What are gastrointestinal side effects?

Gastrointestinal side effects are just the tummy troubles your body throws up when it is busy fighting a sickness or processing medicine.

Think of your stomach and intestines like a long, wiggly slide that food goes down. Usually, this slide glides smoothly. But sometimes, when you take medicine or get sick, the slide gets a little extra bumpy, loud, or wet. That is what is happening!

When you swallow a pill, your stomach has to work hard to break it down. Sometimes, this makes the tummy feel like a balloon that is too full, which we call bloating. Other times, the medicine might tickle the stomach lining just right, causing it to send a "wibble" signal to your brain, telling you to throw up.

Your intestines also move things along. If they move too fast, water doesn’t have time to soak in, and you get diarrhea, which is like a muddy puddle instead of solid mud. If they move too slow, the food sits there too long, and it becomes hard and dry, causing constipation.

You might notice these tummy troubles if:

• Your belly feels tight or puffy
• You need to run to the bathroom often
• You feel a funny flipping sensation in your chest before throwing up

These effects are usually temporary. It is like your body’s way of waving its hands and saying, "I am working on this!" Once your tummy settles back down, everything goes back to normal sliding. So, if you have a grumpy stomach after medicine, remember it is just doing its job, not breaking down!