GIhaittoja

GIhaittoja is the Finnish term for gastrointestinal adverse effects, a broad category of unwanted symptoms and harm affecting the gastrointestinal tract that can accompany medicines, vaccines, infections, or other medical treatments. In clinical practice and pharmacovigilance, GIhaittoja are commonly described as adverse drug reactions.

Causes and risk factors include a wide range of medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, chemotherapies, and anticoagulants. GI symptoms can also result from gastrointestinal infections, chronic diseases (for example inflammatory bowel disease or peptic ulcers), functional disorders, and dietary factors. Risk factors that increase the likelihood or severity of GIhaittoja include advanced age, prior GI disease, polypharmacy, dehydration, alcohol use, and certain comorbidities.

Common symptoms encompass nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and, in more serious cases, GI bleeding. The onset may be acute or chronic and the intensity can range from mild to disabling, depending on the underlying cause and the individual patient.

Diagnosis and assessment are typically based on the patient’s history and the temporal relationship to treatment, followed by clinical examination. Additional investigations may be performed to exclude other GI conditions. In evaluation, dechallenge (stopping the suspected drug) and rechallenge (restarting the drug) can help establish causality when appropriate.

Management strategies depend on causality and severity. They include continuing, modifying, stopping, or switching the suspected therapy; symptomatic treatments such as antiemetics, antidiarrheals, laxatives, or acid-suppressive agents; and ensuring adequate hydration and nutrition. Patient education and reporting of adverse events are important components of care.

Regulatory context: GIhaittoja are collected as adverse events in clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance. Authorities in the EU and Finland, including systems like EudraVigilance and national pharmacovigilance agencies, compile reports to support risk–benefit assessments and labeling decisions.