18.4: Treatments and Nutrition
By the end of this section, you should be able to:
- 18.3.1 Identify drug–food interactions for their impact on treatments used for gastrointestinal disorders.
- 18.3.2 Identify treatments and medications that can cause nutritional deficiencies in clients with gastrointestinal disorders.
Drug–Food Interactions Related to Treatments for Gastrointestinal Disorders
Medications used to treat Crohn’s disease and UC are in the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant classes. The most frequently used medications for Crohn’s disease treatment are azathioprine and mercaptopurine. A client with UC is most often prescribed balsalazide, mesalamine, olsalazine, or sulfasalazine. For diverticulitis, antibiotics are needed; the most commonly used are ciprofloxacin plus metronidazole, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole plus metronidazole, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and moxifloxacin.
Drug–food interactions are a concern when prescribing these drugs, so clients must be educated about specific interactions to avoid adverse effects (Table 18.4).
| Food | Food Interaction |
|---|---|
| Azathioprine |
|
| Mercaptopurine |
|
| Balsalazide |
|
| Mesalamine |
|
| Olsalazine |
|
| Sulfasalazine |
|
| Metronidazole |
|
| Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim |
|
| Amoxicillin- Clavulanate |
|
| Moxifloxacin and Ciprofloxacin |
|
Treatments and Medications That Can Cause Nutritional Deficiencies
Avoiding certain foods is not the only concern that needs to be addressed regarding treatments. Many of the medications already described can also cause nutritional deficiencies . The client must know which foods they can increase in their diet to prevent deficiency (Table 18.5).
| Drug | Nutrient Deficiency | Foods to Replace Nutrients |
|---|---|---|
| Azathioprine |
|
|
| Mercaptopurine |
|
|
|
Balsalazide
Olsalazine Sulfasalazine Mesalamine |
|
|
|
Ciprofloxacin
Moxifloxacin |
|
|
| Metronidazole |
|
|
| Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim |
|
|
| Amoxicillin- Clavulanate |
|
|