Ch.3 Antidiarrheal Drugs & Laxatives Flashcards
What is the clinical definition of diarrhea?
Abnormal passage of stools with increased frequency, fluidity, and weight or with increased water in stool. Consists of 3 or more loose/liquid stools per day
What are 2 types of clinical diarrhea?
- Acute
- Chronic
What is acute diarrhea?
- Diarrhea with sudden onset in a healthy person
- Lasts 3 days to 2 weeks
- Self-limiting
- Resolves without sequelae (consequences)
What is chronic diarrhea?
- Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 to 4 weeks
- Associated w/ recurring passage of diarrheal stools, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting. weight loss, and chronic weakness
What are some causes of acute diarrhea?
- Bacteria
- viruses
- drugs (drug induced disease)
- Nutritional factors
- protozoa
- syndromes
What are some causes of chronic diarrhea?
- tumours
- diabetes
- addisons
- IBS
- AIDS
- hyperthyroidism
What are the goals of diarrheal treatment?
- Stop stool frequency
- alleviate abdominal cramps
- replenish fluid & electrolytes
- prevent weight loss and nutritional deficits from malabsorption
What are the 3 types of antidiarrheal drugs?
- Adsorbents
- Antimotility (anticholinergic & opiates)
- Probiotics
what is the MOA of adsorbents?
coat walls of GI, then bind to causative bacteria/toxin, which is then eliminated through stool.
What is an ex. of an adsorbent drug>
bismuth subsalicytate (pepto-bismol)
What is the MOA of antimotility: anticholinergic drugs?
Decrease intestinal muscle tone and peristalsis of GI tract, resulting in slower movement of feces through the GI
- also slow peristalsis by reducing rhythmic contractions and smooth muscle tone of GI
What is an ex. of an anticholinergic drug?
Belladona alkaloids
what are some side effects of anticholinergics?
- have a drying effect
- reduce gastric secretions
- used in combo w. adsorbent and opiates
What is the MOA of antimotility: opiates?
decrease bowel motility and reduce pain by relief of rectal spasms. Increase transit time through bowel letting more water and electrolytes absorb.
what are some ex. of opiate drugs?
- codeine phosphate
- loperamide HCL
- Diphenyloxylate HCL w/ atropine sulphate
What are probiotic drugs?
- intestinal flora modifiers and bacterial replacement drugs
- bacterial cultures of lactobacillus organisms work by supplying missing bacteria to GI and suppressing growth of diarrhea-causing bacteria
what is an ex. of a probiotic drug?
lactobacillus acidophilus
What are indications of when to use a certain type of antidiarrheal?
Adsorbents: mild diarrheal cases
Anticholinergics & opiates: more severe cases where there is a bacterial infection/IBS
Probiotics: when it is an antibiotic-induced diarrhea
What are some side effects of adsorbents?
- longer bleeding time
- constipation, dark stools
- confusion
- tinnitus
- metallic taste
- blue gums/black tongue
what are some side effects of anticholinergics?
- Urinary retention, sexual dysfunction
- headache, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, drowsiness
- dry skin, flushing
- blurry vision
- hypotension, brady & tachycardia
what are some side effects of opiates?
- drowsiness, dizziness, lethargy
- nausea, vomiting, constipation
- resp. depression (IMPORTANT)
- hypotension
- urinary retention
- flushing
what is the clinical definition of constipation?
abnormally infrequent and difficult passage of feces through lower GI. Disorder of movement through colon/rectum that can be cause by variety of diseases or drugs
is constipation a symptom or disease
a symptom
what are the treatments that can be done for constipation?
- surgical(rarely)
- nonsurgical
