Recommendations for acute diarrhea – Guide for rehydration and oral nourishing:
During 6-12 hours you shouldn’t have any food. Have a liquid diet just having oral rehydration at least two or three liters per day.
If you are vomiting you should drink little sips or you can even have it with a spoon.
After 12-24 hours and when your depositions are regular (3-4 per day), you ‘ll be able to start a soft diet gradually, in order to come back to your normal diet later on.
Recommended food:
- Boiled rice
- Mashed potatoes
- Semolina
- Gelatinezed products
- Hard boiled eggs or poached eggs
- Boiled white fish
- White bread
- Strained broth (made of rice, carrots and celery)
Not recommended food:
- Raw Vegetables
- Cabbage
- Coliflower
- Sauces
- Any type of fat
- Fried eggs
- Chips
- Spices
- Any type os sweets
- Coffee
- Cacao
- Nuts, almonds
- Alcohol
Remarks:
- If you can’t have any liquids, you must go to the hospital.
- If after 24-48 hours you continue having diarrhea (more than 3 liquid depositions per day), you must go to the doctor.
- If you are having high temperature, you must go to the doctor.
- Don’t have any fried food or sauces until four or five days after the diarrhea has finished.
The use of a probiotic (for example: casenfilus) is recommended to regenerate completely the intestinal flora.
When should I call a Doctor?
Call your doctor right away if you have:
- Blood in your diarrhea or black, tarry stools
- A fever that is high (above 101 F) or that lasts more than 24 hours
- Diarrhea lasting longer than 2 days
- Nausea or throwing up that prevents you from drinking liquids to replace lost fluids
- Severe pain in your belly or rear end
- Diarrhea after coming back from a foreign country
Also, call your doctor right away if you have diarrhea and any of these signs of dehydration:
- Dark urine
- Smaller than usual amounts of urine or, in a child, fewer wet diapers than usual
- Rapid heart rate
- Headaches
- Dry skin
- Crankiness
- Confusion
For more comprehensive information check the Mayo Clinic website