# Could immodium cause diarrhea? - new member



## Whodathunk (Aug 23, 2010)

I’m a new member and I’m feeling really desperate and hope that someone out there can help me. I’ve been reading this forum for a long time but never contributed before and I’d like to thank you all so, so much for being so candid, sympathetic and helpful. I’m 59, a married professional woman with one child who lives in the Boston area. I’ve had IBS-D for about 3 years now. I also have acid reflux and take prilosec for it every day. I’ve been seeing a gastroenterologist and he has done a million tests including a colonoscopy and have ruled out any possible diseases, tumors, parasites, etc. that might be causing it. I go the bathroom 6 to 10 times a day. I needed to completely evacuate in the morning or I will go in my pants which has happened several times. I have loose stools, not diarrhea but I can’t hold them in. Therefore, several times a week I take one immodium before I left the house. This drug was a lifesaver and after taking one immodium I could eat whatever I wanted and would not have to go to the bathroom at all for the rest of that day. However, it took me several hours to finish up going to the bathroom and I was showing up for work at 3 in the afternoon and eventually lost a job that I loved. About a year ago, my doctor suggested I give up coffee (as well as decaf) and eliminate dairy products from my diet. Much to my delight, this seemed to work very well and I had normal movements for about a year. (I started drinking cafix which is a barley based beverage in the morning with lactose free creamer in the morning). However, about a month ago, the diarrhea problem began coming back. I started using immodium again almost on a daily basis and it worked perfectly until last week. Now I’m really desperate because the immodium does not seem to be working any more and in fact I’m afraid it’s causing me to have the runs. Has anyone else had this problem? I took an immodium and went out with my daughter last week and had a couple of bites of a cookie and by the time I got home I had the runs. This also happened Saturday night. I felt very gassy and upset to my stomach before this happened. I never had this experience before with immodium usually when I take it I don’t have to go at all until the next day and in fact sometimes feel bound up for a few days afterward. Needless to say, I took a second immodium after this. I’m not sure if the second immodium worked because it was at night and I didn’t go out after. I’m going to see my gastroenterologist tomorrow and wanted some suggestions on what I should say to him to make sure that I ask the right questions. Are there any new treatments that people are having success with? Are there any diagnostic tests that I should be taking? Thank you so much!


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## IBSD88 (Mar 23, 2009)

Hi whodathunk, first of all dont worry, you will find hundreds of people on here who have similar problems, there are things out there that help its just finding whats right for you.Main thing to say is Immodium will not cause diarrhea (from now on I will call it D as I hate trying to spell diarrhea), some people say it takes over from your body and therefore your body doesn't do its job right, basically they are almost certainly wrong, there have been a few studies to check this and they could find no link, whats more is a lot of people on here took immodium for a very long time but found their trigger, cut it out and the diarrhea is over.Main things I would say is there are other alternatives to immodium, it is the best for regular use but I find lomitol works better for me, I only use it when the D is worse than immodium will help (which isnt as often as it used to be), keep in mind it take take more immodium for someone with IBS then someone who has the odd D, 2 to start with and 1 extra each time is what it says on the pack but you might need to take a fair bit more sometimes, maybe try taking 2 extra each time rather than 1for gas try to get immodium plus, the semeticone in it does wonders for me, if it alone isnt enough ask your doctor of pharmasist if you can get anti flatulants which normally have semeticone in it, the extra dose might help.There are a lot of things out there to help IBS, I personally use amytriptaline which desensitises the gut and just seems to slow everything down.One big thing I will say though and others on here will be able to say more about it but the USA is one of a few places where you can get Lotronex which has worked wonders for a lot of people with bad D, sadly you cannot get it in europe (where I live) so I cant give you much details.A google search, some advice on here and talking to your doctor will help you work out if it is suitable for you.Anyway I wont say too much to bore you, I shall just finish with these forums are the right place to start and good luck.little edit, check out the calcium post, calcium can help with acid and D so well worth a look, it has helped a lot of people and its a relitively cheap and easy method, so if it doesnt work its been no real imposition and if it does it wont cost you much to keep taking it


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## Whodathunk (Aug 23, 2010)

IBSD88 said:


> Hi whodathunk, first of all dont worry, you will find hundreds of people on here who have similar problems, there are things out there that help its just finding whats right for you.Main thing to say is Immodium will not cause diarrhea (from now on I will call it D as I hate trying to spell diarrhea), some people say it takes over from your body and therefore your body doesn't do its job right, basically they are almost certainly wrong, there have been a few studies to check this and they could find no link, whats more is a lot of people on here took immodium for a very long time but found their trigger, cut it out and the diarrhea is over.Main things I would say is there are other alternatives to immodium, it is the best for regular use but I find lomitol works better for me, I only use it when the D is worse than immodium will help (which isnt as often as it used to be), keep in mind it take take more immodium for someone with IBS then someone who has the odd D, 2 to start with and 1 extra each time is what it says on the pack but you might need to take a fair bit more sometimes, maybe try taking 2 extra each time rather than 1for gas try to get immodium plus, the semeticone in it does wonders for me, if it alone isnt enough ask your doctor of pharmasist if you can get anti flatulants which normally have semeticone in it, the extra dose might help.There are a lot of things out there to help IBS, I personally use amytriptaline which desensitises the gut and just seems to slow everything down.One big thing I will say though and others on here will be able to say more about it but the USA is one of a few places where you can get Lotronex which has worked wonders for a lot of people with bad D, sadly you cannot get it in europe (where I live) so I cant give you much details.A google search, some advice on here and talking to your doctor will help you work out if it is suitable for you.Anyway I wont say too much to bore you, I shall just finish with these forums are the right place to start and good luck.little edit, check out the calcium post, calcium can help with acid and D so well worth a look, it has helped a lot of people and its a relitively cheap and easy method, so if it doesnt work its been no real imposition and if it does it wont cost you much to keep taking it


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## Whodathunk (Aug 23, 2010)

Dear IBSD88,Thanks so much for responding so quickly and with such encouraging words. I always misspell diarrhea too.I'll let you know what my gastroenterologist tells me tomorrow.Best wishes,Whodathunk


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## Siea (Jun 21, 2010)

Whodathunk said:


> Dear IBSD88,Thanks so much for responding so quickly and with such encouraging words. I always misspell diarrhea too.I'll let you know what my gastroenterologist tells me tomorrow.Best wishes,Whodathunk


Are you eating any other medication?I noticed when I ate an antidepressant that imodium gave much less effect then it does without that medication.


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## On Edge (Aug 25, 2009)

I have had a similar situation. Imodium seemed to work for a while, half a pill a day held back the D. But lately I find not taking the half imodium I have better stools. What on earth could that mean?!


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

I don't know about you guys, but I get what I call 'by-pass' diarrhea, when liquid comes past solid, that happens with the immodium. Not solid like constipation, but what would be normal for regular folks and all of a sudden I'm squirting liquid. A very long time ago, someone on here posted a very funny list of D definitions and this one was on there. I notice that it follows sweets, this time of year it's candy corn. You need to watch what you eat closely, keep a food diary--the dr's don't really have time (or care) about that part, but it's priceless for you to know what reacted over the long term. So, I can look and say 'suger' (candy corn) gives me by-pass D, so I've gotta stick around the house if I'm gonna eat it.


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## missy19677 (Aug 10, 2011)

Whodathunk said:


> I'm a new member and I'm feeling really desperate and hope that someone out there can help me. I've been reading this forum for a long time but never contributed before and I'd like to thank you all so, so much for being so candid, sympathetic and helpful. I'm 59, a married professional woman with one child who lives in the Boston area. I've had IBS-D for about 3 years now. I also have acid reflux and take prilosec for it every day. I've been seeing a gastroenterologist and he has done a million tests including a colonoscopy and have ruled out any possible diseases, tumors, parasites, etc. that might be causing it. I go the bathroom 6 to 10 times a day. I needed to completely evacuate in the morning or I will go in my pants which has happened several times. I have loose stools, not diarrhea but I can't hold them in. Therefore, several times a week I take one immodium before I left the house. This drug was a lifesaver and after taking one immodium I could eat whatever I wanted and would not have to go to the bathroom at all for the rest of that day. However, it took me several hours to finish up going to the bathroom and I was showing up for work at 3 in the afternoon and eventually lost a job that I loved. About a year ago, my doctor suggested I give up coffee (as well as decaf) and eliminate dairy products from my diet. Much to my delight, this seemed to work very well and I had normal movements for about a year. (I started drinking cafix which is a barley based beverage in the morning with lactose free creamer in the morning). However, about a month ago, the diarrhea problem began coming back. I started using immodium again almost on a daily basis and it worked perfectly until last week. Now I'm really desperate because the immodium does not seem to be working any more and in fact I'm afraid it's causing me to have the runs. Has anyone else had this problem? I took an immodium and went out with my daughter last week and had a couple of bites of a cookie and by the time I got home I had the runs. This also happened Saturday night. I felt very gassy and upset to my stomach before this happened. I never had this experience before with immodium usually when I take it I don't have to go at all until the next day and in fact sometimes feel bound up for a few days afterward. Needless to say, I took a second immodium after this. I'm not sure if the second immodium worked because it was at night and I didn't go out after. I'm going to see my gastroenterologist tomorrow and wanted some suggestions on what I should say to him to make sure that I ask the right questions. Are there any new treatments that people are having success with? Are there any diagnostic tests that I should be taking? Thank you so much!


Hello, My name is marie and I have colitis collagenous. I was told i had it in 2002. I took pepto or immodium four tablets evey four hours like the doc told me back then and it stopped in about a month. When he told me to take all those pills I thought he was nuts.LOL No symtoms then until about a month ago. I started taking immodium four every four hours like before. It stopped the cramps and slowed the movements down to twice a day but did not stop the loose to runny bowel. I started taking just four each morning after a switch to pepto for a week(four caplets every four hours), It seems to be working. Now I am taking four tablets every morning, and am about to drop that to two. Hopefully it will keep doing well. Some Doctors will tell you that pepto kills a certain bacteria in the bowel that causes diahhrea, but immodium works better to control the movements(however it doesnt kill the bacteria). I might suggest switching to pepto for about a week and then back to see what happens.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi Marie.I'm surprised that your doctor hasnt prescribed an anti inflammatory drug like mesalazine for your colitis as its actually an anti inflammatory drug whereas imodium is purely an anti diarrhoeal medicine.I was originally diagnosed with colitis and anti inflammatories controlled my condition for years.Maybe you can ask your doctor about it.Good luck PS,i too used to have a problem spelling 'D' as there are 2 ways.Diarrhea is the north american way and Diarrhoea is the UK.Unfortunately we all know what we mean with each other!


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