Constipation after diarrhea and vice versa: reasons, what to do

Everyone, sooner or later, has encountered an illness such as an upset stomach or acute diarrhea. This is no longer just a malaise, but rather serious intoxication of the body.

Unpleasant sensations, frequent trips to the toilet, pain - all these are signs that for some reason the digestive system is not coping with its functions.

The main signs of acute diarrhea are frequent and painful trips to the toilet, loose stools, abdominal pain, nausea, and bloating.

Most often, the body's immune system copes with diarrhea on its own, but the course of the disease can be alleviated, and in some cases it is necessary to call on doctors for help.

Disinfection and sorbents

Food poisoning that is not accompanied by high fever is treated with activated carbon. A child is given 2–4 tablets, an adult 5 to 8 at a time. The drug is contraindicated for infectious diarrhea. Coal, along with toxins, absorbs beneficial bacteria, which help the intestines fight bacteria and viruses. The drug is taken no more than 3 times a day, and after treatment the microflora of the digestive tract is restored with yogurt and other fermented milk products.

Infectious diarrhea will be stopped by probiotics and antimicrobials:

• Linux;
• Enterofuril;
• Polyphepan;
• Hilak-Forte;
• Smecta;
• Enterol.

Diarrhea that appears due to an allergy to a new product or stress will be removed by Imodium, Loperamide and Supreol. Kaopectate is recommended for patients who do not know what exactly triggered the diarrhea. The product stops the disorder, removes bloating and discomfort.

Enterosgel is one of the most powerful sorbents that cleanses the body of bacteria, toxins and allergens. Helps with diarrhea, bloating and vomiting.

Diarrhea caused by poor quality food will be stopped by a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Throw 2-3 small crystals into a liter of water. The rich pink liquid is diluted until it becomes pale. The concentrated solution burns the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, worsening the patient's condition. Potassium permanganate is drunk twice a day to cleanse the digestive organs of toxins.

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Causes

Diarrhea is not considered a separate disease. It is just one of the signs of intestinal dysfunction, which may be caused by:

• the presence of infection in the gastrointestinal tract: bacteria, viruses or fungi, and sometimes the presence of helminths;
• eating stale or poor quality food;
• individual intolerance to individual products or their combination;
• side effects of medications;
• gastrointestinal pathologies;
• stress.

Knowing why diarrhea appeared, you can stop it using the right means. It is not always easy to determine the cause of diarrhea on your own. This requires special diagnostics and an objective medical assessment.

Diet and dishes for diarrhea

If you have diarrhea, it is recommended to abstain from junk food:

• smoked meats;
• fried foods;
• sweets;
• fatty fish;
• pork, lamb and lard;
• oils, mayonnaise;
• semi-finished products.

For 4–6 hours after your first trip to the toilet, you need to fast and drink strong black tea. Add a dessert spoon of sugar to each cup. Then have breakfast or lunch with rice porridge boiled in water or potatoes. The dish is not seasoned with butter or vegetable oil.

Rusks and vegetable purees are useful for diarrhea, as they supply the body with fiber and restore the functioning of the digestive tract.

Soup made from:

• white rice;
• Luke;
• carrots;
• potatoes.

Fry chopped onions in a dry frying pan. Add grated carrots. Heat 2-3 liters of water in a saucepan, add potatoes and vegetable dressing. Combine with 100–150 g of rice. The result will be a thick soup that cannot be seasoned with salt or sour cream. The dish is served with dried bread. It stops diarrhea and helps with nausea.

Homemade jelly made from seasonal fruits or berries will relieve diarrhea. Potato or corn starch and a little sugar are added to the drink. Kissel envelops the walls of the digestive organs, soothing irritation and inflammation. Helps with food poisoning and infectious diarrhea.

Baked apples, currant compotes and bran bread are useful. Bananas are recommended for a patient with diarrhea. Fruits contain a lot of starch, which absorbs excess liquid. The stool becomes harder, and the person goes to the toilet less often.

For diarrhea, salted crackers, boiled eggs and dietary fish and meat dishes are allowed. Do not overuse vegetable salads, carbonated and alcoholic drinks. Replace pastries and cakes with natural yogurt without additives. The fermented milk product supplies the intestines with beneficial bacteria, which restore microflora and destroy infection.

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Consequences

If the problem of constipation in the evening and diarrhea in the morning is not treated, complications are likely to develop. They are connected with the fact that the body gradually loses the mineral elements necessary for full life.

The consequences of significant calcium loss may include:

• disruption of the heart muscle and vascular system;
• sudden changes in blood pressure;
• problematic thermoregulation of the body and a sudden rise in temperature;
• the formation of vegetative-vascular dystonia - this is especially typical for women.

An acute potassium deficiency may develop. Most often, it leads to the formation of calculi (stones) in the kidneys. This can also be fraught with unexpected spasms of the upper or lower extremities.

Alternating diarrhea and constipation can lead to magnesium deficiency. These are the most severe cases in which mental disorders, nervousness, and chronic fatigue syndrome develop.

Frequent intestinal disorders destabilize the functioning of the digestive system. This is fraught with gastritis, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). The most difficult case is the appearance of tumors of various origins.

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Herbal infusions

Medicinal herbs have strengthening properties:

• sage;
• burnet;
• knotweed, sometimes called bird knotweed;
• bird cherry fruits.

Drink 600 ml of decoction per day. An anti-diarrhea drink is prepared from 200 ml of water and a tablespoon of any plant. The product is brought to a boil in a water bath. Add a slice of lemon or a spoonful of honey to the decoctions to make it tastier.

If sage or bird cherry did not cope with diarrhea, it is recommended to prepare an herbal mixture. Mix:

• rowan berries – 40 g;
• leaves and inflorescences of St. John's wort - 30 g;
• marshmallow root – 20 g.

Grind the workpiece in a mortar. Infuse a spoonful of herbal powder in a cup of hot water. Drink half a cup of medicine four times a day.

Wormwood stops diarrhea in adults. A few fresh branches are crushed and the green paste is consumed 40 minutes before meals. You can drink it with sweetened water or currant compote.

A medicinal decoction is also prepared from wormwood. Mix 30 g of dried herb with 10 g of burnet and brew with boiling water. Strain the infusion after 25 minutes and drink the entire cup of the product at once.

Diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal diseases will be stopped by a cuff. Dried herbs are brewed instead of tea. For a liter of boiling water, take 2 tbsp. l. plants, pour the infusion into a thermos. Drink 400–500 ml of the product per day. The cuff destroys microbes that accumulate on the intestinal mucosa and helps with sluggish peristalsis.

Blackberry leaves are disinfected and remove diarrhea. The solution is prepared from 2 tbsp. l. crushed plant and a glass of boiling water. The herb is brewed in a glass container, which is covered and wrapped in a terry robe or woolen scarf. Strain after 30 minutes, drink 50–100 ml four times a day.

Fenugreek seeds have soothing and strengthening properties. The plant can be added to yogurt or steamed with boiling water: 1 tbsp per glass of liquid. l. natural medicine. The infusion is drunk before eating.

Diarrhea, which is accompanied by pain and bloating, will be relieved by ginger. Dried or fresh root is crushed and boiled for 10 minutes over low heat. Take 2 tbsp. l. preparations per cup of distilled water. The taste of the drink against diarrhea will be improved by lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey. Ginger root powder is added to porridges and soups, as well as herbal infusions.

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What to do at the first symptoms

What should you do first when diarrhea occurs? During diarrhea, it is better to observe complete fasting, at least in the first day. However, you need to drink a lot. For prolonged or very heavy diarrhea, in addition to mineral water and tea, oral rehydration products (Rehydron, Gastrolit) are needed, which contain mineral salts and carbohydrates.

If you don’t find such drugs in your medicine cabinet, you can prepare a similar remedy yourself. In 500 ml of boiled water, stir ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of sugar and table salt. The resulting solution should be drunk little by little throughout the day. The total amount of rehydration depends on the frequency of stool. The amount of liquid drunk should exceed losses by 1.5 times.

As soon as possible after the appearance of loose stools, you need to start taking enterosorbents and not stop until the unpleasant symptoms disappear. These medications are safe and effective for almost all types of diarrhea.

Medicines for diarrhea

For different types of diarrhea, the use of the following medications is indicated:

1. Enterosorbents (Polysorb, Smecta, Enterosgel) in the intestines combine with bacteria and their toxins, accelerate their elimination from the body, and also normalize peristalsis and secretion in the digestive tract.
2. Imodium or loperamide is a drug that slows down the motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract. Its use is not always relevant immediately after the appearance of loose stools. Diarrhea is a protective reaction of the body that helps quickly rid the gastrointestinal tract of unwanted contents. Imodium suppresses this defense. Therefore, it is advisable to use it only if other treatment is ineffective.
3. Antibiotics (alpha normix, chloramphenicol) are used only as prescribed by a doctor, as are anthelmintics (pyrantel, vermox). They act directly on pathogens and require a course of treatment.
4. Enzyme agents (mezim, creon, festal) improve the digestion of food in the upper gastrointestinal tract. They help well with pancreatic diarrhea and overeating.
5. Prebiotics and probiotics (Bifiform, Linex, Bion 3) restore the normal composition of microflora in the intestines during dysbacteriosis due to enterocolitis or long-term antibiotic therapy.
6. Antispasmodics (duspatalin, no-spa) relax the intestinal walls, reduce the urge to defecate and reduce pain.

Note!

Of the listed remedies, only sorbents and loperamide are used as first aid. Antispasmodics and enzymes are auxiliary agents - in addition to the main therapy. Other medications are prescribed by the doctor.

Tinctures and unusual methods

Blueberries will relieve non-infectious diarrhea. The berry has antibacterial properties, contains antioxidants and pectins, which absorb toxic substances and restore the functioning of the digestive organs. Fresh fruits are added to porridge, dried blueberries are used to prepare compotes and jelly.

Diarrhea caused by bacteria is treated with apple cider vinegar. Dissolve a tablespoon of the additive in a glass of boiled water. Drink the product twice a day until the symptoms of diarrhea disappear. Vinegar destroys microbes and supplies the body with pectins, cleansing the body of toxins. The medicine is contraindicated for irritable bowel syndrome and gastritis.

If bloody clots or streaks are visible in the stool, it is recommended to make tea from rosehip branches. Dry the workpiece in the oven and grind it into powder. Mix a glass of boiling water with 20 g of the plant, boil in a water bath for half an hour. Drink 60–80 ml of medication three times a day.

Important: If there is bleeding, be sure to consult a doctor. Red spots indicate infectious diarrhea, as well as diseases of the digestive organs.

Adults with a healthy stomach are recommended to drink a glass of vodka. Alcohol is mixed with 5 g of table or iodized salt. They drink in one gulp, but do not take a bite. Food is consumed after 25–30 minutes, when the walls of the stomach have absorbed the vodka.

Red rose petals help get rid of diarrhea caused by food poisoning. The flower contains tannins and antibacterial substances that soothe inflamed mucous membranes. Pour 2 tablespoons of clean petals into a jar with a tight lid. Add 2 cups of boiling water. Close and wait until the drink cools down. Drink 100 ml of aromatic tea 4 times a day.

For severe diarrhea, black pepper is recommended. Eat 10 peas before bed, washed down with water or chamomile infusion. There is no need to chew the medicine. Pepper is prohibited for patients with gastritis, a tendency to heartburn and ulcers.

An effective medicine is prepared from chicken gizzards. The offal is thawed, washed under the tap and the yellow skin located on the inside is removed. The workpiece is spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and sent to the oven, setting the minimum temperature. It is better to leave the door ajar so that the ventricles do not burn.

The skin should become dry and slightly hardened. It is ground in a coffee grinder or mortar, and the resulting product is poured into a glass jar. Chicken gizzards are taken twice a day. Eat 5 g of medicinal powder, wash down with water. Diarrhea usually goes away within 2–3 days.

For those who have a sweet tooth, it is recommended to brew strong black tea. Put 5 dessert spoons of sugar into a hot drink, add 100 ml of freshly squeezed grape juice. Drink in one gulp, do not snack.

First aid

Each patient can provide emergency care for diarrhea independently:

• Initially, it is necessary to drink as soon as possible any remedy that can improve the general condition of the gastrointestinal tract. They can be activated carbon, Smecta or Enterol.
• Afterwards, you should avoid eating for at least half a day.
• In addition, you need to remember to take large amounts of liquid in small portions, since during diarrhea the body intensively loses it.
• Herbal teas and various juices have a positive effect on well-being. They perfectly replenish the supply of vitamins lost during loose stools.
• If you have diarrhea, you need to be careful when choosing the food you eat. It is not recommended to eat sweets, salty, spicy or fried foods for 3-6 days. During this period, it is recommended to eat fruits and vegetables.
• To prevent diarrhea, you should initially follow the rules of hygiene and review your diet. It is imperative to wash food products and hands before eating.

You should only buy products of proper quality, and be sure to carry out heat treatment. It is also necessary to boil water or milk before consuming it.

First aid for diarrhea is to eliminate the symptoms of the pathology and prevent adverse consequences.

For these purposes, emergency care should be divided into the following stages:

• Initially, it is necessary to prevent dehydration. In particular, it can be dangerous for older people and children, as it can provoke a coma. Saline solutions help restore electrolyte balance and fluid loss extremely effectively. If the baby refuses to take this liquid, it is tedious to give him compote, tea or plain water. When providing emergency care to a child whose diarrhea is caused by an increase in acetone, you need to use non-carbonated mineral water and solutions with glucose.
• A cleansing enema, which includes medicinal plants, makes it possible to eliminate diarrhea. It is important because through diarrhea the body tries to eliminate harmful substances, along with them bringing positive bacteria to the surface. An enema effectively preserves all useful elements due to their partial absorption, and also increases the volume of water inside the gastrointestinal tract.
• Sorbents that bind all pathogenic microorganisms can help strengthen feces.
• Due to the consumption of plant fiber, microflora is produced, which helps the proper functioning of the intestines.
• The use of enzyme agents helps restore the functioning of the pancreas, which is impaired due to diarrhea.

Such actions can provide quick relief by stopping diarrhea. Subsequent actions vary depending on what directly triggered the condition.

Products with astringent properties

Barley and acorn coffee helps stop diarrhea. The drink should be strong and unsweetened. Drink 300–400 ml per day.

A decoction of oatmeal and dried pears is useful for diarrhea. Take regular porridge, not instant porridge. Combine 2 glasses of water and 100 g of cereal. When the oatmeal has boiled and becomes slimy, add pieces of dried fruit. Turn off the stove and leave for 60 minutes to allow the pears to swell. Divide the prepared porridge into two servings and eat the day before.

Cinnamon will help get rid of diarrhea. Pour 2-3 g of spice into a cup of hot water, add a pinch or drop of red hot pepper. The product is wrapped, left for an hour, covered with a plate or lid. Take a sip every 60 minutes.

Treatment of diarrhea

Let's just say that at home, using folk and medical remedies, you can stop diarrhea quickly, easily and simply, although not in all cases. For example, if:

• the cause is a virus - you need to take antiviral drugs;
• for dysbacteriosis - medications that normalize the natural intestinal flora;
• in case of stress, the treatment tactics are completely different - here it is necessary to reduce the level of traumatic experience, to accept everything as it is.

You understand me that in some cases related to taking pharmacological drugs, you will have to contact a doctor to prescribe and prescribe medications.

Stress diarrhea

Diarrhea, which occurs due to worries and emotional overstimulation, is treated with chamomile decoction.
The drink is drunk in the morning and evening for 2-3 weeks. People who suffer from stress diarrhea are recommended to include cereals, flour products, dark chocolate and quince in their diet. Pears, pomegranates, natural cottage cheese and cocoa with milk are useful. But you need to consume foods with fixing properties before diarrhea. If diarrhea appears due to worries and excess emotions, you should always keep sorbents in your purse, at least activated carbon. Drink decoctions of blueberry leaves, bird cherry flowers and cinquefoil. Take B vitamins to strengthen the nervous system.

Patients who frequently visit the toilet are advised to drink a lot of solution that restores water balance. To prepare the product, you need to mix 1 liter of liquid with 120 g of sugar, 15 g of salt, 5 g of soda and 5-6 g of calcium chloride.

Diarrhea is an unpredictable and dangerous disease. In case of food or infectious poisoning, diarrhea lasts from 1 to 3 days. If on the fourth day the disorder has not disappeared, and the patient’s condition has worsened, you should abandon home remedies and consult a doctor.

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Basic information

Hippocrates spoke about the dangers of constipation for health. The Bible contains recommendations about the need to perform cleansing enemas in order to eliminate accumulated toxins in the body. Today the attitude towards enemas is very cautious. This is due to their ability to remove beneficial microflora from the body. It is laxatives that have gained widespread popularity.

Classification

Dividing them into groups will help to understand what processes occur under the influence of active substances included in laxatives.

In medical practice, there are several classifications, depending on various parameters.

Depending on the type of action, drugs can be herbal in nature

Based on the type of action, drugs are conventionally divided into 3 groups:

• Drugs that provoke chemical irritation of receptors in the intestinal mucosa. Among them are herbal preparations: rhubarb root, hay, castor oil. This group also includes drugs produced synthetically (phenolphthalenin, etc.).
• Drugs that provoke similar irritation, only mechanically (due to a significant amount of feces in a liquefied state). Among them are salt ones. For example, agar-agar produces a laxative effect due to swelling in the intestines and increasing the volume of feces. It should also be noted that osmotic drugs (sorbitol, etc.) interfere with the absorption of fluid, in particular water, which contributes to an increase in the mass of intestinal contents.
• Drugs that have the property of softening and liquefying feces, as well as facilitating their movement along the intestines. Among them are various oils (almond, etc.).

Saline laxatives affect all parts of the intestine

• stimulating the motor ability of the large intestine;
• stimulating the motor ability of the small intestine (various oils);
• affecting all its parts (salt).

Impact level

There are 3 groups of pharmacological drugs that differ in the nature of their effects. Among them:

• laxatives, forming stools similar in type to standard (burnt magnesia);
• laxatives that produce stool that is more mushy or liquid (rhubarb-based medications, etc.);
• diarrheal, provoking significant intestinal motor activity, providing stool of a more liquid type.

As mentioned above, laxative medications improve intestinal motility and, through osmosis, increase the volume of fluid in the large intestine. This helps eliminate constipation and regulate bowel movements.

Used for chronic constipation

• chronic constipation;
• loosening of stool for medical reasons (anal fissures, consequences of surgical interventions, hemorrhoids, etc.);
• acute hepatic encephalopathy.

Such remedies are used not only to eliminate constipation and similar conditions. In case of poisoning, a laxative is justified to quickly empty the intestines of toxic substances.

However, you should follow the rules to avoid significant dehydration, which can cause an overdose of laxatives.

Symptoms

Abdominal pain due to overdose

If you take laxative medications uncontrollably, you can provoke excessive accumulation of the substance. This will manifest itself with the following symptoms:

• repeated vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• paroxysmal spasmodic pain in the epigastric region.

These are common symptoms of overdose of any type of laxative. But drugs from individual groups have their own characteristic features. This can happen:

• acidosis;
• decrease in blood pressure;
• decreased elasticity of the skin;
• change in heart rhythm;
• noise in ears;
• thrombus formation, etc.

Help measures

What to do if you happen to take an excessive dose of laxative? The algorithm of actions is based on taking into account the consequences resulting from the therapeutic effects of the drug.

But before you start providing first aid, you need to call doctors. This is due to the risk of death due to significant dehydration.

Primary care

The first thing to do is stop taking the medication. The following steps should be taken:

• give the victim sorbent preparations;
• provide plenty of fluids, at least 2-3 liters;
• cover with a warm blanket.

Hospital

The procedures that will be carried out in a hospital setting are aimed at correcting water and electrolyte balance. Antispasmodic drugs and additional symptomatic therapy are prescribed.

Complications

The consequences of excessive or long-term use of such medications can be expressed:

• colon ischemia;
• frequent diarrhea with metabolic disorders;
• dehydration;
• decreased activity of intestinal enzymes;
• aspiration pneumonia;
• deterioration of intestinal motility, etc.

Medicines with a laxative effect are often necessary for poisoning and other conditions. However, their uncontrolled intake can cause not only significant dehydration, but also lead to death.