Drug reactions diarrhoea

Loperamide is an antimotility drug indicated for diarrhoea. Side-effects of loperamide include skin reactions and abdominal cramps. 

Indometacin, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, inhibits the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase implicated in inflammatory reactions. Indometacin is more effective as an anti-inflammatory agent than ibuprofen and tends to have a higher side-effect profile, including headache, diarrhoea and gastrointestinal disturbances. Rectal administration reduces but does not prevent gastrointestinal tract disturbances. 

Adverse effects include skin rash, drug fever, anaphylaxis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, thrombocytopenia and leu-copenia. Local reaction and pain at injection site, pseudomembranous colitis and headache. 

Adverse effects include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, urticaria, drug fever, pruritus, dizziness, hypersensitivity reactions, hematological disorders. 

Adverse reactions to penicillins are rare diarrhoea can occur due to alteration in normal gastrointestinal bacteria. In fact, penicillins are probably the least toxic drugs known. Hypersensitivity reactions to penicillins occur in up to 10% of patients and vary from mild skin rashes to exfoliative dermatitis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (immune vasculitis with arthritis, nephritis, central nervous system abnormalities and myocarditis) and from bronchoconstriction to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. 

Morphine possesses a host of diverse pharmaeological properties and uses, a few of whieh are, to check diarrhoea, ease dyspnea, suppress cough and above all, to induce sleep in the presenee of pain. Though morphine and morphine-like drugs may not alter the sensation of pain but they modify the emotional reaction to pain. The pain may be present but may not be perceived as painful. 

Lithium carbonate is used in the treatment of manic depressive illnesses. The exact mechanism of its action is not known but it may interfere with cyclic-AMP mediated processes. The level of the drug in the blood must be monitored periodically as toxic reactions (tremors, diarrhoea, vomitting and drowsiness) can result from overdosage. Recently it has been found that lithium inhibits thyroxine biosynthesis and this may lead to hypothyroidism. 

Observational studies In a safety study of lambrolizumab in 135 patients with advanced melanoma, 107 patients (79%) experienced a drug-related adverse event of any grade 17 patients (13%) reported grade 3 or 4 reactions. Common adverse events attributed to the mAb were fatigue, rash, pruritus, diarrhoea with lower incidences cf nausea, myalgia, headache, asthenia and increase in aminotransferase levels. Most reactions were low grade [169 -]. 

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