Gastroenteritis as a Side Effect of Medications

Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common side effects of many medications. Common offenders include

• Antacids containing magnesium as a major ingredient

• Antibiotics (diarrhea may occur as a side effect or because of Clostridioides difficile infection)

• Chemotherapy

• Radiation therapy

• Colchicine (for gout)

• Digoxin (usually used for heart failure or certain irregular heart rhythms)

• Medications used to remove or destroy internal parasitic worms

• Laxatives (overuse of laxatives can lead to weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, electrolyte loss, and other disturbances)

Recognizing that a medication is causing gastroenteritis can be difficult. In mild cases, a doctor may advise a person to stop taking the medication and later start taking it again. If the symptoms subside when the person stops taking the medication and resume when the person starts taking it again, then the medication may be the cause of the gastrointestinal symptoms. In severe cases of gastroenteritis, a doctor may instruct the person to stop taking the medication permanently.