If you’ve ever had to battle it out with a raging urge to release, you probably already know how diarrhea can ruin anyone’s day. This common problem is often the result of eating a bad meal that transports virus, bacteria, and parasites into the digestive system. While diarrhea is usually self-limiting, no one really wants to wait for the symptoms to pass especially if there are medications you can use to help achieve relief much faster.
These days, it’s easy to get your hands on anti-diarrhea medicine over the counter. However, because there are a lot of different options, it often takes an expensive episode of trial and error to make the right choice. Don’t waste your time or your money on medications that don’t work. Buy only the best medicine for diarrhea by following this buying guide.
Top 10 Medicines for Diarrhea Chart
Consider This When Buying Anti-Diarrhea Medicine
Different people can experience varying results from the diarrhea medication they take, so it goes without saying that a certain option may or may not be effective on your system. What’s more, because diarrhea is merely a symptom of an underlying infection or condition, these medications can only temporarily treat the symptoms and not cure the cause itself. Taking your time to understand these factors will help you land the best medicine for diarrhea that’s right for your system.
- Main Active Ingredient. There are many different active ingredients that are included in the formulation of anti-diarrheal medications, and these all aim to provide temporary relief against diarrhea. Depending on your own needs and preferences, you may need to choose one over another.
- Bismuth Subsalicylate. This ingredient is used as an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal, making it ideal for diarrhea caused by bacteria. Bismuth subsalicylate doesn’t cause any major side effects aside from blackish stool.
- Loperamide. Another common active ingredient, loperamide works to decrease the frequency of diarrhea by slowing down the movements of the gut. It does not have any antibacterial or antiviral infections, and only treats the symptoms.
- Protease. This ingredient is often seen in digestive supplements, and aims to help with the breakdown of food in the stomach. This is ideal if you accidentally ate food that your body might struggle to digest.
- Herbal Medicine. There are lots of herbal ingredients that are said to help relieve diarrhea. Ingredients like ginger have been observed to help with diarrhea, however there aren’t very many substantial studies to support these claims. Despite this, there are some who have claimed to experience relief with herbal remedies.
- Delivery Mechanism. Instant relief is often what people want out of their diarrhea medicine because the feeling of urgency can be very restrictive. Depending on the delivery mechanism you choose, you can experience relief sooner than you would with other options.
- Pills. Pills that don’t have the enteric coating might be completely melted before they even reach the gastrointestinal system. Because it’s important that these medicines are melted in the GI tract, it would be ideal to use tablets that have a special enteric coating that protects them from dissolving in the stomach. What’s more, some pills may take a longer time to produce results because they need to be dissolved before their active ingredients can generate change.
- Liquids. Liquids are much more ideal for people who experience hyperacidity along with their diarrhea because solids like tablets and capsules require the stomach to produce more acid. These liquids take less time to produce results, but are often less convenient to take while on the go.
- Side-Effects. While anti-diarrheal medicines are generally safe, they do produce some minor side-effects. The most common are headaches, dizziness, tiredness, and constipation. Ensuring that you’re taking just enough to target your diarrhea should prevent adverse reactions and side-effects from developing.
Top 3 Best Medicine for Diarrhea Reviews
1. Kaopectate Multi-Symptom Reliever Caplets
Considered by many as the best medicine for diarrhea, this formulation uses bismuth subsalicylate as its main active ingredient. This makes it the best anti diarrhea medicine for cases caused by bacterial infection.
Kaopectate Multi-Symptom Relief for Stomach Ailments is a multi-symptom relief formula that targets different stomach and digestive problems, including nausea, heartburn, gas, and indigestion. Because it’s fast acting and effective, and because it can target multiple different ailments relating to the GI system, it has become a popular choice among consumers. So if you want to keep a reliable and effective remedy in your bag or drawer for easy relief during for those unexpected bouts of diarrhea and other stomach ailments, Kaopectate Multi-Symptom Relief for Stomach Ailments is your best bet.
2. Imodium Multi-Symptom Relief of Diarrhea
Known as one of the most popular remedies for traveler’s diarrhea, Imodium Multi-Symptom Relief for Diarrhea is another popular go-to remedy for people experiencing unwanted bowel urgency. This formulation incorporates powerful loperamide which helps soothe bowels and reduce the frequency of its movements to limit the number of bathroom visits you make.
It’s highly effective for fast-acting and temporary relief, but there are some downsides. Taking too much of the medicine too often in a day could cause bowel movements to slow down too much, causing the development of constipation. Be sure to take just the recommended dosage to avoid these effects and any adverse reactions.
3. Kirkland Signature Anti-Diarrheal Loperamide
Much like Imodium, Kirkland Signature Anti-Diarrheal Caplets uses lopermide to help reduce bowel movements. This product works almost as well as brand name remedies; however, its effects may be limited for some users.
Regardless however, Kirkland Signature Anti-Diarrheal Caplets proves to be a worthy choice because of its general effectiveness. That combined with its very affordable price, makes it a prime choice for people on a budget.