Medications that can cause diarrhea

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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.

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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.

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Last Revised	April 26, 2010

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: April 26, 2010

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.