# regular immodium use



## quarky (Jun 15, 2011)

Hi,My IBS-D is relatively under control at the moment. I stopped eating dairy, which is a big trigger for me, increased my soluble:insoluble fibre ratio, started taking calcium carbonate supplements with every meal, and reduced my stress levels. However, I'm still taking 2mg of loperamide (generic immodium) once a week or so. I take it when I notice my bowel movements starting to get looser and not quite solid. If I don't take it, my BMs get gradually looser and more urgent and are accompanied by cramps. Eventually it develops into diarrhea which doesn't go away until I take the loperamide to 'reset' my system.Is it okay to carry on taking the loperamide long term? 2mg once a week or so is quite a low dose, right? I don't experience many adverse effects - immediately after I take it I'm constipated for about 24 hours, which is mildly uncomfortable, but for the rest of the week I have 1-5 solid BMs per day, with the number gradually increasing as the time since my last dose increases. Will I end up having to take more and more loperamide to get the same effect? It seems wrong to me that my body only works properly when under the influence of a drug, but hey - if it works, it works, right? Are there long term health effects of taking loperamide regularly for years and years? I'm currently 24.Also, does anyone know where (in the UK) I can buy loperamide in amounts smaller than 2mg, so that I can spread the dose more evenly through the week? I have some splittable tablets, but they make me worse because of the high lactose content


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## EnviroChick (Jul 18, 2011)

Well, I live in Canada, but I take 2mg of loperamide 4 times a day, every day and have been for over 2 years. Don't know if its bad but my doctors all say its fine. I'm currently trying to get off them to see what my BM's are like naturally, without any medications. I know that here loperamide only comes in 2mg tablets, but they are splittable. Sad thing about the lactose content, kind of defeats the purpose of taking them eh!Hopefully you can figure it out


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## windemere (Sep 25, 2011)

Here in the US the tablets also come in 2mg form. I've been regularly taking at least 2 pills a day for almost a year now with no adverse side effects. It does not cross the brain barrier meaning your body will not get used to the dose and need you to increase it. My doctors all know that I take imodium (the brand name here) regularly and have never told me to stop. Its pretty much the only thing that allows me to live a normal life without worrying when ill need to go to the restroom.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I am in the UK and was taking 12 a day with no problems but the effect wore off and i take them occasionally with my codeine phosphate to stop me overdoing the codeine when i feel i need more.Any dose of imodium i take is 4 2mg tablets as any dose less doesnt help at all.Dont think you can get any less of a dose as they all seem to be in capsule form.


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## JessicainLondon (Sep 27, 2011)

I went through a really bad bout of diarrhoea everyday (normally I am constipated, so it started off as feeling like relief, but after a week or so, I was starting to have enough!!). I took Imodium for a couple of weeks, and that really helped. I did find that they eventually 'bunged me up' but that's less about the loperamide, and more about the way my body reacts to things like that!Have you seen that they do Imodium Melts? They are 2mg, but considering they're for eating, might be possible to bite them in half? They're mint flavour, though, and I find mint can make my diarrhoea worse. The Imodium Plus caplets are probably not helpful as they contain a lot of other drugs, but they have a line down the middle, making them easier to split. Incidentally, I don't know whether there is anything in it that might aggravate your symptoms, but I just found on the UK Boots prescriptions website that loperamide syrup is available, and that 1mg/5ml... http://home.intekom.com/pharm/adcock/a-lopers.html has the ingredients list, etc. Not sure how small the tablets are, but pharmacies often sell a tablet-splitting device. The blade is sharp enough to ensure it doesn't crumble everywhere, and it usually has a receptacle that holds everything, so there is no trying to cut it with a knife, and the other half flying across the room!! I think mine came from Boots and it was really useful, when I was using it for some pills unrelated to my IBS. J


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Used imodium regularly for more than 20 years..... and I'm fine. Didn't grow a 3rd eye or anything! LOL


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## Friday (Dec 9, 2008)

Me too, I've taken it regularly for about 3 years now. 2mg a day at least to keep things under control though not always for a whole day but at least I have a few hours of feeling 'safe'! 2mg once a week sounds perfectly fine to me but how about asking your doctor? My doctor told me to take imodium for as long as I need to and to work out the dose myself, that's a problem in itself! But if it helps us lot get out of the house it can't be bad can it.


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## 2princesses (Oct 6, 2011)

I live in england i am a regular taker of imodium, i literaly call it my life line could not cope without it! I take it atleast once a week at my worst it was every day & i have never had any side effects so you should be totaly fine, i did tell my doctor also & he said it was fine to take & even perscribed me some. My diohrea is brought on by some foods but mainly stress & realy bad anxiety that i will get D when i go out so actualy talk myself into getting it, so i have imodium when i wake up if i know im going anywhere like a day trip & because i know that i physicaly cant have a BM my body doesnt start to become anxious & i dont get stomach cramp & sweats, its great stuff!! ;-)


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