Your guide to treatment for traveler’s diarrhea

Traveler’s diarrhea is a condition that often affects travelers. It impacts your digestive tract, causing loose, watery stools and abdominal cramping. It may also cause other symptoms, such as:

• nausea
• vomiting
• bloating
• loss of appetite
• fever

As the name suggests, it most commonly affects travelers, particularly people who travel to an area with different sanitary practices or climates to what they’re used to. It can happen due to bacteria, viruses, or parasites in food or water in a new country.

While uncomfortable, traveler’s diarrhea is usually nothing to worry about and may resolve on its own without medical treatment. You can also try over-the-counter (OTC) medications to ease your symptoms while you recover. However, in some cases — such as if you have a bacterial infection — doctors might prescribe medications to help you get better.

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What is traveler’s diarrhea?

Traveler’s diarrhea is very common — it’s the most common travel-associated condition and may affect up to 60% of travelers. It mostly occurs in locations such as:

• sub-Saharan Africa
• Latin America
• South Asia
• the Middle East

Symptoms usually start between 1 and 2 weeks after arriving at one of these destinations. It’s most commonly caused by bacteria such as E. coli, viruses such as norovirus, or parasites.

OTC and home remedies for traveler’s diarrhea

In many cases, OTC and self-care remedies are sufficient to manage traveler’s diarrhea. These include:

Rehydration

The primary recommendation for this condition is rehydration, as you will likely lose a lot of fluids with diarrhea. This can be as simple as drinking more water, but you might also try oral rehydration solutions (ORS). These contain water, sugar, and salt to help replace lost fluids and electrolytes.

You can make your own ORS by mixing water with small amounts of salt and sugar, but some are available to buy OTC, such as Pedialyte. Some 2022 research finds these are inexpensive and effective treatments, particularly for children experiencing diarrhea.

Dietary changes

Alongside staying hydrated, you may need to make some alterations to your diet while you recover to avoid further irritating your stomach. These include:

• avoiding alcohol and caffeine
• sticking to easy-to-digest foods like bananas
• avoiding dairy products and fatty foods
• eating small, frequent meals

You may also want to incorporate probiotics, which can help restore the balance of helpful bacteria in your gut.

Medications

There are some OTC medications you can take to manage symptoms. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol) is one of the most common. This medication can help soothe your stomach, reduce diarrhea, and work as a mild antacid. It may even be able to eradicate bacterial infections caused by H. pylori in some cases.

Another OTC option is loperamide (Imodium). It aims to stop diarrhea, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it specifically for use in traveler’s diarrhea.

Prescription medications for traveler’s diarrhea

In more severe cases caused by bacteria, doctors might choose to prescribe antibiotics. For example, azithromycin (Zithromax) can involve a single dose of 1,000 milligrams (mg). However, such a high dose may cause some adverse effects, so the doctor may divide this into 2 smaller doses to take over the course of the day.

Some other antibiotics a doctor may prescribe include:

• rifaximin (Xifaxan)
• rifamycin (Aemcolo)
• ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
• levofloxacin
• ofloxacin

If your diarrhea is due to a parasite, doctors might prescribe metronidazole (Flagly) or tinidazole (Tindamax), followed by a drug called a luminal agent, such as iodoquinol.

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Online care for traveler’s diarrhea

Traveler’s diarrhea is an uncomfortable condition, and some people may feel embarrassed to talk about it. However, it’s still important to seek treatment to help you feel better and avoid complications.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Summary

Traveler’s diarrhea is a condition that often affects people who travel to areas with more limited resources, including countries in Latin America or sub-Saharan Africa. It’s often due to bacteria, viruses, or parasites in food or water.

In many milder cases of traveler’s diarrhea, OTC and self-care remedies are enough to soothe your symptoms while your body heals from the infection. It’s important to stay hydrated and stick to a bland, easy-to-digest diet while you recover. You can also try medications to stop the diarrhea.

In more severe cases, doctors might prescribe medications. If your infection is bacterial, antibiotics are the treatment of choice. If parasites are involved, doctors will likely use antiparasitic drugs.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.