diarrhetic

Diarrhetic is an adjective used in medical and toxicological contexts to describe something that causes diarrhea or is related to diarrheal symptoms. It may describe diseases, exposures, or agents associated with watery stools, abdominal cramps, and other manifestations of diarrhea. The term is typically used in phrases such as diarrhetic toxins or diarrhetic illness, where the focus is on the diarrheal aspect rather than a full diagnosis.

A well-known usage is in diarrhetic shellfish toxins, a class of marine toxins produced by certain dinoflagellates that can contaminate bivalves. When ingested, these toxins may cause symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, collectively referred to as diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). The word can also appear in pharmacology or toxicology to denote a substance's diarrhetic potential, or in epidemiology to describe a syndrome dominated by diarrhea. As with other adjectives, diarrhetic is descriptive and does not by itself establish etiology or causation.