Question

A client who is taking haldol, aricept, colace, tums and ampicillin is experiencing bowel urgency and incontinence. which of their medicines may be contributing to their diarrhea? select all that apply

Answer 1

Aricept and Colace.

Step-by-step explanation:

Aricept – Aricept contains Donepezil which is used to treat dementia associated with "Alzheimer’s disease". It is an "enzyme blocker" that restores the "neurotransmitters in the brain". Diarrhoea has been reported as side effect of the drug.

Colace – Colace is a "stool softener" used to "treat constipation". It makes stool softer and easier to pass by "increasing the amount of water" absorbed from stools in the gut. Diarrhoea is a known side effect of colace.

Often side effects are observed when "certain drugs interact with each other". However, the medications are prescribed when their benefits far outweigh the side effects.

Answer 2

Let's see the drugs one by one:
- Haldol (haloperidol): it's a drug used as neuroleptic, its anticholinergic effect cause constipation. So this drug does not apply
- Aricept (donepézil): it's an anti-Alzheimer drug. It's known for causing diarrhea, so it applies
- Colace (sodium docusate): It's a drug used to treat constipation, it can cause diarrhea if it's overdosed, so it applies
- Tums (calcium carbonate): it's an antiacid used for burning chest pain. It can cause both constipation or diarrhea if it's very overdosed.
- Ampicillin: it's an antibiotic from penicillin family. They are known for causing diarrhea due to the alteration of the intestinal flora.
The most contributing medicines are Aricept, Colace, and Ampicillin.