My aunt who is 74 is having diarrhea for the past 2 days. could i give her ridol? she just came to the uk from india and i thought it was jetlag.

Best to have exam: Older people undergoing the stress of air travel from perhaps a very different environment might be best off being examined. Definitely keep her well hydrated. Lab work might help discover if there is reason to protect against a contagious agent from foods, water, bacteria or virus. We hope it's nothing but if it is - early treatment will help a lot.

Loperamide: This agent affects the motility of the bowel wall and may be effective in mitigating some of the symptoms your aunt is having, but a better approach would be to have her seen by a doctor and determine the cause of the diarrhea, particularly since she is from a region of the world where the etiology may be diverse. It is not due to jetlag. Hope she is better soon.

I wouldn't: Ridol, (loperimide) is an anti-cholinergic drug that is used for diarrhea but it can have some serious side effects especially in the elderly. First I think she needs to see a doctor to rule out any serious causes for the diarrhea. In the meantime make sure she is drinking enough fluids. If she is unable to take or keep down fluids, develops a fever or abdominal pain, see a doctor immediately.