What are the common causes of diarrhea in patients with HIV?
The main causes of diarrhea are related to either infections or medications. Infectious diarrhea can be caused by a number of organisms, dependent on the patient’s CD4 cell count (see Table 8-8). Nelfinavir (NFV) is the antiretroviral drug most commonly associated with diarrhea. All the PIs can cause diarrhea. Didanosine (ddI) is the nucleoside most associated with diarrhea, but diarrhea is less common when the enteric coated (EC) form is used. Metformin, a drug used for treatment of lipodystrophy syndrome and diabetes, commonly causes diarrhea.
