My partner, who has AIDS, quit smoking starting last March. About the same time, one of his medications was also changed. He experienced diarrhea shortly afterwards. We first thought that the new medication, viracept, was the cause and the doctor changed to another medication. The diarrhea has persisted. So far, all the testing has been negative for possible causes for the diarrhea. Our question has to do with quitting smoking and its possible contribution to causing the diarrhea. It seem far fetched, but could the nervousness from quitting smoking contribute or be a possible cause of the diarrhea?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Certainly anxiety could play some role in diarrhea. More likely your friend has irritable bowel, exacerbated by the nelflinavir. Even now that it is stopped, the irritable bowel effects can linger. Would consider IBS treatments like metamucil and/or antispasmodics like bentyl or librax. Douglas T. Dieterich, M.D.