It can contribute to your doubts and fears about therapy and add to feelings of depression and anxiety.
The risk of these infections increases as a persons immune function is depleted.
Clostridioides difficile-associatedbacterial diarrhea is 10 times more likely to occur in HIV-positive people than in the general population.
LWA / Sharie Kennedy / Blend Images / Getty Images
Side Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy
Diarrhea is a common side effect of several ARTs.
If left untreated, HIV can cause irreversible damage to these tissues, even after ART is initiated.
Antibiotics, for example, are often used to treat infections.
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But they also often kill gut bacteria that are vital to healthy bowel function.
For example, Bactrim (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) is often used as a prophylaxis for pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP).
And rifampin is used in the treatment oftuberculosis (TB).
Antacids that contain magnesium can potentially cause diarrhea or make it worse.
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You might have to have astool culturefor microbiological examination.
If you arelactose intolerant, pill or capsule probiotic formulations are also available.
Your healthcare provider may recommend electrolyte-rich foods, dietary supplementation, or low-sugar sports drinks.
Smaller, more frequent meals may also put less pressure on your intestines during bouts of diarrhea.
Crum-cianflone NF.HIV and the Gastrointestinal Tract.Infect Dis Clin Pract (Baltim Md).
2013;73(10):1121-1129. doi:10.1007/s40265-013-0083-6
Lima A, Kashuba A, Bushen O, et al.
