# preventive with imodium



## teriobe (Apr 20, 2017)

I want to start taking everyday as preventive. Who does this, how many days and how much? Just curious


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## letsgo (May 26, 2016)

I sometimes take immodium, maybe twice a month on average, and it works wonders. However, I have heard from people on this forum that when you take it daily your body builds a tolerance to it, you have to take more and more to have the same effect, to a point where it's barely doing much at all. 
Research is shakey at best, but there does seem to be a correlation between long term use of immodium and detremental health issues.


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## teriobe (Apr 20, 2017)

I dont want to wait til i have to take them, example other day i had flareup, i ran 11x in 3 hrs. Wasnt dirreaha but very soft. How can i have that much in me. Anyway without gallbladder its water unless i take a pack of cholestyramine every night whuch makes firm soft. But i still get urgency and cant wait it. So of course i took imodium it slowed it down i took more and it stopped. But all that running exhausted me. Had to stop at 3 gas stations on my way to work. I have never gone more than 7x so this 11x had madr me paranoid now and was thinking to take imodium everyday in morn


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## Holymikey (Sep 7, 2017)

In my experience, it's fine to take when you really need it. I usually only take it when i go out for a night or for a meal or if i have big work meetings etc. I'm usually fine if i take 2 then it blocks me up for a couple of days at least and then i just try to revert back to normal again.


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## teriobe (Apr 20, 2017)

I figure if i can get the stools harder i can control more. Hold it in more


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## dekkalife (Aug 21, 2015)

Up until recently I have taken Imodium daily, for at least 2 years straight. In my experience, as long as you don't become constipated (which carries most of the associated risk), it is a safe drug to take daily. Some people report tolerance, but I think that can be commonly mistaken for your condition becoming worse over time or consuming foods you would otherwise not because of the relief from Imodium. Remember that Imodium treats the symptoms, not the cause.


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## Laq2010 (Sep 22, 2017)

I am a long term immodium taker here and tolerance can be a very real issue. I began taking 1 tablet (2 mg) per day when I was 14 years old for severe ibs with diarrhea. Now, 20 year later, I am up to between 20 to 22 tablets (20 to 24 mg) depending on the severity of my illness that day. This dosage has been becoming less effective and wearing off before the next morning and I will have to increase it again.

It scares the crap out of me. I literally cannot leave my house without them as I will seriously be in the bathroom about 12 times before 10:00 in the morning and it continues like this throughout the day. I do not have flare-ups, every day is the same.

High doses can be very dangerous and I have quite a few side effects from them. I have constant, and at times severe, dizziness. I am nauseous all the time and I have ulcers throughout my entire digestive tract from them. 5 to 10 minutes after I take them I get agonizing stomach pains that last about 20 minutes. I feel like I am poisoning myself.

High doses of immodium can cause serious heart issues and *can kill you*.

Just a fyi - My doctors are fully aware and I have tried tons of other medications, elimination diets (I follow a very strict diet) and supplements.


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## planeteuropa (Jan 8, 2014)

Jesus Laq2010 that's a scary story. i actually came on here today to ask the very same question. i have started using immodium 2mg capsules on prescription from my doctor as a form of prevention. initially i was suppose to take 2 per day which didn't have much effect but when i upped the dose to 3 x2mg capsules every day first thing in the morning my symptoms have become controllable for the first time in a long time. its still early days but its been 2 or 3 weeks and i have had stability with my IBS-D pretty much every day. less gas, hardly any urgency, only 1 to 2 BM's per day. more solid BM's. its really working great so far. The side effects i get is that it makes you very thirsty but i don't mind that as i drink lots of water anyway. also one of two days i've actually been more IBS-C than IBS-D which never happens to me. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that this tolerance thing does not factor going forward.

the only relapse i got so far is when i drink a lot of beer and eat fast food.

has anyone else had long term success using this prevention method?


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## h8ibs (Oct 24, 2004)

teriobe said:


> I want to start taking everyday as preventive. Who does this, how many days and how much? Just curious


I've been taking Imodium almost daily for 20 years. 2/day is good as a preventative. If I'm having a flare-up, I'll take 3 at one time in the AM and that does the trick. No issues. No tolerance. It's been a life saver. While some people have experienced what they believe to be tolerance, it could be that their IBS has just worsened over time.


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## Akn1965 (Jan 13, 2017)

Should loperamide be taken after meal or on an empty stomach?


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## planeteuropa (Jan 8, 2014)

for me i take first thing in the morning. that seems to be when my intestines are most active.


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## teriobe (Apr 20, 2017)

I take it on empty.


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## Akn1965 (Jan 13, 2017)

I also marked it that loperamide works well on an empty stomach.
Thanks.


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