# Alternatives to loperamide/Imodium



## GUTted (Jul 2, 2009)

Hi, does anyone know of any alternatives to loperamide/Imodium? When I say alternative I don't mean as in "alternative therapy", I just mean similar.Having said that does anyone know of natural bowel "slower downers" for want of a better phrase? Like natural senna vs chemical Dulcolax.My problem with loperamide is that my sensitivity to it varies and I can't always judge how long it's going to take to wear off.Cheers


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Have you tried a milder anti-diarrheal like Pepto Bismol? Don't know if Bismuth counts as natural for you, but generally it doesn't seem to be as constipating as Imodium.Have you tried Calcium Carbonate to bind up the stools?Some people find certain probiotic bacteria can slow things down as well.


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## GUTted (Jul 2, 2009)

Cheers for the quick reply.Pepto Bismol - is that the foul pink stuff? The consistency made me puke last time I had that.Haven't heard of Bismuth before - I'll look into it. I'm not fussed whether something's natural or not, that was just a 'by the by' question.Calcium Carbonate - isn't that what's in Rennie?I don't actually have IBS-D, I have urgency and frequency problems which is why I've normally turned to loperamide. (Hence why I said "slower downers")Cheers. Keep em coming


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Bismuth is what is in Pepto Bismol, a number of other not quite so pink anti-diarrheals have it in them. You can get Pepto Bismol in a tablet that may be more tolerable for you.Not sure about Rennie, usually people take Calcium supplements. The Carbonate (vs Citrate) tends to be much more constipating.


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## GUTted (Jul 2, 2009)

That's good to hear about the Pepto Bismol tablets, I might them a go. Pepto Bismol liquid is like vodka - once you've been sick on it, you never want it again.Yeah calcium carbonate is what Rennie's got in it, just looked it up.Do you know if loperamide/Imodium comes in different strengths? I've only ever seen 2mg. (I'm in the UK). I know I can just take less tablets, but if for example I take 1 and it's not enough, I might not actually need the whole second one, I might just need another half.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Well use a pill cutter or break the tablets in half.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

See if there is children's Imodium available. With a liquid you can adjust the dosage more easily.I think you can sometimes find adult dosed liquid as well.Some pills are easier to cut than others, but a pill cutter can sometimes make quick work of a pill.


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## GUTted (Jul 2, 2009)

Do you think Pepto Bismol could help with SIBO?"Bismuth subsalicylate works by balancing the way fluid moves through your intestines. It also reduces inflammation and keeps certain bacteria and viruses that cause diarrhea from growing in the stomach and intestines." Quoting that from http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/855.html


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

b careful with pepto.....it's a heavy metal, i think...........there r many herbs that help to calm & slow the intestines...........but here's the thing..........if there is some underlying cause of the D, then these will only help...........& i would assume u want to cure this thing.......gawd knows i did...........ibs is an autoimmune disease.......& what this means, that if u have ibs, being an autoimmune disease, means that others can follow, or even precede this thing..........it did with me........the ibs was only a symptom of other diseases...........& being a symptom, means if u treat only the ibs, then u r not getting at the real issue..........in which case, it's going to go on & cause more damage, till u end up with something that "REALLY" changes ur life...........& yes, i know only too well how the D changes everything...........EVERYTHING!!!!!!!..do some googling on herbs that soothe & calm the intestines............then look up hydrochloric acid (HCl) & what it does in the stomach and everything that follows...........then check into SLE & scleroderma...........& all of the sub headings that go with these diseases.............find out how many symptoms u have in common...........there's raynauds, sjogrens & many others............i'm not saying u have these, but it can b a rude awakening when u get so far down the line & u wonder why no dr, no one ever thought to check into these things, b 4 there was real permanent damage to organs & tissues.............it's a road u can't go back from............if u have burning with the D, then u have too much histamine..........this is in response to not enough HCl production in the stomach...........if u get really nauseous & feel like u r going to throw up, then u could have too much gastrin, which is in response to not enough HCl, again..........it all starts with the mouth..........every single thing u put in ur mouth has to Ph balanced by the stomach, this means water, too..........the stomach doesn't like a high Ph & most drinking water is around 7-8 Ph...........if ur stomach can't step up * do what it's suppose to do, then everything down the line from the mouth is in trouble...............there r no easy answers & we r a society who like quick fixes...........have an upset stomach, must have too much acid......pop a pill, take some tums..........the problem is, most the x, it's not enough acid production, so u end up making the problem even worse.............& it can take yrs to get to the point where things r so bad, u can't live a normal life............ & drs r at the top of the heap on making things worse...........they listen to what they were taught in med school.....they listen to the pharmaceutical reps...........well, pharmaceutical companies want to get u hooked on some drug u end up taking for the rest of ur life.............they do not want to cure u, heaven forbid.............no income in that.........well.......enoguh.......cmt........


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

While there can be bismuth toxicity (there can be toxicity for every compound natural or otherwise even the ones we need to eat every day just to survive), it takes a lot of effort and it is easily reversed.Typically you only see it in people that take or exceed the maximum dose for a long time.In a study for odor people took 8 tablets a day (1/2 the max dose) for 8 weeks with no problems. Since it reverses quickly some people suggest taking a few days off every so often to "reset". It isn't something we store over time like cadmium or mercury.I don't know about SIBO with Pepto Bismol. It is part of some combinations of medications used to eradicate H. pylori in the stomach (which is not a part of SIBO, it can't live in the small intestine) so there may be some utility. I just don't know if it has been tested or not.


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## peaches41 (Nov 26, 2008)

Alternatives that I have used are Kao-Morph, Dio-Calm, Dr. Collis-Browne's Mixture. All available at your local Boots. Dr. Collis-Browne's is wonderful for griping pains in the stomach.


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## quarky (Jun 15, 2011)

Calcium carbonate tends to slow things down and solidify them in my experience. Just find a vitamin supplement that contains calcium carbonate (but try to avoid anything containing a lot of magnesium as that has the opposite effect!)In the UK, most loperamide seems to be sold as capsules (a coating with powder inside) so you can't split them (because the powder would spill out). Although I remember as a kid being given "DiaCalm" brand in a tablet form that could be split... so you could investigate that. You can also buy it in tablet form over the internet (it's often cheaper that way because you can buy in bulk).


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