Antidiarrhoeal

An anti-diarrheal drug is any medication which provides symptomatic relief for diarrhea.

Types

• Electrolyte solutions are used to replace lost fluids and salts in acute cases.
• Bulking agents like methylcellulose, guar gum or plant fibre (bran, sterculia, ispaghul, etc.) are used for diarrhea in functional bowel disease and to control ileostomy output.
• Absorbents absorb toxic substances that cause infective diarrhea, methylcellulose is an absorbent as well.
• Opioids' classical use besides pain relief is as an anti-diarrheal drug. Opioids have agonist actions on the intestinal opioid receptors, which when activated cause constipation. Drugs such as morphine or codeine can be used to relieve diarrhea this way. A notable opioid for the purpose of relief of diarrhea is Loperamide which only is an agonist of the μ opioid receptors in the large intestine and does not have opioid affects in the central nervous system as it doesn't cross the blood brain barrier in significant amounts. This enables loperamide it to be used to the same benefit as other opioid drugs but without the CNS side effects or potential for abuse.

See also

• ATC_code_A07#A07F_Antidiarrheal_micro-organisms