# What's the difference between Imodium and Lomotil?



## GBSfan (Sep 15, 2000)

I know what Imodium is and take it as needed. But what type of drug is Lomotil? I know it is a prescription anti-diarrea drug, but how strong is it compared to Imodium?Jennifer


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I believe in head to head (population) contests they are about the same with Imodium perhaps being stronger. They are the same class of drugs and work by the same mechanism.Lomotil (from memory) is absorbed into the body more than Imodium is so has a higher side effect risk leading to it being prescirption where Imodium got OTC status.However, in any given individual one drug may work better than another.Lotmotil also has atropine in it in addition to the anti-diarrheal drur where Imodium is only an antidiarrheal drug. Atropine is an antispasmodic ------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## bernard (Jan 4, 2000)

Anti DDoes it means that the drug just increase the permeability of the bowel versus water?If it is the case, then it doesn't do anything versus any cause of IBS.I used it long time ago (because i was D) an i was then so C that i was in full pain.Never used it after. Burk!-----------


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I believe Lomotil and Imodium work by slowing the transit of stuff theough the gut rather than altering permeability.Osmotic forces can be used to draw water into the gut like some of the laxatives do, but I don't know of anything that would force water out of the gut.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

I think it is important to point out that Lomotil is a narcotic. Lomotil can be habit-forming.Jeff


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Imodium can also be habit-forming but you have to work alot harder to do it as it isn't absorbed into the body (and thus the nervous system) as well as Lomotil.There is a reported case of Imodium addiction that required methadone to break.But the guy had previously been a narcotic addict and was taking something like 160 Imodium a day.


> quote:While structurally related to meperidine and diphenoxylate [Lomotil], abuse potential is very low with loperamide. At therapeutic doses, it does not produce euphoria. However, at least one case of loperamide addiction has been reported in man. In opiate-addicted monkeys, loperamide in high doses did prevent withdrawal symptoms. A 26 year old male with a history of opiate and alcohol abuse, began taking loperamide for the treatment of acute diarrhea. Despite denying euphoric effects from the drug, he gradually increased his intake to 320 mg per day. Attempts to stop the drug resulted in acute withdrawal (chest pain, shortness of breath, chills, diaphoresis, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting). Methadone relieved the symptoms. A slow methadone taper in an inpatient setting was successful in treating the physical dependence.


With Lomotil the atropine can reduce the overdosing risk as the atropine side effects can be bothersome so prompt the user to not take so much. Addiction has been reported


> quote:.ï¿½ï¿½ Psychiatric and physiologic addiction to or abuse of diphenoxylate has been reported. The addition of atropine is meant to discourage deliberate overdosage.


Information is from www.drugchecker.com K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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