Imodium

Imodium slows the rhythm of digestion so that the small intestines have more time to absorb fluid and nutrients from the foods you eat.
Imodium is used to treat diarrhea. Imodium is also used to reduce the amount of stool in people who have an ileostomy (re-routing of the bowel through a surgical opening in the stomach). Imodium works by acting on opioid receptors that are found in the muscle lining the walls of the intestines. By acting on these receptors, loperamide reduces the muscular contractions of the intestine (called peristalsis) that move food and faecal matter through the gut.

This reduces the speed at which the gut contents are pushed through the intestines, allowing more time for water and electrolytes to be reabsorbed from the gut contents back into the body. This results in firmer stools that are passed less frequently.

Imodium can be bought without a prescription to treat acute (sudden and short-lived) episodes of watery diarrhoea in adults.
Imodium can also be used to control flare-ups of chronic (long-term) diarrhoea, however it should only be used for this purpose on the advice of a doctor. It should only be used to treat diarrhoea associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) after initial diagnosis of IBS by a doctor.

What is it used for?
When bought without a prescription Imodium can be used to treat:
Acute diarrhoea in adults and children aged 12 years and over.
Acute diarrhoea associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adults aged 18 years and over, following initial diagnosis by a doctor.
Imodium can also be used to treat the following, but only when prescribed by a doctor:
Acute diarrhoea of any cause, including treating sudden worsening of long-term diarrhoea for periods of up to five days, in adults and children over eight years of age (capsules) and children over 4 years of age (syrup).
Chronic (long-term) diarrhoea in adults.

Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Constipation.
• Dizziness.
• Drowsiness.
• Abdominal cramps.
• Abdominal swelling.
• Flatulence.
• Indigestion.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Paralysis or inactivity of the intestine that stops the movement of material through the gut (paralytic ileus).
• Skin reactions such as rash and itch.