NEGATIVE EFFECT OF TREATING ACUTE DIARRHOEA WITH PILLS: MY EXPERIENCE

wikicommons, CCO

In one of my previous articles, I tried explaining why acute diarrhoea should be allowed to run its course without interference (treating with pills). I'm convinced that sharing my experience will further help someone out there learn more on managing acute diarrhoea.

I had to attend my friend's grandma's burial which held on the first Saturday of this month. Though I don't eat in public events; I had to join my friends that were present at the burial ceremony to eat.

Right there, I started having funny movements in my stomach, so I had to leave everyone and rush home. That's how the diarrhoea started. Back home, I couldn't figure out if it was the burial food that caused the negative reaction in my stomach.

It was easy to endure that first day, but since I had to be in church the next day, I took pills that would stop the diarrhoea so I don't get embarrassed. Miraculously (so I thought), the diarrhoea stopped and throughout that day I didn't have to rush to the toilet.

The diarrhoea stopped, but I suffered the consequences of treating it with pills. Since acute diarrhoea is self-limiting and only last for few days, I would have recovered faster if i didn't use pills. From Sunday to Tuesday I couldn't defecate, eating too was a problem.

Fever and severe stomach ache were the symptoms that followed. When I couldn't endure again, on Wednesday I had to prepare coffee enema. After the coffee enema I felt a whole lot better. I realized that while trying to stop the diarrhoea, I was indirectly stopping my body system from performing its functions (flushing out the microbes involve).