Medication-induced gastroenteritis is a condition where the lining of the stomach and intestines becomes inflamed due to the ingestion of certain drugs or medications12.

Here’s a brief overview of its pathophysiology:

• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common side effects of many drugs and medications2. Common offenders include antacids containing magnesium, antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, medications used to treat internal parasitic worms, and laxatives2.
• Antibiotic use may cause Clostridioides difficile–induced diarrhea12. Diarrhea and other symptoms in C. difficile infection may be more severe than antibiotic-associated diarrhea and persist after completion or cessation of antibiotics1.
• Laxative abuse can lead to weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, electrolyte depletion, and metabolic disturbances12. Stool testing, specifically for stool osmolality, can help differentiate diarrhea resulting from osmotic laxative abuse from diarrhea resulting from other causes1.
• Heavy-metal poisoning frequently causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea12. This can occur iatrogenically, accidentally, or intentionally1.
• Recognizing that a drug or medication is causing gastroenteritis can be difficult. In mild cases, a doctor can have a person stop taking the drug or medication and later start taking it again. If the symptoms subside when the person stops taking the drug or medication and resume when the person starts taking it again, it may be the cause of the gastrointestinal symptoms2.

The majority of adverse drug effects in the gastrointestinal tract manifest as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, peptic ulcer, and gastrointestinal bleeding3. Older adults are especially prone to experiencing these adverse reactions due to physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract changes that occur with aging3.