Best Antidiarrheal Drugs: what they are and how they work
What exactly are antidiarrheal drugs ? What are the best ones we can find on the market? What is their mechanism of action? Are there any contraindications or side effects?
If you are looking for an answer to all these questions, and many others, about anti-diarrheal drugs then you are reading the right article because today we will provide you with a real guide on the best anti- diarrheals , also focusing on the possible side effects that these can entail.
What is Diarrhea? What is it caused by?
First of all, given that antidiarrheal drugs are those medicines that are used for the treatment of diarrhea, it is necessary to understand what it is and, above all, what it can be caused by.
When we talk about diarrhea we are not referring to a pathological condition , more than anything else, more often than not, it is one of the symptoms of other pathologies and consists in the rapid and urgent emission of feces which have a rather watery or semi-liquid consistency.
Precisely because diarrhea is the symptom of a basic disease, in addition to using drugs to keep it under control, it would be advisable to investigate our state of health to understand what the trigger is and, therefore, find the cure for that disease.
In any case, it is always good practice to use antidiarrheal drugs , above all because often frequent episodes of diarrhea can lead to more or less serious consequences which mainly concern the loss of fluids and mineral salts and, therefore, can cause dehydration of the body .
Furthermore, diarrhea is a rather debilitating ailment for those who suffer from it, mainly because it will experience painful and annoying symptoms such as the following:
- abdominal swelling;
- burning during stool evacuation;
- abdominal cramps;
- abdominal pains.
So let’s see what we have to do in these cases and, above all, what are the best anti- diarrheal drugs that we can find on the market, with their respective mechanisms of action and any side effects.
What should we do in case of diarrhea?
Diarrhea often does not need pharmacological treatment as it tends to resolve spontaneously within a few days but, unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Before taking any type of drug, including antidiarrheals , in the event of persistent diarrhea, it would be advisable to contact your doctor so that he does all the necessary investigations to identify the cause of the problem and, therefore, treat the underlying disease.
The treatment of diarrhea therefore depends on the cause that triggered this annoying disorder and, if we are already in a condition of dehydration, the doctor will adopt all the strategies at his disposal to solve this problem.
Usually, in case of dehydration, it is necessary to replenish the sugars and electrolytes that we have lost, with the help of special solutions that are administered either through food or, in the most serious cases, intravenously.
What are antidiarrheal drugs?
As you have surely guessed from what we have said so far, when we talk about antidiarrheal drugs , we are referring to a category of medicines widely used for the treatment of diarrhea.
In general we can say that the mechanism of action of antidiarrheal drugs consists in counteracting this disorder by inhibiting the peristalsis of our intestines and, precisely for this reason, in the medical field, they are also called antipropulsive drugs.
Obviously it is a therapy aimed only at the treatment of that specific symptom and, on the market, we find different types, from those of synthetic origin to inhibit, precisely, the secretion or motility of the intestine, to antidiarrheal microorganisms such as ferments latex (or probiotics). In this regard, I recommend reading our article dedicated to the best lactic ferments on the market .
What are the best antidiarrheals?
Making a clear and exhaustive list of the best anti- diarrheal drugs that you can find on the market is not a simple undertaking and, for this reason, we have decided to show you these medicines by dividing them into categories.
Each category will have its own list of the most important active ingredients, so you can better understand what they are and, above all, how these drugs work. So let’s go see what it is.
How do intestinal secretion inhibitors work? Which ones are they?
The first category of medicines that we will tell you about today includes synthetic medicines that are used to inhibit the secretion of the intestine . Among them the most famous active ingredient Racecadotril .
This active ingredient is found in the famous drug Tiorfix® and has found wide use especially in the little ones, i.e. in children older than three months.
The mechanism of action of Racecadotril consists in inhibiting the enzyme which degrades a particular type of endogenous opioid, ie enkephalinase.
Thanks to this action, the active ingredient in question is therefore able to control the diarrhea disorder, however, like all medicines, it can lead to side effects, especially as regards any allergic reactions to the same active ingredient.
How do intestinal motility inhibitors work? Which ones are they?
Even the drugs that fall into the class of intestinal motility inhibitors are synthetic drugs which, of course, are used to control and monitor diarrhea.
Among the active ingredients that fall into this category we find above all those of opioid origin, among which the most important and widespread is loperamide . It is an active ingredient commonly known by its trade names, such as Dissenten® or Imodium® , like the previous one, it is an opioid drug but has a greater antidiarrheal activity as it is derived from morphine.
Due to its poor ability to cross the blood brain barrier, loperamide, even if it is an opioid drug, does not produce side effects such as addiction. The mechanism of action of this active ingredient consists in exerting an agonist effect towards the μ and δ opioid receptors found in our intestines and, precisely the activation of the latter, causes the release of acetylcholine to be inhibited and, consequently, intestinal peristalsis is also inhibited.
What are their side effects?
Obviously, as with any other type of drug, even taking antidiarrheals that inhibit intestinal motility, we can run into particular side effects.
These are undesirable effects that can vary above all according to the type of active ingredient we have taken and according to our tolerance and/or sensitivity towards the same drug.
In general, among the side effects most commonly associated with these medicines we certainly find the following:
- headache;
- nausea accompanied by vomiting;
- constipation;
- the appearance of rashes;
- dyspeptic disorders;
- flatulence.
Should these disturbances appear and should they persist over time, do not hesitate to contact your family doctor who will probably prescribe an alternative treatment more suitable for your body and your specific condition.
What are adsorbent antidiarrheals? What are they for?
Among the antidiarrheal drugs we also have those that have the ability to adsorb excess gases and liquids found in the intestine. We are talking about adsorbent antidiarrheal drugs .
In fact, these medicines have chemical-physical characteristics that allow them to perform their function without causing discomfort, in fact they are medicines that are more tolerated by our body than the previous ones.
However, as with any other type of drug, before taking adsorbent antidiarrheals , it is advisable to consult a doctor, above all because these could hinder the intestinal absorption of any other therapies that we are following.
Among the adsorbent anti-diarrhoeal drugs we remember above all activated charcoal, but also Diosmectal® , a drug based on an active principle called Diosmectite . You can read his full profile here .
What are antidiarrheal microorganisms? What are they for?
The last category of antidiarrheal drugs that we will talk about today concerns real microorganisms, so we are not dealing with synthetic drugs like the ones we have talked about so far.
Among the antidiarrheal microorganisms we certainly find probiotics, also known as lactic ferments. These are mostly medicines based on spores or, indeed, on inactivated microorganisms which aim to restore a normal intestinal flora.
Antidiarrheal microorganisms are more tolerated by our body and for this reason they are widely used in the most delicate situations, such as that of a very young child, or during pregnancy or even during the breastfeeding period.
Furthermore, these drugs are also used as therapy to restore the bacterial flora found in the intestine and which is essential for our health, which is often also altered by previous therapies, for example based on antibiotic drugs.
The mechanism of action of antidiarrheal microorganisms consists precisely in reaching the intestine, surviving the particularly acidic environment of the stomach. Once they arrive in the intestine, these will begin to reproduce to give rise to the natural balance of the bacteria.
Among the most common antidiarrheal microorganisms we certainly mention the following:
- Il Lactobacillus acidopilus;
- Bacillus Clausii (contained in Enterogermina® );
- Il Saccharomyces Boulardii.
She defines herself as curious by nature. In 2006 she graduated with honors in Biotechnology at the Sapienza University of Rome. Between 2005 and 2009, she carried out a university internship and research activity in the field of tumor immunotherapy. She is a co-author of three scientific publications. Since 2007 you have associated your passion for science with that for the web, starting the management of the FitnessEquilibrium.com project.