If you are an adult, have 2. 5 to 30 grams (0. 09 to 1 oz) a day in a divided dose. You can take psyllium when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. [4] X Research source If you are a child, six to 11 years old, have 1. 25 to 15 grams (0. 044 to 0. 53 oz) a day orally in divided doses. [5] X Research source
If your medication is causing the severe diarrhea, your doctor may switch your medication or suggest a lower dosage.
You can check if you are getting enough fluids by doing the pinch test, medically known as the skin turgor test. Use your fingers to pinch a section of skin on the back of your hand, your lower arm, or your abdominal area and hold it for a few seconds. Make sure the skin is tented upward. Release the skin after a few seconds. If the skin snaps back quickly to its normal position, you are well hydrated. If the skin stays tented upward and smooths back slowly, you are likely dehydrated. [8] X Research source You can also tell if you are getting enough fluids by checking the color of your urine. If your urine appears darker than normal, drink more water. If you are well hydrated, your urine will appear bright yellow. Water alone will not always fix more severe dehydration. Try adding a pinch of honey or sugar with a dash of salt to the water you drink, or supplementing your eight to 10 glasses with an electrolyte solution available at your local pharmacy. Correcting electrolyte imbalances can often help the body to “reboot” after a bout of severe diarrhea.
Cook grains in a light chicken or miso broth. Use a 2:1 ratio, with twice as much liquid used per one cup of grains. For example, you would cook ½ cup barley in 2 cups of chicken broth. Have well-cooked, starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, and winter squash. You can also have fresh vegetable juices like carrot or celery juice. Dilute the vegetable juice with an equal amount of water. Do your best to eat foods that are high in soluble fiber such as oats, barley, bean, and applesauce.
Bananas Rice Applesauce Toast (whole grain) You can also eat salted crackers to help reduce any nausea or vomiting you may be experiencing, and ginger ale is often helpful in reducing nausea symptoms.
You can also add yogurt to your diet to increase the active cultures in your stomach and counteract the disease causing bacteria in your gut.
Ginger tea is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Children over two years of age can have light ginger tea or flat non-carbonated ginger ale. Ginger tea has not been tested for use for very young children.
Do not consume bilberry tea if you are on blood thinners or have diabetes.
You should also avoid drinking alcoholic beverages as they can also irritate your bowels and make your diarrhea worse.
The doctor will perform a physical examination and take a stool sample. The stool sample will allow your doctor to determine if the diarrhea is the result of a parasite infection.
You should also let your doctor know if you have been camping or hiking in the wild recently, as there are a number of parasites and other microorganisms that can cause severe diarrhea. Your doctor may suggest anti-diarrheal medications, such as over-the-counter medications like Loperamide (Imodium) or Bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol). Or, she may recommend prescription anti-diarrheal medications like Lomotil, Lonox, Loperamide, Crofelemer, Rifaximin, and Opium tincture/Peregoric.
Gluten, found in bread and wheat products Lactose, found in dairy products Casein, found in hard cheeses High fructose corn syrup intolerance, found in sweetened drinks and sauces
