Zoloft Side Effects
Have you ever had frequent trips to the bathroom owing to unusually large amount of loose, watery stools? This phenomenon is experienced by everyone at least once or twice in a year and it is called diarrhea. The duration of diarrhea commonly lasts up to 3 days and symptoms can be managed by taking over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Common causes of diarrhea are bacterial infection, food allergies, some cancers, and diseases of the intestine among others. Also, some medications such as Zoloft, is known to have diarrhea as a side effect.
The Real Score on Diarrhea
Diarrhea is our body’s way of getting rid of toxins that’s why we should not stop it once it’s happening. However, that does not follow for severe diarrhea where it lasts for more than 3 days and symptoms cause dehydration and weakness. If you notice that the symptoms become severe, you might want to go to your doctor and seek medical assistance. Some of those that you should look out for are the following:
· Diarrhea persists for more than 3 days
· You have signs of dehydration like headache, generalized body weakness, a feeling of light-headedness,skin and oral membranes are dry, diminished amount of urine and color is dark and etc.
· Severe abdominal pain felt
· Severe pain experienced upon defecation
· Bloody and dark-colored stools
· Fever is 39 degrees C and above
How is Diarrhea Managed?
Severe diarrhea needs an individual to be hospitalized so it is best that you go to a medical facility or to your doctor. If the case is mild diarrhea, then you can try OTC drugs if symptoms bother you but as previously mentioned, it is suggested to let it run its natural course. Consult with your physician if you choose to take medications to make sure that it won’t cause more harm. To adapt with the symptoms, you are encouraged to increase fluid intake. We lose a lot of water and electrolytes when we are having diarrhea and we should replace them to avoid dehydration. Aside from that, introduction of semi-solid food and fibre into the diet helps but it should be gradual so the digestive system can adjust and the condition will not be exacerbated. Fruits and vegetables are rich in fibre but choose those that are fresh and clean. Prevention of dairy products, fatty foods, spicy foods and others that are known to be irritants to the digestive system will also help. Food allergies can also cause diarrhea so it is best to avoid them if you have any. Lastly, some medications are known to have diarrhea as a side effect. Most users of Zoloft, an antidepressant, complain that they’ve had diarrhea since they started with the drug. If you use Zoloft and had constant diarrhea, you cannot just stop the medication immediately as this may bring a rebound effect. If this happens, it is encouraged that you