Will Diarrhea Affect My Medication?

Diarrhea can affect the absorption (and therefore the effectiveness) of oral medications.

Does medicine work if you have diarrhea?

In most cases, over-the-counter medication can be helpful in stopping an occasional bout of diarrhea — especially traveler's diarrhea, which may result from ingesting contaminated food or water while abroad. Over-the-counter options include Imodium (loperamide) and Pepto-Bismol or Kaopectate (bismuth subsalicylate).

Can you poop out a pill right after taking it?

Immediate release medications usually need to be dosed frequently to maintain blood levels or usually can cause gastrointestinal irritation. As controlled release pill formulations are released slowly, the outer capsule shell may be seen undigested in the stool.