Medicines That Can Cause Diarrhea

Many medicines can cause diarrhea, including:

• Antibiotics, such as ampicillin, amoxicillin, clindamycin, tetracycline, and cephalosporins. Diarrhea is of particular concern if you have recently been hospitalized and received intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
• Antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) or sertraline (Zoloft).
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, such as captopril (Capoten) or enalapril (Vasotec).
• Antacids containing magnesium.
• Colchicine.
• Corticosteroid treatment, such as prednisone.
• Digoxin.
• Diuretics, such as furosemide or thiazides.
• Laxatives, such as Correctol, Dulcolax, Ex-Lax, or Feen-a-Mint.
• Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection.
• Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy).
• Metformin.
• Propranolol, such as Inderal.
• Radiation therapy.
• Quinidine, such as Cardioquin or Quin-Release.
• Theophylline, such as Theo-24.

Many antibiotics cause diarrhea. Usually the diarrhea is mild and will clear up without treatment. A more serious type of diarrhea caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile may occur while taking the antibiotic or shortly after finishing the antibiotic.

Diarrhea may be a sign of serious reaction to a medicine, such as a toxic reaction. Diarrhea is an early sign of toxicity for some medicines, including lithium (such as Eskalith or Lithobid) and digoxin (Lanoxin).

If you think a medicine is causing diarrhea, contact the health professional who prescribed it. The dosage may need to be changed, or the medicine may need to be stopped.

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