A 40-year-old woman arrives to the clinic with intermittent abdominal bloating and diarrhea that has lasted for four weeks. Although she has observed mucus in her stools, she has not seen any blood. Occasionally, the patient also has slight heartburn. She doesn't have chills, a fever, or weight loss. Additionally, the patient has detected a bad taste in dairy products, thus they are no longer consumed. Past medical history is significant for chronic allergic rhinitis. Current medications include only a multivitamin supplemen. Physical examination and vital signs are normal. After a basic evaluation, the patient is started on a trial of diphenoxylate therapy. Which of the following is the primary target of this drug?

Question

A 40-year-old woman arrives to the clinic with intermittent abdominal bloating and diarrhea that has lasted for four weeks. Although she has observed mucus in her stools, she has not seen any blood. Occasionally, the patient also has slight heartburn. She doesn't have chills, a fever, or weight loss. Additionally, the patient has detected a bad taste in dairy products, thus they are no longer consumed. Past medical history is significant for chronic allergic rhinitis.  Current medications include only a multivitamin supplemen. Physical examination and vital signs are normal. After a basic evaluation, the patient is started on a trial of diphenoxylate therapy.  Which of the following is the primary target of this drug?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: An opioid anti-diarrheal drug with a structure similar to meperidine is called diphenoxylate. It decreases motility by attaching to mu opiate receptors in the gastrointestinal system. Diarrhea is relieved at low doses without other notable opiate side effects. Higher doses, however, might result in physical dependence and pleasure similar to morphine. In order to prevent abuse, atropine, which causes negative side effects (dry mouth, hazy vision, and nausea) if taken in high amounts, is mixed with diphenoxylate. Another low-potency opioid agonist used to alleviate the symptoms of diarrhea is loperamide. These medications frequently cause rebound constipation and moderate drowsiness as side effects. They should not be used in cases of diarrhea brought on by invasive or toxin-producing organisms (such Shigella, Salmonella), or infections with Clostridium difficile.

A 40-Year-Old Woman Arrives to the Clinic with Intermittent Abdominal