Drugs For Constipation, Diarrhea, And IBS Flashcards
Acute vs. Chronic Diarrhea
Acute = less than 4 days, generally caused by an infectious agent
Chronic = persist for 3 weeks in children or adults and 4 weeks in infants, caused by infectious organism, food intolerance, drugs, or IBS/IBD
Antidiarrheal Agents can be classified as either ______ or ______.
Antimotility; antisecretory
Classes of antimotility agents (1)
Opioid agonists
Classes of antisecretory agents (5)
- Bile salt-binding resins
- Bismuth subsalicylate
- Octreotide
- Clonidine
- Probiotics - limited clinical
studies; useful in acute diarrheal
conditions, antibiotic-associated
diarrhea, and infectious diarrhea
Opioid Agonists (agents and general info)
- Loperamide: Poorly crosses the blood-brain barrier. Low addictive potential. Available OTC.
- Diphenoxylate: Crosses the blood-brain barrier at higher doses. Greater abuse potential than loperamide. Available by prescription only. Lomotil is a combination of diphenoxylate and atropine. Atropine acts as an antidiarrheal; increased concentrations of atropine cause dry mucous membranes, blurred vision which decreases abuse potential
- Difenoxin: a diphenoxylate derivative. Combined with atropine to decrease abuse potential.
- Anhydrous morphine: Camphorated Opium tincture that contains anhydrous morphine at 2 mg/5 mL (0.4 mg/mL). Do not confuse with deodorized tincture of opium, which is 25 times stronger, and contains morphine at 10 mg/mL.
Opioid Agonists (MOA, PK, pregnancy, indications)
MOA: Interacts with peripheral mu-opioid receptors in the enteric nerves, epithelial cells and muscles in the intestine to increase fecal water absorption by inhibiting the calcium-binding protein calmodulin, controlling chloride secretion and decreases mass colonic movements
PK: t1/2: 11 hours
Pregnancy: C
Indications: Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowl syndrome,
acute, chronic and travel’s diarrhea
Opioid Agonists (ADRs and DDIs)
ADRs: Common- dizziness and hyperglycemia. Note: Abuse potential with this drug class and overdosage can lead to CNS depression. Use with caution in IBD to avoid toxic megacolon.
DDIs: Concurrent use of gemfibrozil and loperamide may result in an increase in loperamide plasma concentration
Bile Salt-binding Resins (agents and general info)
Agents: Colesevelam, Cholestyramine, Colestipol
General info:
Malabsorption of bile salts may cause diarrhea
- excess bile salts draw water into colon
- results in colonic secretory diarrhea
Causes of Malabsorption
- disease of terminal ileum (Crohn Disease)
- surgical resection
Removal of gallbladder increases bile salts in colon
Bile Salt-binding Resins (MOA, PK, pregnancy, indications)
MOA: Insoluble and osmotically inactive bile salt-binding resins bind to excess bile salts and assist in the excretion of the excess bile salts through feces (i.e. excess bile salts are eliminated without taking excess water with them)
PK: not absorbed
Pregnancy: B
Indications: hypercholesterolemia, diarrhea (off-label)
Bile Salt-binding Resins (ADRs and DDIs)
ADRs: Common - bloating, flatulence, constipation, fecal impaction, pharyngitis. The patient should take pills with plenty
of water and be upright for 30 minutes after taking the pills to avoid esophageal obstruction (pills are LARGE). Should not be used in patients with dysphagia.
DDIs: Concurrent use of colesevelam increases seizure activity because of decreased phenytoin levels. Phenytoin should be administered 4 hours prior to colesevelam.
Reduced INR in patients receiving warfarin therapy. In warfarin-treated patients, INR should be monitored frequently during colesevelam initiation then periodically thereafter.
Elevated TSH in patients receiving thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Thyroid hormone replacement should be administered 4 hours prior to colesevelam.
Bismuth subsalicylate (MOA, PK, pregnancy, and indications)
MOA: Reduces stool frequency and liquidity by inhibiting intestinal prostaglandin and chloride secretion. Has some activity against H. pylori.
PK: Onset 4 hours. Duration 6 hours.
Pregnancy: B
Indications: Peptic Ulcer Disease with H. pylori infection, diarrhea, prevention and treatment of traveler’s diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, upset stomach
Bismuth subsalicylate (ADRs and DDIs)
ADRs: Common- constipation. High doses: black stools and BLACK TONGUE. Reye syndrome warning because salicylate is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine.
DDIs: N/A
Octreotide (MOA, PK, pregnancy, indications)
MOA: A synthetic analogue of somatostatin. Inhibits secretion of serotonin and various GI peptides and reduces intestinal fluid secretion.
PK: t1/2: 1-2 hours
Pregnancy: B
Indications: Non- infectious diarrhea, bleeding esophageal varices. Transient nausea, bloating, or pain at sites of injection in the short term, gallstone formation and hypo- or hyperglycemia in the long term
Octreotide (ADRs and DDIs)
ADRs: Common- nausea, bloating, or injection site pain. Long term use: gallstone formation and hypo- or hyperglycemia
DDIs: Concurrent use of mesoridazine
and octreotide may increase risk of QT-interval prolongation
Clonidine (MOA, Pk, pregnancy, indications)
MOA: alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists that interacts with specific receptors on enteric neurons and enterocytes, thereby stimulating absorption and inhibiting secretion of fluid and electrolytes and increasing intestinal transit time
PK: t1/2: 12 to 16 hours. Renal excreted: 40% to 60% unchanged.
Pregnancy: C
Indications: chronic diarrhea in diabetic mellitus