For two consecutive days, montmorillonite powder has dominated the hot searches, becoming a new generation of "Internet celebrity". There is a saying that the new variant of Omicron can easily cause diarrhea, so many people have started a new round of medicine hoarding. Many experts reminded that it is understandable to reserve one or two boxes of montmorillonite powder as a commonly used medicine at home, but there is no need to rush to buy and stockpile . Many drugs can achieve the effect of montmorillonite powder. Moreover, after diarrhea occurs, the first drug to be used is not necessarily montmorillonite powder. Montmorillonite powder is hotly searched because it United States Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (hereinafter referred to as CDC) on December 30, 2022 (Friday), Eastern Time, shows that it estimates that 40.5% of new coronavirus infection cases in the United States that week were caused by the highly contagious Omicron subtype XBB.1.5 strain. The infection proportion of the XBB.1.5 strain nearly doubled month-on-month (the proportion in the week of December 24, 2022 was only 21.7%). Scientists say that due to its extremely high "immune evasion" ability, XBB.1.5 has quickly replaced BQ.1.1 and BQ.1 and become the most popular strain in the United States. According to relevant data, as of December 31, 2022, XBB.1.5 has been discovered in at least 74 countries and regions. Symptoms of infection with XBB subtype strains include difficulty breathing, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, body pain, fatigue and fever, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, in the past two days, people have been recommending in the circle of friends that some medicines such as "montmorillonite powder" should be prepared at home. What kind of medicine is montmorillonite powder? Li Zhiling, deputy director of the Pharmacy Department of Shanghai Children's Hospital, said, " Montmorillonite powder is not an antidiarrheal drug in the strict sense, but an ' adsorbent'." Montmorillonite powder is not an antidiarrheal drug in the strict sense. The raw material of stone powder is montmorillonite, which is a natural clay mineral. The special "sandwich" octahedral structure of montmorillonite makes it highly adsorbable, including the ability to adsorb heavy metals, bacteria and viruses. Therefore, its oral preparation is considered to be used to treat acute and chronic diarrhea. It has a certain fixation and inhibitory effect on viruses, bacteria and the toxins they produce in the digestive tract, making them lose their pathogenic effect. Montmorillonite powder is not the first choice for anti-diarrhea Li Zhiling said that although some studies have shown that montmorillonite powder can inhibit acute diarrhea and shorten the course of diarrhea, the level of research evidence is not high and further testing of clinical efficacy is needed. The recommendation level of domestic and foreign guidelines for montmorillonite powder in treating diarrhea is not high, and it also has side effects. "For example, this kind of clay mineral contains lead. It is not recommended for children under two years old to use it because of the possibility of lead poisoning." Moreover, taking it can easily lead to constipation, making it difficult to detoxify. Huang Guoxin, deputy chief pharmacist of the Pharmacy Department of Tongji University Oriental Hospital, introduced that diarrhea is usually divided into viral diarrhea and bacterial diarrhea. Montmorillonite powder is effective for viral diarrhea. Its main mechanism of action is to absorb viruses, bacteria and other harmful substances in the gastrointestinal tract, and then excrete it with the feces. 
But in the treatment of diarrhea, experts believe that montmorillonite powder is not the first choice.
"I think it is not a big problem to have one or two boxes at home. There is no need to stock up." Huang Guoxin said that the effect of montmorillonite powder in treating diarrhea in children or adults is worthy of recognition, and the efficacy of this medicine cannot be denied because of people's rush to buy it. In addition, the adverse reactions of montmorillonite powder are relatively mild. It is an OTC drug and can be used safely by both children and the elderly. People with constipation should consult a doctor or pharmacist before using it in a reduced dosage. "This medicine really doesn't taste good, and montmorillonite powder tastes bad. I really don't recommend stocking up on the medicine." He said that montmorillonite powder is a Western medicine and is often used clinically in combination with microbial preparations.You can first take montmorillonite powder to adsorb bacteria and viruses, and then take microecological preparations after an interval of at least 2 hours to restore the normal intestinal flora .
You should give priority to supplementing it after diarrhea
Li Chiling said that after most people have diarrhea, it is recommended Prioritize Rehydration To prevent dehydration, you can use oral rehydration salt powder (Ⅲ) , which can replenish the electrolytes needed by the body and lost water, maintain the balance between sodium, water and other electrolytes, restore the electrolytes and circulation capacity needed by the human body, thereby reducing the metabolic effects caused by dehydration and restoring physical strength. This drug is safer.
Huang Guoxin reminded that for more severe diarrhea, should promptly correct dehydration, replenish electrolytes, and seek medical treatment promptly if necessary. If it is bacterial diarrhea, antibacterial drugs should also be added for treatment. If used in combination, antibacterial drugs should be taken first, then montmorillonite powder, and finally microbial preparations. As for norfloxacin and berberine hydrochloride tablets, Li Zhiling believes that if it is to treat diarrhea caused by viruses, there is no need to rush to buy these drugs. She said that both drugs target diarrhea caused by bacteria and have no effect on viral diarrhea. This article is compiled from: The Paper, Global Times Editor: Da V
In the view of Cui Song, chief physician of Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, people's sudden rush to buy montmorillonite powder is an irrational behavior caused by blind panic. Montmorillonite powder is not a "magic drug". Many antidiarrheal drugs can achieve similar functions to montmorillonite powder. There is no need to focus on this drug.
