# Anyone take immodium daily?



## stebbs

I'm thinking about taking immodium daily. I've tried everything to help other then that. Just wondering if anyone uses it daily and if you have built up a tolerance to it?


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## Kathleen M.

It seems that most people who use it daily are able to do so for the long term without problems.In the studies the same amount split into two doses a day 12 hours apart often give more control than the same amount all at once in the morning.K.


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## clareuk

I take 2 immodiums in the morning, I did try splitting them up but it never worked for me. I also take one a bit later on in the morning. For me this helps me through the day at work. I had trouble when I would take them one day and not the next. So taking them everyday keeps everything more controlled. I don't have problems with getting backed up either.Hope this helps.Claire


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## degrassi

I take immodium daily and have been for about 7 years.Right now I take about 2 pills but I adujust it to how i'm feeling that day.I've never had any issues with taking it daily.


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## irritable bowel syndrome

Yes my sister used imodium and did find relief for irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.


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## Ashers86

I usually tend to pop one whenever my stomach feels weird and I'm not at home.. seems to work.I go through a box of 24 Immodium in just over a month.. but one pill doses usually work.Although this idea of taking one a day sounds like a good idea.. just as long as no one says they've had problems with it....


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## just a guy

I pretty much did the same as the above post and took immodium almost daily when I felt blahhhh. It did serve its purpose backing me up for a day or so. I got into a habit of taking it almost every morning sometimes twice to get through work and now it doesn't work very well anymore. I haven't tried taking more than the recommended so I guess I could try that but that is gonna get expensive. Still doctors don't say there is anything wrong with doing it.


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## Meda1992

Personally, I've found that unfortunately, the more I use it, the less it works. So, the only time I use it is when I travel, which is fairly frequently. I know I will need it to work then, so I suffer with D or 7 - 10 BMs/day the rest of the time. Also, I think that in my case, I have a bacterial infection that has never been erased, lo these 14 years. In spite of several flagyl treatments and many colonoscopies, all of which say I'm normal except for small areas of slight irritation (!). My problem is not so slight, however! The other day, I took 3 Immodium, and although I made the plane trip home, they didn't stop my GI tract as they would have in the past. So, my advice is to use them sparingly. Sorry.


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## IBS...a pain

i take imodium daily and have done for the past 8 years, i couldnt cope otherwise. i washouse bound for the first 2 years that i was diagnosed but imodium is my life saver.ive had 2 colonoscopies and both times my doctor informed my that taking imodium dailyis ok. sometimes i need up to 8 a day if im really bad but i havnt built up a tolerance andits doing me fine


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## Siddick

I do take Immodium also daily but i think of side effect like hemorrohoids.


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## Ashers86

Might be a little unrelated, but no point in starting a new topic...Has anyone else noticed a hard time going again after the Immodium? It's not so much constipation.. but I noticed it hardens so much it has literally ripped my rectum! Not fun... painful, and bloody. Kind of scared me....


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## pigeon

I take three each morning, means I can get through work. If I'm feeling a bit grumbly at work I'll take another two to top it up. I asked my doctor if I would build up a tolerance and she said no I won't, but only time will tell I guess! I try and have breaks every so often, maybe spend a weekend indoors without taking any.Does it annoy anyone else that most packs of Loperamide only have six tablets in them?? I went into Boots the other week and to buy the bumper pack of 18 you had to go to the counter and ask for them (no doubt getting asked hundreds of questions about why you need so many!) mortifying!


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## snoi

I used to take them every day, and it did seem like I needed more and more as time went by, which happens to some people but not everyone, apparently. Since I started doing Linda's calcium 6 months ago I only take immodium once in a great while, just to be SURE-like if I'm travelling, or if I know I'll be eating unusual food or something. Usually I don't really need it at all, just makes me feel more secure...


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## duffman45

I take ammodium daily, more so on days when I'm out and about or know I'll be traveling. If I ever go out to eat I'll usually take 2 a half hour before I eat then another 2 just prior to, or during the meal. If I'm traveling or out on the town, sometimes I'll take several throughout the course of the night. If I'm at home or doing the normal everyday to and from work routine I might only take 1 or 2 in the morning and that may be it, depending on how I feel. I know it seems like a lot but I've decided that I would do pretty much whatever it takes to lead a somewhat normal life. I've been doing it like this for a couple years now and I've had no Ill affects. I talked to a couple doctors about it and was told that because the drug works directly on the intestines and is never processed through the liver, it has no negative side affects for prolonged use and very rarely leads to building a tolerance. So it should work just as well the first time you take it as it will the last.


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## punky1976

I buy my loperamide 2mg tables at COSTO, they have the in house kirkland brand. I think I pay $8 for 2 bottles of 200 count lopermide. I use about 100- month depending on my symtoms. The memberhsip alone is worth it, you can get 400 tables for $8 or get 24 immodium for $6 bucks at a grocery store. No brainer,


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## xxmrs-txx

Hello, Ive taken imodium daily for some time now. I usually take 2 first thing in the morning, and if I get a flare up during the day I take 1 for each flare up. I can normally get by just taking the 2 in the morning, but if im nervous or stressed i sometimes need an extra one during the day. i havnt had any ill effects from it and it doesnt make me constipated either.hope that helps


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## Scorchedpath

I used to take immodium only after I started to have problems because once I took it, it seemed to disregulate me for the next few days. My gastroenterologist insisted that I needed to take it regularly as a preventative. Since I started taking one in the morning and one in the mid-afternoon about three months ago, I have gone from being virtually housebound to getting back to a pretty much normal routine. My doctor insists that you do not build up a tolerance to it and the research that I have done supports that. My doctor recommended Immodium Advanced which contains simethicone that helps to pass the gas by binding the gas bubbles together. I believe that has relieved some of the gas pain as well. I would be devastated if the immodium gradually loses its effectiveness but I have every confidence it will not. I think that some of those who believe that they are developing a tolerance might be experiencing a worsening of their IBS that then requires a higher dosage.


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## newgirl60

Try asking doctor for a prescription even though immodium is over the counter drug. There is a prescription lopermide ( immodium) that is in capsule form and I buy it by the 100. It is not individuallly wrapped in those horrible childproof blisterpacks that you need a scissors to open. Makes life easier and its very cheap. Only drawback is I still need some of the tablet form also cause sometime I take 1/2 tab. This is a fine balance, need to take just enough to slow you down but not cause constipation...tricky but you will get used to doing that. Daily immodium has literally given me my life back.


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## Scorchedpath

I can buy a bottle of 96 loperamide caplets (2mg) at Wal-Mart for six or seven dollars. It is sold under the Equate brand. Imodium Advanced is quite a bit more expensive. I think I paid about eleven dollars for 42 caplets also at Wal-Mart. Of course you can buy the generic loperamide and the generic simethicone and take them together and get the same thing as Imodium Advanced. It is true that you have to calibrate very carefully how much you take and when so as not to stop everything up entirely, especially if you take calcium as well. I have found a very nice balance with two Imodium Advanced a day. I never miss a day and it seems to even things out very nicely and predictably.


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## jason haberland

I have had IBS-D since 2003 and I take immodium daily! I do think I have built up a tolerance because I could easily take 6 a day now? I hope that helps and wish you the best of luck


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## ssid

Hi I'm new to all this!!! I have had problems since having to take antibiotics for 7 weeks -has anyone else had this? Your stories have horrified me.....I hoped it might eventually go away on [email protected] own.I have started taking immodium every few days..I hope it doesent get worse...can anyone offer a crumb of hope? :


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## ScottT1980

Loperamide is an opiate (one that doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier so no CNS effects). Mind you, my expertise is incomplete as I work more in animal medicine. However, like most opiates, tolerance to them is often seen (thus a higher dose needed to achieve the same result). Therefore, through discussions with my doctor, we have decided that it is best to take it only when needed as a prophylactic (as opposed to daily). It is my silver-bullet, and while it causes problems a couple of days later, it is the only thing that can tackle my diarrhea. I don't want to screw that up...Just an unprofessional opinion... However, just a quick scholar.google.com search showed that tolerance was observed in mice. Didn't look to see any human studies... I often wonder if we are getting a placebo affect from the loperamide, and in such a case, we wouldn't see tolerance. For those that take it often and have done so for some time (2+ months), do you find that it works at the same dose as when you started?


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## nave88

I am a 22 yo undergraduate research chemist, so I spend almost all of my time away from home at school, I have got to the point where I take two immodium everyday about two or three hours before I leave home. The effect of loperamide seems to increase throughout the week as I take two every morning, until late in the week I begin to get constipated as a result of the medicine, the trick is, after taking doses sequentially for 3-4 days begin to take a fiber supplement high in insoluble fiber before your meals (I use benefiber), it will combat the constipation and also increase digestional transit time (b/c insoluble fiber builds up a mucous barrier to slow down food in your GI tract) this seems to keep everything much more consistent, and Ive gone from having to go 5-8 times a day to just once every morning; it is truly miraculous, I thought I wouldnt be able to get through my chem studies it go so bad at one point! Another tip: Begin taking 2 immodium every morning on monday and begin to take benefiber on thursday or friday, then if you can, stop taking immodium on sunday or for the whole weekend (to prevent further constipation), then start the cycle again the following week. I hope this helps! (Ive researched lopermide pretty extensively by the way, there is no evidence of dangers in everyday use and it typically doesnt cause your body to build up a tolerance, although it is possible)


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## TimeToGo

Like many of us I take imodium regularly. In fact, I now have it on prescription. Normally two a day but sometimes three. I've never gone beyond three 2mg tablets daily. For me, imodium is of the greatest help in managing IBS D but this is a personal opinion only.


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## peaches41

snoi said:


> I used to take them every day, and it did seem like I needed more and more as time went by, which happens to some people but not everyone, apparently. Since I started doing Linda's calcium 6 months ago I only take immodium once in a great while, just to be SURE-like if I'm travelling, or if I know I'll be eating unusual food or something. Usually I don't really need it at all, just makes me feel more secure...


I'm the same, I usually only take my calcium, but if I know I shall be out all day I either take half an immodium, or pop one in my handbag, just in case.


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## McPhale

I started taking immodium soon after I was diagnosed, as I couldn't go to school otherwise. I slowly (over the course of 2-3 years) had to increase my dose; now I take 4 a day, and having been doing so for three years; I haven't had to increase the dosage unless I was under a lot of stress or was otherwise having a severe flair up. I would recommend taking it if you can't avoid it, and to pursue other options while taking it to see if you can find something better.


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## jmc09

I've been taking loperamide on prescription for about the last 2 and a half years.I currently take 8-12 a day in doses of 4 as my body DOES get used to them,not everybody does but I do with most medicines.I started with 2 twice a day and now take 4 twice a day and occasionally 4 three times a day.I don't think this is normal but at least it helps to live a 'normalish' life.I'm convinced there could be something wrong with most of us that just hasn't been found yet and I keep my fingers crossed it is discovered soon.I'm waiting to see a Prof Whorwell and maybe suggest the SIBO option as a certain type of antibiotic has helped me a little over recent months.I would say imodium isn't really harmful long term but can,in some cases,be less effective over time.Again just my opinion.


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## mom_to_three

stebbs said:


> I'm thinking about taking immodium daily. I've tried everything to help other then that. Just wondering if anyone uses it daily and if you have built up a tolerance to it?


Yes, I need to take one pill daily or I get severe diarrhea/cramps. My gastro Dr said daily is just fine.


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