What to expect from antibiotic treatment for traveller's diarrhoea

Traveller's diarrhoea can have several causes, so an antibiotic is not suitable for every episode. A clinician considers severity, travel history, fever, blood in the stool, dehydration, pregnancy, age and other medicines before prescribing. The selected medicine targets suspected bacteria; it does not replace oral rehydration, which restores water and salts lost through loose stools and vomiting.

Bowel movements may remain unsettled while the infection clears. Some antibiotics can cause nausea, abdominal discomfort or looser stools. Taking the medicine exactly as directed helps avoid missed doses and reduces the chance that treatment is ineffective.

Use oral rehydration solution in frequent sips, especially after each loose stool, and continue light meals if tolerated. Follow the prescribed schedule and finish the course unless the prescriber changes it. Avoid sharing antibiotics or using leftover tablets. Ask before taking an anti-diarrhoeal medicine if you have fever or blood in the stool.

Wash hands carefully after using the toilet and before preparing food. Keep notes on fever, vomiting, urine output and stool changes so a clinician can judge whether recovery is progressing.

Seek urgent medical help for faintness, confusion, very little urine, inability to keep fluids down, severe abdominal pain, high fever, or blood or black material in the stool. Contact a clinician if symptoms worsen, fail to improve after treatment, or return after the course. Extra care is needed for children, older adults, pregnancy and people with significant long-term illness.

Ask which cause is suspected, how to take the antibiotic, what side effects require a call, how much rehydration to use, and whether your travel companions or household contacts need advice.