Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is fairly common. It happens when antibiotics disturb the natural balance of bacteria in your intestines. This can lead to digestive irritation and increase the risk of illness due to some types of harmful bacteria, such as C. diff.
Diarrhea is often associated with antibiotic use and can develop anywhere from 2 hours to 8 to 10 weeks after antibiotic use (usually 4 to 9 days). The incidence differs with antibiotics and ranges from 5% to 38%. The most commonly associated antibiotics are ampicillin (amoxicillin), clindamycin, and cephalosporins.
One of the most serious causes of antibiotic-associated diarrhea is infection with a bacterium, Clostridioides difficile. C. difficile infections are common, with approximately 500,000 cases per year in the United States [1].
If you have mild diarrhea, your symptoms likely will clear up within a few days after your antibiotic treatment ends. In some cases, your doctor may advise you to stop your antibiotic therapy until your diarrhea subsides.
About 1 in 5 people who take antibiotics develop antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Most often, antibiotic-associated diarrhea is mild and requires no treatment. The diarrhea typically clears up within a few days after you stop taking the antibiotic.
Use of certain antibiotics, such as clindamycin and fluoroquinolones, is also linked to C. difficile infections. The best way to avoid infection with C. difficile is to take antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor and never share the medication with others.
When you take antibiotics to treat an infection, these drugs tend to destroy some of the helpful bacteria in your body in addition to the bacteria causing the infection. Without enough helpful bacteria to keep it in check, C. difficile can quickly grow out of control.
Developing diarrhea is fairly common while on, or after taking, antibiotics, but in only a few cases will that diarrhea be caused by C. diff. If your diarrhea is severe, do not delay getting medical care.