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DIARRHEA Diarrhea may result from infections, medications or changes in your intestines. The type and severity of diarrhea may vary according to the cause and to your tolerance to specific food. Diarrhea can lead to the loss of fluid and minerals, causing dehydration and weakness. The following suggestions may help to reduce your symptoms: Drink plenty of fluids with calories to replace what you lose with chronic diarrhea. These fluids include juices (grape, cranberry, diluted orange juice), fruit punch, nectars (apricot, peach, pear mango and banana), ice tea, lemonade, Gatorade, Kool-Aid and liquid nutritional supplements. Water is not a good choice for the majority of your fluid intake because it does not give you calories or protein. Drink at least eight glasses of high calorie, high protein fluids each day. Avoid alcoholic beverages and those containing caffeine, including coffee, black tea, chocolate drinks and soda. Drink fluids at room temperature because very cold or hot liquids may worsen your diarrhea. Avoid milk or milk products temporarily to determine if your symptoms improve. People who cannot tolerate milk products often manage better with yogurt that contains a Lactobacillus acidophilus culture or lactose-reduced products, such as Lactaid milk or acidophilus milk. Ask your nutritionist about Lactaid pills or drops (a natural source of the lactase enzyme that digests the milk product for you) to reduce bloating, cramps and diarrhea. If you cannot digest lactose-reduced products, try fortified soymilk or liquid nutritional supplements. Avoid greasy or fried food because these may aggravate diarrhea. You may need to eat less fat if your diarrhea results from fat malabsorption. If this is the case, choose lean meats, and avoid adding extra fat to food. Certain nutritional supplements are lactose-free and low in fat, such as Lipisorb or Vivonex Plus. To improve the flavor of these powdered supplements, add them to lemonade, juices or nectars. Avoid eating bran-type fiber in food, including raw fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, whole grains and corn. Soluble fiber (pectins and gums) can help to reduce symptoms of diarrhea. Food high in soluble fiber include oatmeal, mashed beans, tofu, applesauce and cooked pears. If you have problems digesting food with roughage, choose low-fiber food, such as cooked meats, tofu, canned fruits and vegetables without skins, ripe bananas, mangoes, papayas, applesauce, white rice, couscous, millet, white bread toast or crackers, which are especially good to help control diarrhea. Ask your physician about anti-diarrheal medications, such as: Imodium, Lomotil or Paregoric. The medication will vary depending on the cause of your diarrhea. A tablespoon of Metamucil mixed with juice may help to control diarrhea because it contains soluble fiber which can promote stool bulking as well as prevent constipation. Avoid eating food that may cause cramps or bloating, such as apples, beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, onions, green peppers, beer and spicy food. Choose food and fluids that are high in potassium, a mineral that you lose with diarrhea. Good food sources of potassium are bananas, raisins, potatoes, fish, tomatoes, chicken, meat and cooked beans. High potassium fluids include orange juice, apricot, mango and peach nectars, V-8 juice and Gatorade. |
