Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a symptom that can result from many different causes. You would be wise to see your doctor. Below are some questions you may be asked by your doctor are:

• How long have you had this problem?
• Where you have traveled in the recent past?
• Were you taking antibiotics before the onset of the diarrhea?
• Has a new medication been prescribed for you? If so, what and when?
• What other symptoms are you experiencing? (ie. bleeding, weight loss)

The answers to these questions will help your doctor decide whether you need to be referred to a specialist for further investigation. You may need to have routine blood work done as well as stool tests for bacterial cultures looking for parasites and a special bacterial infection called Clostridium difficile.