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Probiotic Products May Prevent Antibiotic-Linked Diarrhea
Posted 19 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 8 – Consuming probiotic-rich foods may decrease the risk of diarrhea for patients who are taking antibiotics, a new study suggests. Probiotics are live microorganisms that are found naturally in foods such as yogurt and are believed to provide health benefits. About 30 percent of patients who take antibiotics will experience diarrhea because the drugs disrupt gastrointestinal microbes, and diarrhea is one of the main reasons people don't adhere to antibiotic treatment. "Diarrhea is a common problem in patients receiving antibiotic therapy and may limit their use," said Dr. David Bernstein, chief of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. Bernstein was not involved in the new study. "While these antibiotics treat the underlying infection, they also alter the normal gut [microbes], which leads to diarrhea," Bernstein said. "Replacing [the microbes] ... Read more
Related support groups: Diarrhea, Dietary Supplementation
Children Usually Excluded From Clinical Drug Trials: Study
Posted 30 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 30 – Children are more likely than adults to suffer from a number of diseases, but few clinical trials are conducted to test new drugs in children with these conditions, researchers have found. In a new study, researchers looked at all clinical trials registered worldwide from 2006 to 2011 for drugs to treat these common conditions: asthma, migraine headaches, schizophrenia, depression, diarrheal illness, lower respiratory infection, malaria, bipolar disorder and HIV/AIDS. While children account for 60 percent of the patients with these conditions, only 12 percent of the clinical drug trials involved children, the investigators found. The gap was widest for conditions that are widespread in low- and middle-income countries. Clinical drug trials in children are important because youngsters often respond differently to medications than adults, the study authors pointed out ... Read more
Related support groups: Bipolar Disorder, Migraine, Asthma, Diarrhea, Schizophrenia, HIV Infection, Malaria
One Antibiotic Appears to Ease Severe E. Coli Infection
Posted 13 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 13 – Patients suffering from a strain of E. coli that produces Shiga toxin, which can be deadly, appear to respond to the antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax), according to German researchers. Starting in May 2011, an outbreak of Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli infected nearly 4,000 people in Germany, more than 800 of whom had confirmed cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes red blood cells to break apart, resulting in kidney failure. Current treatment discourages using antibiotics for Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli because it could increase the risk for HUS, the researchers note. "The successful decolonization of long-term carriers of the German outbreak strain is an important finding, as the legal authorities in many countries restrict long-term carriers in their social or working life," said lead researcher Dr. Johannes Knobloch, of the institute of ... Read more
Related support groups: Diarrhea, Azithromycin, Zithromax, Zithromax Z-Pak, Zithromax TRI-PAK, Zithromax IV, Infectious Diarrhea, Zmax
Science Probes How Probiotic Yogurts Affect Your Gut
Posted 26 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 26 – Researchers have put the health promises of popular probiotic yogurts to the test and found they may alter the way in which food is metabolized. But whether that means probiotic foods and supplements can improve your health remains to be seen, they said. "Federal regulatory agencies are increasingly interested in evaluating all the health claims being made by probiotic food manufacturers," said study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Gordon, a biologist and director of the Center for Genome Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis. "So what we did was try to develop a model for the human gut that can give us a way to measure the effects." What they saw, Gordon said, "is that adding a few billion of these microbial organisms to a gut community already containing tens of trillions of bacteria can, in fact, influence the metabolism of food ingredients. ... Read more
Related support groups: Diarrhea, Urinary Tract Infection, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Eczema, Bladder Cancer
Health Tip: Some Shouldn't Take Antidiarrheal Drugs
Posted 18 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com
-- Loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate are over-the-counter drugs designed to help people with diarrhea feel better. The American Academy of Family Physicians says while they're safe for most people, not everyone should take these medicines. Among those who should avoid the drugs: Children aged 6 or younger should avoid loperamide; 12 or younger should avoid bismuth subsalicylate. Anyone with a fever, bloody or black stools, or prior allergic reaction to the drug should avoid loperamide. Anyone who has an allergy to aspirin or salicylate medications should avoid bismuth subsalicylate. Anyone aged 12 to 18 who could have the chickenpox or flu also should avoid bismuth subsalicylate. Read more
Related support groups: Diarrhea, Imodium, Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate, Loperamide, Diarrhea, Chronic, Salmonella Enteric Fever, Diarrhea, Acute, Imodium A-D, Campylobacter Gastroenteritis, Salmonella Gastroenteritis, Childrens Kaopectate, Bismuth Subsalicylate, Infectious Diarrhea, Kaopectate Extra Strength
Almost Half of Deaths in Kids Under 5 Occur in 5 Countries
Posted 12 May 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 11 – Infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and blood poisoning account for more than two-thirds of the 8.8 million annual deaths in kids under 5 years of age worldwide, a new report shows. Other leading causes of death for children include birth complications, lack of oxygen during birth and congenital defects. The authors of the report found that infectious diseases caused 5.97 million deaths among kids under age 5 in 2008. Pneumonia (18 percent), diarrhea (15 percent) and malaria (8 percent) accounted for the highest numbers. About 40 percent of the deaths were in infants aged no more than 27 days. Almost half of these deaths occurred in just five countries – China, Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Pakistan. Africa (4.2 million) and Southeast Asia (2.39 million) accounted for the highest numbers of deaths. Countries with high ... Read more
Related support groups: Diarrhea, Pneumonia, Malaria, Septicemia
Health Tip: Drugs That May Lead to Diarrhea
Posted 20 May 2009 by Drugs.com
-- Certain medications are more likely than others to aggravate the digestive tract and result in loose stools, the United States National Library of Medicine says. The agency says they include: Antibiotics, which often cause diarrhea because they kill bacteria – even the good bacteria – found in the intestines. Chemotherapy drugs, used to treat cancer. Immune system-suppressing drugs, such as mycophenolate. Some herbal teas that contain senna or other substances that are natural laxatives. A laxative is meant to relieve constipation. But taking too much of a laxative can lead to problem diarrhea. Read more
Related support groups: Diarrhea
What You Need to Know When Your Stomach Aches
Posted 28 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, March 28 – If your tummy feels funny, it could be a one-time bellyache, but it also could be a sign of something more serious. Dr. C. Richard Boland, chief of gastroenterology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, says that everyone should know five things about serious digestive disorders: Symptoms: Alert your doctor if you have persistent symptoms, such as abdominal pain or discomfort, nausea, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or blood in the stools. Diagnosis: Because many digestive disorders are not detectable with blood or imaging tests, they can be difficult to diagnosis. Irritable bowel syndrome, for instance, is usually diagnosed by first ruling out all other disorders. Talking to your doctor: Symptoms and your health history play a major role in diagnosing digestive disorders, so be frank with your doctor. Recording your eating habits and symptoms ... Read more
Related support groups: Nausea/Vomiting, Constipation, Diarrhea, Indigestion, Constipation -- Chronic, Diarrhea, Chronic, Constipation -- Acute, Diarrhea, Acute
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Diarrhea, Chronic, Diarrhea, Acute, Gastrointestinal Disorders
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codeine, opium, Lomotil, Imodium, neomycin, Acidophilus, green tea, Pepto-Bismol, Xifaxan, view more... Paregoric, Kaopectate, loperamide, Florastor, rifaximin, octreotide, Lonox, Sandostatin, Lotronex, chamomile, Imodium A-D, Flora-Q, alosetron, comfrey, Childrens Kaopectate, bismuth subsalicylate, attapulgite, saccharomyces boulardii lyo, Parepectolin, raspberry, bilberry, goldenseal, RisaQuad, Vi-Atro, K-Pec, Bacid, Rheaban Maximum Strength, Novaflor, Kaopek, Kaopectate Caplets, Lomocot, Kao-Pulgite, Logen, Diasorb, Anti-Diarrheal, Lomanate, Neo-Diaral, Donnagel, Florastor Kids, Flora-Q 2, Kaodene NN Suspension, K-C Suspension, Kao-Spen, Superdophilus, Opium Deodorized, Bismatrol, Neo-Fradin, Ka-Pec, Kao-Tin Advanced Formula, Kapectolin, Sandostatin LAR Depot, Di-Gon II, kaolin/pectin, atropine/diphenoxylate, lactobacillus acidophilus, barberry, Diarrest, Mycifradin, Neo-Tab, Maximum Strength Stress, Pink Bismuth, Peptic Relief, Stress Maximum Strength, Kapectolin (New Formula), Bismarex, Diamode, Pepto Diarrhea Control, Imotil, Kao-Paverin, Diar-Aid, K-Pek