# Weird Imodium side effect. Anyone else experienced this?



## D :( (Aug 11, 2009)

I have, in addition to several other things, had to take Imodium for quite some time. Also, because I have taken it for quite awhile, I have had to increase the dosage because I have built a tolerance to it. I take between 4 and 8 Imodium per day depending on how my digestion is. Since my dose has increased over time, though, I have noticed a weird side effect. Whenever I urinate, my urine smells very strongly of whatever food I have eaten. This only used to happen occasionally and only if I ate certain things, but now it seems that it smells exactly like and very strongly like whatever I have eaten earlier. Has anyone else ever experienced this before? What exactly is causing it? Is this anything to be concerned about? It would make sense to me if I wasn't going or getting severely constipated from it because I would think that my body was trying to eliminate as much as it can through urine since digestion is halted, but I never get constipated from Imodium. I can even take as much as 7 or 8 pills and then turn around and go either later that same day or the next day and it is a totally normal BM, so I am not really sure why it has affected the odor of my urine.


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## knothappy (Jul 31, 1999)

I take a lot of Imodium, had to increase it also but I noticed the color of my urine is more yellow, but no difference in odor. I can take a whole pack of the Imodium yet still go later in the day or for sure the next, never constipation . I worry about much more I will have to increase dosage since some days igrt to ten pills do not help Ina glare up.


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## SteveInAustin (Aug 22, 2007)

My understanding is that you can't really build up tolerance to Loperamide (Immodium). What you're likely experiencing is a worsening of the problem that's causing you to take Loperamide in the first place. So you'll need more pills, but it's probably not because your body is just getting immune to Loperamide over time.

As for smelly urine, that's completely normal. Some foods will make your urine smell more strongly than others.

That you're noticing it for the first time may only be because you're specifically looking for it now. You may not remember it happening in your past, because you just weren't looking for it back then. The more you look for it, the more you'll confirm your belief that something new is happening. It most likely isn't anything new.

Yellow urine is no cause for alarm, by the way. That's just things like water soluble vitamins (B vitamins in particular). Your body doesn't need them, so it gets rid of them. No big deal.

Anyway, drinking more water will help flush stuff out. And it helps for people who are IBS-D.


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## Colt (May 5, 2011)

Strong smelling urine and more frequent urination for me. I attribute it to the extra liquid the Imodium sops up and keeps out of your stool.


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