A 71-year-old male presented with chronic, recurrent diarrhoea that had been troubling him for months and affecting his daily life and social activities. Considering his age, extensive investigations were being planned to rule out serious causes such as malignancy. However, a careful review of his long-term medications revealed prolonged use of pantoprazole for over a decade. This raised the suspicion of a possible Clostridioides difficile–related diarrhoeal episode.
Pantoprazole was discontinued, and the patient was managed with metronidazole along with probiotics and vitamins. Within weeks, the diarrhoea resolved completely and the patient began regaining weight. This case serves as a powerful reminder that thoughtful history taking and medication review can sometimes prevent unnecessary investigations, costs, and patient anxiety. Clinical reasoning remains one of the most valuable…