Editing Diarrhea (section)

===Medications===
{{Main article|Antidiarrhoeal}}
Antidiarrheal  agents  can  be  classified  into  four  different groups: antimotility, antisecretory, adsorbent, and anti-infectious.<ref name=Diosmectite2009>{{cite journal | vauthors=Guarino A, Lo Vecchio A, Pirozzi MR |s2cid=56519371 |title=Clinical role of diosmectite in the management of diarrhea. |journal=Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol |date=2009 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=433–440 |doi=10.1517/17425250902865594|pmid=19379128 }}</ref> While [[antibiotic]]s are beneficial in certain types of acute diarrhea, they are usually not used except in specific situations.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dryden MS, Gabb RJ, Wright SK | title = Empirical treatment of severe acute community-acquired gastroenteritis with ciprofloxacin | journal = Clinical Infectious Diseases | volume = 22 | issue = 6 | pages = 1019–25 | date = June 1996 | pmid = 8783703 | doi = 10.1093/clinids/22.6.1019 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name=CE08/> There are concerns that antibiotics may increase the risk of [[hemolytic uremic syndrome]] in people infected with [[Escherichia coli O157:H7]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wong CS, Jelacic S, Habeeb RL, Watkins SL, Tarr PI | title = The risk of the hemolytic-uremic syndrome after antibiotic treatment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections | journal = The New England Journal of Medicine | volume = 342 | issue = 26 | pages = 1930–6 | date = June 2000 | pmid = 10874060 | pmc = 3659814 | doi = 10.1056/NEJM200006293422601 }}</ref> In resource-poor countries, treatment with antibiotics may be beneficial.<ref name=CE08>{{cite journal | vauthors = de Bruyn G | title = Diarrhoea in adults (acute) | journal = BMJ Clinical Evidence | volume = 2008 | pages = 0901 | date = March 2008 | pmid = 19450323 | pmc = 2907942 }}</ref> However, some bacteria are developing [[antibiotic resistance]], particularly ''Shigella''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/diarrhoeal/en/index6.html |title=Diarrhoeal Diseases |date=February 2009 |work=World Health Organization |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215123745/http://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/diarrhoeal/en/index6.html |archive-date=15 December 2008 }}</ref> Antibiotics can also cause diarrhea, and [[antibiotic-associated diarrhea]] is the most common adverse effect of treatment with general antibiotics.

While bismuth compounds ([[Pepto-Bismol]]) decreased the number of bowel movements in those with travelers' diarrhea, they do not decrease the length of illness.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = DuPont HL, Ericsson CD, Farthing MJ, Gorbach S, Pickering LK, Rombo L, Steffen R, Weinke T | title = Expert review of the evidence base for self-therapy of travelers' diarrhea | journal = Journal of Travel Medicine | volume = 16 | issue = 3 | pages = 161–71 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19538576 | doi = 10.1111/j.1708-8305.2009.00300.x | doi-access = free }}</ref> Anti-motility agents like [[loperamide]] are also effective at reducing the number of stools but not the duration of disease.<ref name=NEJM2014/> These agents should be used only if bloody diarrhea is not present.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Pawlowski SW, Warren CA, Guerrant R | title = Diagnosis and treatment of acute or persistent diarrhea | journal = Gastroenterology | volume = 136 | issue = 6 | pages = 1874–86 | date = May 2009 | pmid = 19457416 | pmc = 2723735 | doi = 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.02.072 }}</ref>

[[Diosmectite]], a natural aluminomagnesium silicate clay, is effective in alleviating symptoms of acute diarrhea in children,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dupont C, Vernisse B | title = Anti-diarrheal effects of diosmectite in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children: a review | journal = Paediatric Drugs | volume = 11 | issue = 2 | pages = 89–99 | date = 2009 | pmid = 19301931 | doi = 10.2165/00148581-200911020-00001 | pmc = 7100234 }}</ref> and also has some effects in chronic functional diarrhea, radiation-induced diarrhea, and chemotherapy-induced diarrhea.<ref name="pmid26576135"/> Another absorbent agent used for the treatment of mild diarrhea is [[kaopectate]].

[[Racecadotril]] an antisecretory medication may be used to treat diarrhea in children and  adults.<ref name=Diosmectite2009/> It has better tolerability than [[loperamide]], as it causes less [[constipation]] and [[flatulence]].<ref name="Arzneistoff-Profile">{{cite book|title=Arzneistoff-Profile| year = 1982 | veditors = Dinnendahl V, Fricke U |publisher=Govi Pharmazeutischer Verlag|location=Eschborn, Germany|isbn=978-3-7741-9846-3|language=de}}</ref> However, it has little benefit in improving acute diarrhea in children.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Liang Y, Zhang L, Zeng L, Gordon M, Wen J | title = Racecadotril for acute diarrhoea in children | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2019 | pages = CD009359 | date = December 2019 | issue = 12 | pmid = 31858591 | pmc = 6923519 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD009359.pub2 | collaboration = Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group }}</ref>

[[Bile acid sequestrants]] such as [[cholestyramine]] can be effective in chronic diarrhea due to [[bile acid malabsorption]]. Therapeutic trials of these drugs are indicated in chronic diarrhea if bile acid malabsorption cannot be diagnosed with a specific test, such as [[SeHCAT]] retention.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wilcox C, Turner J, Green J | title = Systematic review: the management of chronic diarrhoea due to bile acid malabsorption | journal = Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics | volume = 39 | issue = 9 | pages = 923–39 | date = May 2014 | pmid = 24602022 | doi = 10.1111/apt.12684 | s2cid = 12016216 | doi-access = free }}</ref>