Writers' Pool Diarrhea. Almost everyone has experienced this most unpleasant of moments at least once in their lives. People surviving AIDS often have recurring diarrhea that is hard to control, irritating, and which significantly affects their quality of life. Chronic diarrhea can last weeks or months and contributes to wasting and malnutrition. Serious watery diarrhea that is accompanied by a fever and lasts more than three days may mean that a serious opportunistic infection has taken hold.
Diarrhea can also interfere with drug absorption, which is a serious problem with antiviral drugs.
Many survivors with AIDS are too familiar with diarrhea as an everyday occurrence affecting and interrupting quality of life, work, everyday activities, intimacy and sex. Most often diarrhea can be treated, but it can reoccur if the underlying cause it is not addressed. In order to control diarrhea caused by drugs, treatments usually must continue. Prescription treatments available for treating diarrhea are Lomotil and Imodium that work well, but can cause constipation. Tincture of opium is also used in severe cases to shut down the bowels, but it is a addictiver narcotic that may also cause constipation.