These medications should be discontinued as soon as they stop the diarrhea. If no results are apparent in forty-eight hours, the stool thickener should be stopped because it will get rid of bacteria in the intestines that are needed for digestion. Stool thickeners are generally not good to use in small children. A well-known bulking agent is metamucil. In chronic diarrhea, these agents act to add bulk to the stool.
Bulking agents are usually safe for use by children, as long as dosage recommendations are followed.
This allows time for more water to be absorbed from the stool into the intestines, and results in fewer and firmer stools. If anti-spasmodic medications have not relieved diarrhea symptoms in two or three days, you should check with your doctor. The cause of your diarrhea may need to be investigated. If you have glaucoma, kidney or liver disease, or prostate problems, you should not use anti-diarrheal preparations. Laxatives are used to treat constipation or to avoid straining to have a bowel movement, when this should be avoided.