yes. pepto-bismol has been used for a number of years to prevent travelers' diarrhea. studies show that if adults take the equivalent of two tabs four times a day it can decrease the incidence of travelers’ diarrhea up to 60%. now many people who take that amount of pepto-bismol end up with severe constipation. i take two tabs twice a day when i go into a risky situation. i do believe that it is very helpful but most recommend if you’re going to do this that it should just be for short-term -- up to three weeks. while this helps many people those allergic to aspirin cannot take it. and if you're taking prescription medications you should check with your doctor to see if you can take this. some swear by probiotics like lactobacillus for preventing travelers' diarrhea. but studies of this strategy in limited numbers of subjects are inconclusive. and some people are given prophylactic antibiotics which are very effective in preventing travelers' diarrhea but the problem there is we don't feel very good about prescribing antibiotics for a number of reasons for someone if they don’t need them. there are issues such as side effects or of diarrhea caused by the antibiotics themselves and increased antibiotic resistance in the normal organisms we harbor in our bodies. rarely if it is just for a very important weekend or occasionally for government officials or someone in an athletic competition we may prescribe preventive antibiotics.
can medications prevent travelers' diarrhea?