal medicine, such as bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol, others). This generally is not recommended for children. Ask your healthcare professional before using any antidiarrheal medicine because some should not be used if you have C. difficile or other bacterial infection of the large intestine.
Some people take supplements called probiotics to restore the balance of healthy bacteria in their guts. The research is mixed on whether probiotics ease symptoms of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Taking probiotics probably won't do harm, but people with weakened immune systems should not use probiotic supplements.
Preparing for your appointment
If you have diarrhea after taking an antibiotic, make an appointment with the healthcare professional who prescribed the antibiotic. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
What you can do
Make a list of:
- Your symptoms and when they began. Include any that may not seem related to the reason you scheduled the appointment, and when they began.
- Key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes. Include recent stays in a hospital or a nursing home.
- Medicines, vitamins or supplements you take, including doses and the reasons for taking them. If you've recently taken an antibiotic, include the name and dose. If you have completed the course of antibiotic treatment, write down when you took the last dose.
- Questions to ask your healthcare professional.
Some basic questions to ask include:
- What tests do I need?
- What is the best course of action?
- Are there restrictions I should follow?
- Are there foods and drinks I should avoid?
- Can I take an antidiarrheal medicine?
Be sure to ask all the questions you have.
What to expect from your doctor
Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you questions, such as:
- Can you describe your stools? Your health professional may have a chart with images to help you describe them.
- How often do you have them?
- Do you have a history of gut diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease?
- Have you recently been around anyone with diarrhea?
- Have you changed your diet recently?
- Do you work in a nursing home, hospital or day care setting?
- Have you recently traveled?
