Antidiarrhoeal
Encyclopedia
An anti-diarrhoeal drug (or anti-diarrheal drug
which provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea
.
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
which provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
.
Types
- ElectrolyteElectrolyteIn chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible....
solutions are used to replace lost fluids and saltSaltIn chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
s in acute cases. - Bulking agents like methylcelluloseMethylcelluloseMethyl cellulose is a chemical compound derived from cellulose. It is a hydrophilic white powder in pure form and dissolves in cold water, forming a clear viscous solution or gel. It is sold under a variety of trade names and is used as a thickener and emulsifier in various food and cosmetic...
, guar gumGuar gumGuar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, pale, off-white-colored, coarse to fine ground powder.-Production:Guar gum is an...
or plant fibreDietary fiberDietary fiber, dietary fibre, or sometimes roughage is the indigestible portion of plant foods having two main components:* soluble fiber that is readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts, and* insoluble fiber that is metabolically inert, absorbing water as it...
(branBranBran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the grains lose a portion of their...
, sterculiaSterculiaSterculia is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It was previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae. Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts...
, isabgolPsyllium seed husksPsyllium seed husks also known as ispaghula, isabgol, or psyllium, are portions of the seeds of the plant Plantago ovata, , a native of India. They are soluble in water, expanding and becoming mucilaginous when wet...
, etc.) are used for diarrhoea in functional bowel disease and to control ileostomyIleostomyAn ileostomy is a surgical opening constructed by bringing the end or loop of small intestine out onto the surface of the skin. Intestinal waste passes out of the ileostomy and is collected in an external pouching system stuck to the skin...
output. - Absorbents absorb toxic substances that cause infective diarrhoea, methylcellulose is an absorbent.
- Anti-inflammatoryAnti-inflammatoryAnti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids, which affect the central nervous system....
solutions like Bismuth subsalicylateBismuth subsalicylateBismuth subsalicylate, with a nominal chemical formula of C7H5BiO4, It is a colloidal substance obtained by hydrolysis of bismuth salicylate . The actual structure is unknown and the formulation is only approximate. Recent evidence indicates that it is composed of a bismuth oxide core structure...
. - OpioidOpioidAn opioid is a psychoactive chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract...
s' classical use besides pain relief is as an anti-diarrhoeal drug. Opioids have agonistAgonistAn agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...
actions on the intestinal opioid receptors, which when activated cause constipationConstipationConstipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
. Drugs such as morphineMorphineMorphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
or codeineCodeineCodeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
can be used to relieve diarrhoea this way. A notable opioid for the purpose of relief of diarrhoea is LoperamideLoperamideLoperamide , a synthetic piperidine derivative, is an opioid drug used against diarrhea resulting from gastroenteritis or inflammatory bowel disease. In most countries it is available generically and under brand names such as Lopex, Imodium, Dimor, Fortasec, and Pepto Diarrhea Control...
which is only an agonist of the μ opioid receptorMu Opioid receptorThe μ-opioid receptors are a class of opioid receptors with high affinity for enkephalins and beta-endorphin but low affinity for dynorphins. They are also referred to as μ opioid peptide receptors. The prototypical μ receptor agonist is the opium alkaloid morphine; μ refers to morphine...
s in the large intestine and does not have opioid affects in the central nervous systemCentral nervous systemThe central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
as it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrierBlood-brain barrierThe blood–brain barrier is a separation of circulating blood and the brain extracellular fluid in the central nervous system . It occurs along all capillaries and consists of tight junctions around the capillaries that do not exist in normal circulation. Endothelial cells restrict the diffusion...
in significant amounts. This enables loperamide to be used to the same benefit as other opioid drugs but without the CNS side effects or potential for abuse.
See also
- ATC code A07#A07F Antidiarrheal micro-organisms