Definition of Drug-induced diarrhea:

Drug-induced diarrhea is loose, watery stools caused by certain medications.

See also: Diarrhea

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Nearly all medications have the potential to cause diarrhea as a side effect. Some medications, however, are more prone to cause diarrhea than others. For example:

• Laxatives can and are meant to produce diarrhea by drawing water into the gut and increasing the muscle contractions of the intestine.
• Antibiotics can produce diarrhea by destroying the bacteria of the gut. In some cases, antibiotics can allow a particular type of bacteria called Clostridium difficile to grow in excess. This can lead to infection with this organism, producing a severe, watery form of diarrhea called pseudomembranous colitis.
• Other drugs may be directly toxic to the digestive tract. Chemotherapy medicines, such as mycophenolate, are a common cause of diarrhea. Certain types of mesalamine also can cause diarrhea.