# Should you take Immodium/Pepto type of stuff when you have food poisoning?



## PD85

Should you take something to stop the D when you have a bout with food poisoning or should you let your body run out the bacteria?I usually go #2 around 5-7 times per day, always loose and never complete evacuation. But I never wake up at night to go. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and had full-on diarrhea a beautiful 12 times. This morning it's still going and the end is not in sight. I've only had legitimate food poisoning one other time in my life, and I took tons of Immodium. That day was the day I believe my IBS started. I always wondered if I never took the Immodium, maybe my body just gets rid of the bacteria and I don't get the IBS. My theory is that by taking the Immodium the bacteria were able to set up shop in my intestines and never leave. This time I don't want to take Immodium, and see what happens.Anyone have any thoughts or experiences they'd like to share?


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## Brianmay1975

Never take Immodium when you have food poisoning/gastroenteritis! It's said to make the GI infection last longer. Loperamide should only be taken when the diarrhea is non-infectious. Don't use anti-motility/anti-propulsive agents either (that means no narcotic medications either). I was prescribed Smecta (active substance: diosmectite), which covers the inside of the colon and absorbs the excess water, but doesn't affect the motility. It worked ok (I still use it for diarrhea). I also took Ercefuryl (active substance: nifuroxazide), which is an intestinal antibacterial, to very good results. I don't know if you can find them in your country, but there must be similar substances anyway.That being said, I don't know if Immodium is truly the culprit for your IBS. I had one gastroenteritis/food poisoning each year, beginning in 2005 and up until 2010, and I never took any Immodium in my life (now I take codeine instead, but back then, I never took any anti-propulsive agent) - and I still got IBS because of these damn food poisonings that totally tweaked my GI nerves. Some people just develop IBS after such an episode, no need for the loperamide to play a part...And I don't think that the bacteria are to blame. If IBS were caused by bacteria, there would be some infection, hence some inflammation. But IBS is a functional disease, there's no inflammation of the intestine. It's more likely that the nervous terminations from the GI tract get tweaked after a food poisoning and never return to normal functioning, hence the brain-gut connection is severely compromised...I guess that, if you don't take any anti-diarrheal medication, the infection will eventually pass, but the diarrhea will last longer and will be more severe and there might be a chance your IBS is worsened. If I were you, I'd consult a doctor to see if there's any anti-diarrheal suited to food poisoning cases available. My IBS was severely worsened by the latest gastroenteritis I had a year and a half ago. I was left with lingering cramping pain, that subsided for months on end. By getting proper treatment, I was eventually able to have my life back. But, in the past, I never received adequate treatment and I kinda just waited the gastroenteritis episodes to pass. They did, but they left an indelible mark on my intestine. So please don't overlook the issue, don't just wait it out, seek proper treatment, else it might aggravate your IBS (Immodium is not an adequate treatment, but certainly there must be others around). Healthy people have the luxury to chose between treatment and waiting it out, but we are at risk for increased damage, so medical treatment and monitoring is a must...


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## Kathleen M.

I don't think it effects if you get IBS or not to take Imodium. However, usually a good rule of thumb (even with most illnesses) is if you can ride it out and let the body take care of it (as symptoms are often more from us fighting it off than the organism itself) try that.The exception is when you are so uncomfortable or risk things like dehydration if you do not control the symptoms. For food poisoning if taking some Imodium will keep you from needing to be hospitalized from dehydration, then I would take the Imodium. If you can stay home and it's just about being a tad more comfortable then I wouldn't.IBS has been around since ancient times, long before widespread Imodium use.


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## jazzmynn123

PD85 said:


> Should you take something to stop the D when you have a bout with food poisoning or should you let your body run out the bacteria?I usually go #2 around 5-7 times per day, always loose and never complete evacuation. But I never wake up at night to go. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and had full-on diarrhea a beautiful 12 times. This morning it's still going and the end is not in sight. I've only had legitimate food poisoning one other time in my life, and I took tons of Immodium. That day was the day I believe my IBS started. I always wondered if I never took the Immodium, maybe my body just gets rid of the bacteria and I don't get the IBS. My theory is that by taking the Immodium the bacteria were able to set up shop in my intestines and never leave. This time I don't want to take Immodium, and see what happens.Anyone have any thoughts or experiences they'd like to share?


I got sick last week from what I thought was food poisoning. Tests so far show its a virus.My family dr says no immodium. My gastro dr says to take immodium and bentyl if I want. I'm confused.Meanwhile, I have cramping and on and off diarrhea.Do you have cramping in your stomach/bowel area?


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## PD85

jazzmynn123 said:


> I got sick last week from what I thought was food poisoning. Tests so far show its a virus.My family dr says no immodium. My gastro dr says to take immodium and bentyl if I want. I'm confused.Meanwhile, I have cramping and on and off diarrhea.Do you have cramping in your stomach/bowel area?


Yea the cramps were horrible last night and all day today. I finally gave in and took some pepto-bismol to calm my stomach and it seems to have helped but I'm still going every hour or so, which is at least better than it was.Thanks for the replies everyone else. It makes sense not to take the Immodium, as whatever bad bug is in there will just stay in there and make the episode last longer.


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## catarific

October, 2010 I either had food poisoning or gastroenteritis - we never did find out after many tests, colonoscopy and endoscopy - everything was totally clean and negative. But I am still plagued to this day with some form of IBS. Prior to this event, I always had IBS-C since I was about 15 until my mid 50's. But after this, for about 10 months, I had IBS-D. The doctor prescribed Welchol which helped a lot. I took it from February until about July. Then my IBS changed to IBS-A and the Welchol no longer worked. Now if I watch my diet, I have maybe 1 to 2 flareups per week after having IBS-C for a few days. The doctor has given me samples of a new antibiotic called Xifixan. He gave me 6 pills and told me to take 1/2 pill once a day for 12 days to see what happens and if this will knock whatever germ I may have contracted with the food poisoning or gastroenteritis. I have noticed that when I have taken Amoxicillan for bronchitis, I have had no IBS symptoms whatsoever. But as soon as the Amoxicillan wears off, the IBS-D returns. So we will see what happens. As far as taking this antibiotic more frequently, it is very, very, expensive. I looked it up on the Internet and for 30 pills, the cost is over $300 and unfortunately, there is no generic. Aa far as taking Immodium or Pepto - I found it very uncomfortable because although I may not go to the bathroom with it - I feel like I should be going but am holding back. I do not do well with Pepto - it actually makes it worse.All I know is since October, 2010 - I no longer can eat many of the foods I had previously but at that time, it was far worse. Now I have reintroduced many of the foods that I could not eat - although there are still many I wish I could eat again!


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