METHODS	Patients aged > or = 18 years with acute , nonspecific diarrhea , defined as a history of diarrhea for < or = 72 hours and passage of > or = 3 unformed stools in the 24 hours before the study , accompanied by > or = 1 associated symptom ( ie , nausea , vomiting , abdominal cramping , and/or fever [ < or = 101.0 degrees F or < or = 38.3 degrees C ] ) , were eligible for the study Patients received wood creosote 135 mg ( < or = 5 doses/d ) or loperamide 4 mg ( loading dose ) followed by 2 mg ( < or = 8 mg/d ) after each loose stool for < or = 3 days .\