Diarrhea is an alteration in the intestinal movement that causes bowel movements to be more frequent, more than three a day. The stool decreases inconsistency from a little softer to totally liquid. This disorder can be classified as acute if it lasts a couple of days, persistent if it takes 2 to 3 weeks to disappear, and chronic if diarrhea lasts longer than four weeks.
It is a relatively common intestinal disorder in the world population. In most cases, it usually lasts for 1 or 2 days and disappears on its own, many times without knowing exactly what caused it. However, when it persists for a longer time or the discomfort is very noticeable, it is common for people to choose to self-medicate and want to take a known medication, so if you are one of them and you have doubts about whether I can take Omeprazole with diarrhea, in this FastlyHealarticle, we explain the answer.
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Causes of diarrhea
There are many possible causes of diarrhea, and in many cases, it may happen that what is causing it is not found, disappearing in a couple of days. Among the most common causes of acute diarrhea are:
- Suffering from virus infection, especially norovirus, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis virus, and in children, the main one is rotavirus.
- Acquiring bacterial or parasitic infections, these microorganisms are transmitted through the intake of contaminated food or water. The well-known traveler’s diarrhea falls into this category.
- Consume certain medications; diarrhea is usually a side effect, including drugs against cancer, antacids containing magnesium, and some antibiotics.
- You are intolerant to some substances due to the difficulty in digesting them, such as lactose and fructose.
On the other hand, chronic diarrhea is often associated with the following conditions:
- I have colitis .
- Have irritable bowel syndrome.
- I am suffering from Crohn’s disease.
- Have celiac disease
- I have undergone abdominal surgery.
Omeprazole uses
Omeprazole is the class of drugs classified as proton pump inhibitors, whose primary action is to reduce the amount of acid produced in the stomach and not as a gastric protector as commonly thought since it does not restore or protect the mucosa that lines the stomach.
Due to the effect of Omeprazole, the specialist may recommend its consumption as part of the treatment of some disorders, being ideal for:
- Relieve gastroesophageal reflux disease.
- Reduce frequent heartburn.
- Improve gastric and duodenal ulcers.
- Fight Helicobacter pylori bacteria.
- Prevent gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Treat high stomach acid production caused by Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which is caused by a tumor in the pancreas or upper part of the small intestine.
However, the treatment for these pathologies and the consumption of Omeprazole must be under the doctor’s instructions, although it can be obtained without a prescription since the dose and duration of it will depend on the type of disease and the degree of affectation. Likewise, Omeprazole can interact with other medications, altering its effectiveness or increasing the risks of complications. Therefore the specialist should be notified before starting to ingest it.
Can I take Omeprazole with diarrhea?
As this medicine is mistakenly considered by some people as a gastric protector, they may doubt whether Omeprazole can be taken with diarrhea. According to the leaflet on this drug by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products [1], the intake of Omeprazole is not recommended if the person has severe or persistent diarrhea of infectious origin because its consumption has been associated with little increased watery stools.
Even the same leaflet indicates that the administration of Omeprazole by itself can cause diarrhea of variable intensity, becoming severe in some cases. This is a frequent side effect among people treated with this drug, affecting 1 to 10 patients every 100 and producing other gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach pain, gas, and constipation.
On the other hand, investigations by specialists from the National Institute of Pediatrics [2] demonstrated in vitro that Omeprazole is efficient in the treatment of giardiasis, which is an infectious disease produced by the parasite Giardia intestinalis and that is characterized in patients symptomatic by the development of sudden diarrhea, pasty or liquid consistency, yellow, foul-smelling and with mucus. Its effect is not directly against watery stools but by attacking the parasite that produces them; however, if you suffer from this alteration, it is important not to self-medicate and follow the specialist’s instructions.
Even though the use of Omeprazole as a treatment for diarrhea, in general, is not considered adequate, if this medicine is being taken for another pathology and during this time an episode of diarrhea occurs, before stopping its intake, it is necessary to go to a doctor for advice. that the specialist assesses the condition and indicates how to proceed with the treatment correctly.
When to see a doctor if I have diarrhea
Although in most cases, the diarrhea is usually mild and does not need a specific treatment, it is essential that in certain episodes of this disorder, Omeprazole or other medications are not consumed without the recommendation of the specialist, since although some could control this alteration intestinal would not be attacking the cause of it which could be an infection.
A medical check-up should be done immediately if the patient with diarrhea, especially a child, has the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea for more than two days.
- Dehydration
- Sharp pain in the abdominal or rectal area.
- Very dark or bloody stools.
- Fever over 39 ° C.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.