What may increase your risk for problems from diarrhea?
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What may increase your risk for problems from diarrhea?
Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.
Conditions
- Age older than 60
- Developed diarrhea:
- After drinking untreated water or unpasteurized dairy products
- During or after traveling, especially to underdeveloped areas of the world
- During or after a ship cruise
- After swimming in contaminated water
- Exposure to farm animals
- Group living situations, such as nursing homes, dormitories, military boot camps, child care centers, or older-adult assisted-living centers
- Previous gallbladder surgery
- Previous abdominal surgery
- Previous bariatric surgery for obesity
- Previous radiation therapy
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Engaging in oral or anal sex
- Handling food or working in a day care center or hospital
Medicines
- Laxatives, such as Correctol, Dulcolax, Ex-Lax, or Feen-a-Mint
- Antibiotics, such as ampicillin, amoxicillin, clindamycin, tetracycline, and cephalosporins. Diarrhea is of particular concern if you have recently been hospitalized and received intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
- Antacids containing magnesium
- Colchicine
- Metformin
- Propranolol, such as Inderal
- Quinidine, such as Cardioquin or Quin-Release
- Theophylline, such as Theo-Dur, Theo-24, or Slo-Bid
- Diuretics, such as furosemide or thiazides
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, such as captopril (Capoten) or enalapril (Vasotec)
- Antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) or sertraline (Zoloft)
Diseases
- Cancer
- Coronary artery disease or heart failure
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Digestive problems, such as lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa
- Endocrine disorders, such as Addison's disease or thyroid disease
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
- Kidney disease
- Malabsorption syndromes, such as celiac disease
Credits
| Author | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology |
| Last Updated | April 28, 2008 |
| Last updated: | April 28, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Reviewed By: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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