Preparing for an appointment

Make an appointment with the doctor who prescribed the antibiotic. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

Make a list of:

• Your symptoms, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
• Key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes, for example, if you've recently stayed in the hospital or a nursing home.
• Medications, vitamins or supplements you're taking, including doses. If you've recently taken an antibiotic, include the name, dosage and when you stopped taking it.
• Questions to ask your doctor.

For antibiotic-associated diarrhea, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

• What tests do I need?
• Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
• What is the best course of action?
• What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
• Are there restrictions I should follow?
• Are there foods and drinks I should avoid?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may allow more time to cover other points you want to address. Your doctor may ask:

• When did your symptoms begin?
• Can you describe your bowel movements? How frequent are they?
• Do you have a history of intestinal problems such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or other inflammatory bowel disease?
• Have you been around anyone with diarrhea recently?

What you can do in the meantime

Continue taking your antibiotics as directed by your doctor.

To cope with diarrhea until your appointment, you can:

• Drink more water and other liquids to replace fluids lost because of diarrhea
• Eat bland foods and avoid spicy or greasy foods that can aggravate diarrhea