Treatment of intestinal infections in adults with drugs

Intestinal infection is a dangerous and insidious disease. It is believed that every person on Earth experiences an intestinal infection at least once in their life. Some infections are easily tolerated by the body and pass quickly, but others are very difficult to tolerate and can lead to serious complications both for the gastrointestinal tract and for the body as a whole.

In this article we will reveal to the reader the symptoms and treatment of intestinal infection in adults. The reader will receive valuable recommendations on how to identify an infection and how to help the sick person.

Symptoms of infection in adults

The infection does not always manifest itself immediately and characteristically, so the patient may feel some discomfort, but not suspect that a serious disease is developing inside.

However, there are common symptoms that may suggest an infection in the intestines.

• Symptoms of infection include pain in the abdomen. Typically, these are spasmodic pains, attacks last up to 4 minutes. Painful sensations occur as a result of the activity of harmful bacteria.
• Diarrhea and constipation. Prolonged diarrhea contributes to dehydration, so it is important to pay attention to this symptom in time. Diarrhea appears as a consequence of the life and development of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. Constipation is usually caused by parasitic organisms.
• Decreased appetite. Even the most favorite dishes do not seem attractive.
• Dizziness as a symptom.
• Body aches.
• No matter how strange it may seem, sleep disturbance is directly related to infection. Firstly, the infection irritates the body and makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep. Secondly, when a person sleeps, the body tries to cleanse itself of toxins, but bacteria make this task much more difficult.
• Irritable bowel syndrome. A disturbance in the gastrointestinal tract, which provokes cramps, bloating, diarrhea, constipation.
• Nausea and vomiting as symptoms.
• Grinding of teeth, which is worse during sleep.
• Headaches, apathy, and depression are clear signs of infection with yeast microorganisms.
• The skin itches and burns. Rashes may appear.

Emergency medications for intestinal infections

Providing first aid and immediately taking tablets for intestinal infections is required in situations where defecation occurs more than 8 times a day, while the stool is liquid and in appearance may resemble rice water, and also when signs of general intoxication of the body are clearly visible.

In this case, you need to take the following medications for intestinal infection:

• Intravenous infusion of an isotonic solution of sodium chloride and glucose.
• Intramuscular injections of a lytic mixture consisting of 2 ml of Analgin, 2 ml of Papaverine and 1 ml of Diphenhydramine.
• The use of adsorbents and rehydration preparations in powder form, such as Regidron and Polysorb. This will protect the body from dehydration, and the adsorbent will help remove toxins.

In severe cases, hospitalization in the infectious diseases department of the hospital is required. Medicines for children prescribed for intestinal infections must meet safety requirements, quickly replenish water and electrolyte balance, and also remove waste products of pathogenic microflora from the body within a short time after taking them.

Symptoms of infection

Acute infections cause more severe symptoms. The incubation period averages a day, but in different cases it can last from 5 hours to 2 days.

• severe weakness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• body temperature rises to 390;
• stomach ache;
• diarrhea with copious watery bowel movements (in some cases green or yellowish).

If symptoms of an intestinal infection are observed, as a rule, he is hospitalized. It is very important to seek help in a timely manner and not to start an infection. The sooner you see a doctor, the faster the infection will be defeated. It is better for the patient’s family members to also get checked by a specialist.

Anti-infection drugs

Another consequence of any intestinal infection (both food poisoning and other severe forms of gastrointestinal disease) is the development of dysbiosis.

This means that the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria in the intestines is shifted in favor of the latter, which interferes with the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

To treat dysbacteriosis, antiseptic drugs are prescribed that successfully work against harmful bacteria - Furazolidone (considered indispensable in the treatment of dysentery, typhoid fever), Ersefuril (acts only in the intestines, most effective for bacterial intestinal infections), Intetrix, Nitroxoline.

When an intestinal infection is treated with antibacterial drugs, the intestinal microflora usually suffers.

To further restore it, it is recommended to take the following drugs: Linex, Bifikol, Bifidumbacterin, Polybacterin.

Also, these medications can be prescribed after a course of treatment with antibiotics, which can also negatively affect the state of the intestinal microflora.

For viral intestinal infections, antiviral drugs are usually prescribed.

Some drugs are directly aimed at fighting the virus (Interferon), some stimulate the human immune system and the body’s production of protective substances.

Sometimes, with an intestinal infection, the patient’s temperature rises, which indicates an inflammatory process has begun in the body.

In this case, the patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs - Ibuprofen, Acetylsalicylic acid, Voltaren, Indomethacin.

In severe forms of intestinal infection, intestinal spasms are possible, then anti-spasm medications are recommended - No-shpu, Platyfillin, Papaverine.

Since the organs of the digestive system are usually affected, to normalize the digestive processes it is recommended to take enzyme preparations - Festal, Mezim, Enzistal, Panzinorm.

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They help food digest in the body and promote better absorption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates into the intestinal walls.

It is worth noting that all these medications should be taken only after consultation with a doctor and all necessary diagnostics.

Doctors do not recommend self-treatment (except in the case of mild forms of infection, for example, food poisoning).

Treatment of infection

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Do not forget that only a doctor can prescribe effective therapy. Our article about the symptoms and treatment of intestinal infection in adults is for informational purposes only.

How to treat the infection?

Treatment for infection in adults consists of medications and a special diet. Taking medications without a diet will not only negate the treatment, but will also worsen the situation.

List of medications for treating infection in adults:

• Levomycetin is a time-tested antibiotic. This drug has been rated by hundreds of Internet users as the most effective at a low price (only 10-30 rubles). It helps bring stool back to normal and quickly kills negative intestinal microflora.
• Saline drips are prescribed for severe dehydration.
• Regidron and glucosalan also won a lot of positive reviews on the Internet.
• Linex and acylol help normalize positive intestinal microflora.
• Mezim and Creon are enzymes.
• Interix and Enterol are antiseptics for the intestines.

Medicines for diarrhea

One of the main symptoms of both ordinary food poisoning and severe forms of intestinal infection is diarrhea.

It is dangerous primarily because it leads to severe dehydration of the body and loss of important salts.

If measures are not taken to restore normal fluid levels in the body, dehydration shock is possible, which can lead to the death of the patient.

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It is recommended to drink saline solutions, the most famous are Regidron, Glucosolan and Tsitroglucosolan. They will help increase the level of fluid and salts in the body and improve the patient’s condition.

However, at the same time it is necessary to get rid of the cause that causes fluid loss, i.e. diarrhea.

Medicines against diarrhea are a variety of sorbents. These are the well-known varieties of activated carbon, Smecta, Karbolong, Polyphepan.

These drugs are completely safe for both adults and children; they can be safely taken by pregnant and lactating women.

They will help remove toxins from the body, improve well-being, and normalize stool.

Opiates may be prescribed - drugs that inhibit intestinal motility.

The most famous of them are Loperamide and Trimebutin. Taking them normalizes intestinal function and improves the absorption of nutrients.

Another well-proven remedy for diarrhea is the hormonal drug Somatostatin.

It improves intestinal absorption function, normalizes stool, and relieves the effects of poisoning of the body. The drug is sold in ampoules and must be administered subcutaneously.

To treat diarrhea, intravenous injections of Ergocalciferol (calcium gluconate along with vitamin D2) for three days may also be prescribed.

Doctors also note a drug such as Indomethacin, which not only helps to cope with diarrhea and improve well-being, but also improves heart function.

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It often needs to be taken for one day, but in rare cases, treatment with this drug is continued the next day.

Before taking these medications, it is recommended to rinse the patient's stomach. To do this, you need to drink about one and a half liters of water, preferably with potassium permanganate, and induce vomiting.

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This will help remove pathogens of intestinal infections from the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

Special diet (basic provisions)

1. To soothe irritable bowels, fasting is recommended, but strictly within the framework of the diet. Uncontrolled fasting will weaken the body and it will not have the strength to fight the disease.
2. Oatmeal and rice porridge without salt soothe the intestines and do not provoke the development of microorganisms.
3. For mild forms of infections, there are no special restrictions on food intake, but the usual portion should be reduced by about 1/3.
4. The following foods are completely excluded from the diet:

• citrus fruits (any);
• milk, fermented baked milk, yogurt (any) and cream;
• black bread;
• beets, peas, beans;
• any fish or meat broths.
• pumpkin, carrots, blueberries, bird cherry;
• slimy soups;
• mashed porridge;
• rosehip decoction;
• jelly;
• dried bread;
• drinking plenty of fluids.

1. What should be in the patient’s diet:

All food is prepared only by steaming or boiling. Fried food is strictly prohibited!

Treatment of intestinal infections in children

For mild intestinal infections, treatment at home is possible. But if you experience frequent vomiting or profuse diarrhea, you should seek qualified help, since children develop dehydration very quickly.

Principles of therapy:

1. Etiological treatment is an antibiotic or antiviral drug.
2. Sorbents – for binding toxins, as well as free gas in the intestines.
3. Detoxification. The most important point is to drink plenty of fractional drinks. If the child cannot or refuses to drink, then an intravenous infusion of saline solutions is performed.

For drinking, it is also better to use mineral water without gas or pharmaceutical solutions - normohydron, rehydron, etc. They allow you to replenish the lack of not only water, but also mineral salts, which the body also quickly loses through vomiting and diarrhea.

One of the most important principles of treatment is diet. Dairy products, raw fruits and vegetables are excluded, fried, fatty, and salty foods are not allowed.

Rotovirus intestinal infection

An aggravated form of infection (popularly “intestinal flu”). The causative agents are rotoroviruses. In adults it is relatively mild, while children suffer from the disease with difficulty.

How does rotorovirus manifest?

The incubation period is short - about 16 hours. The disease begins with a rise in temperature to 39, sometimes higher. After about 2 hours, nausea and vomiting and diarrhea begin. The frequency of manifestations is strictly individual: one patient may vomit once, while another may vomit up to 3-5 times a day. Diarrhea is usually frequent, up to 20 times a day. The feces are very watery, but without additional impurities in the form of food debris or blood. The acute form of the disease lasts 5-7 days.

Note! Due to excessive vomiting and diarrhea, there is a high risk of dehydration. The patient needs to drink as much as possible!

How to treat rotorovirus intestinal infection?

• At the initial stages, standard sorbents - enterogel, activated carbon, etc. - are quite effective.
• Groprinosin and amiksin are antiviral drugs that effectively fight rotorovirus and reviews from Internet users are proof of this.
• In more complex cases, a rehydration solution is prescribed. It is recommended to drink it every 15-20 minutes throughout the day in small quantities.
• Enzymes such as pancreatin and creon.

More information about rotavirus infection:

If the disease takes you by surprise, and you only have activated charcoal in your medicine cabinet, use traditional medicine recipes before visiting a specialist. They can also be an effective additional treatment option.

Treatments

At the first manifestations of the disease, you should refuse food and drink as much fluid as possible to prevent dehydration. For drinking, non-carbonated mineral water, a decoction of dried fruits, and unsweetened weak tea are best suited. The liquid should be at room temperature or slightly warmer, but not icy or hot.

Dried fruits compote

Rehydration preparations

In case of severe diarrhea or vomiting, it is recommended to take pharmaceutical drugs to replenish fluid in the body: “Regidron”, “Reosolan”, “Hydrovit”.

"Regidron"

They are available in powder form, which must be diluted in warm water before use. The dosage is 10 ml/kg of body weight per hour, that is, an adult with a body weight of about 70 kg should drink 0.7 liters of solution within an hour. When the condition improves slightly, the dosage is reduced by half and the solution is drunk only after bowel movements or another attack of vomiting.

"Hydrovit"

Rehydration products are used for all types of intestinal infections.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are used in the treatment of bacterial infections, and only as prescribed by a specialist. The action of each drug is aimed at a specific type of microorganism, so you first need to identify the causative agent of the disease. Correct use of antibiotics gives noticeable results already on the first day of treatment, but it is impossible to stop taking them before the time specified by the doctor. The bacteria remaining in the body will become resistant to the drug and provoke an acute relapse, which will be more difficult to combat.

Rules for taking antibiotics

The most effective antibiotics

Folk recipes

• A decoction of chamomile flowers with honey. Pour boiling water over the flowers and leave for about 20-30 minutes. You can add 1 spoon of sugar and a little lemon juice.
• St. John's wort decoction. 1 spoon of St. John's wort and a little cinnamon are poured into 200 ml of water. Cover the broth and leave for several hours (it is better to pour it overnight). Strain thoroughly several times and drink half a glass before meals.

Dried blueberries will help with frequent diarrhea. Brew compote and drink throughout the day, but not on an empty stomach! Keep in mind that fresh blueberries have a laxative effect and are therefore contraindicated.

Review of popular drugs

There are many tablets and solutions for intestinal infections, but only a doctor should prescribe them. Independent choice of medication often turns out to be incorrect, which leads to worsening of the disease.

Self-selected medications for intestinal infections can lead to the following consequences:

1. Long-term use of sorbents can lead to constipation, which makes it difficult to remove toxins from the body.
2. Treatment with drugs containing enzymes makes it difficult to determine the cause of intestinal infection, as well as its diagnosis.
3. Uncontrolled antibiotic therapy is often ineffective due to the fact that the pathogen that led to intoxication has not been identified.

Medicines for children

When the disease occurs in children under three years of age, only a doctor has the right to prescribe medications for intestinal infections, and treatment should be carried out inpatiently to monitor the child’s condition around the clock.

In addition to standard infusion therapy, children can be given the following medications:

• Stopdiar is a medicine for intestinal infections of the nitrofuran series, which can be used for children from two months of age. Available in the form of a solution, take one measuring spoon twice a day.
• Enterosgel is based on polymethylsiloxane, which has an adsorbing effect. Available in tubes, it has a paste-like consistency. The medication is excreted from the body unchanged and is not absorbed, so it can be taken by pregnant women and infants.
• Smectite – the active ingredient is smectite, which is allowed to be used by children from the first days of life. The drug is in powder form and is available in dosed sachets. Babies under one year old should drink no more than one dose of medicine per day; at older ages, 1 sachet of Smecta can be used 2-3 times a day.

Drugs for adults

The drugs that need to be taken when an intestinal infection develops in adults should not only eliminate the causative agent of the disease, but also prevent dehydration of the body. That is why medications for intestinal infections must be taken in combination.

Usually prescribed:

1. Gastrolite - belongs to a group of drugs that restore the balance of electrolytes. The medication also has an astringent effect and relieves the symptoms of diarrhea.
2. Loperamide is an antidiarrheal drug available in capsules. To eliminate diarrhea, you need to take 2 tablets on the first day, then after each bowel movement, take 1 dose of this medicine for intestinal infections in adults.
3. Ersefuril is based on nifuroxazide, which is an intestinal antiseptic. Take 4 capsules per day, divided into 3-4 applications.
4. Linex is a combined probiotic that normalizes intestinal microflora and relieves diarrhea. Course treatment.
5. Furazolidone is an antimicrobial agent used for dysentery and toxic gastrointestinal infections.

Types and pathogens of intestinal infections

Infections enter the human body through the mouth, which is why intestinal ailments are often observed in children. As for adults, due to lack of time, they also neglect simple hygiene rules. In clean people, an intestinal infection occurs due to accidental consumption of a contaminated food product or is transmitted through the air.

People often become infected through unwashed hands.

The classification of the group of intestinal infections is divided depending on the source, i.e., the causative agent of the pathological process. There are the following types of intestinal infections and their pathogens:

• fungal – caused by a fungus of the genus Candida;
• bacterial - staphylococcus, intestinal or dysentery bacillus, salmonella;
• viral – adenoviruses, enteroviruses, rotaviruses.

Fungal infection

This disease is called “candidiasis”. Candida fungus affects not only the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, but also disrupts the healthy functioning of the entire human digestive system.

There are invasive and non-invasive candidiasis. The first type of fungal infection is manifested by a rash on the skin and disorders of the digestive system. Non-invasive candidiasis is characterized by the spread of Candida fungus to nearby organs. This leads to poor overall health and can be dangerous.

Bacterial infection

From childhood, everyone was taught to wash their hands and vegetables before eating and not to put dirty fingers in their mouth. And for good reason: this is how bacteria enter the body and cause eating disorders. Infection with pathogens of this type is more difficult to tolerate than a viral one, because bacteria have the ability not to respond to the action of antibiotics taken to treat this condition.

Staphylococci are found in the body of a healthy person in a certain amount. A decrease in the body's defenses entails the penetration of bacteria on a larger scale. An imbalance of bacteria is created, and a staphylococcal infection occurs, which is difficult to treat.

Viral infection

The routes of infection with this infectious disease are airborne droplets and contact (through food and unwashed fingers). Difficulties in diagnosing a viral disease arise, since its symptoms can easily be confused with a cold.

Intestinal flu is the second name for the pathology. Symptoms of viral infections in adults include:

• a sore throat;
• temperature increase;
• weakness;
• cough;

If the disease is caused by rotaviruses, then it is a rotavirus intestinal infection. Vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, stomach pain, and other symptoms of damage to the digestive tract begin after 2-3 days. It is at this time that the patient is a carrier of the disease and is able to infect others.