Taking Imodium to Relieve Diarrhea

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Taking Imodium to Relieve Diarrhea

Question:

I am an 84-year-old woman who experiences frequent diarrhea. Can it be harmful to use Imodium AD too often? How often can this drug be used safely?

Answer:

You can buy Imodium without a doctor's prescription. This is a good clue that it is a safe drug. Many people with diarrhea use Imodium (generic name: loperamide) every day to reduce how often that have bowel movements. And they use this drug many years without any negative effects.

Although the maximum dose recommended is one 2mg pill four times a day, it's rare for anyone to need that much. The less used the better. Most people need only one or two pills a day to control their diarrhea.

I should mention that diarrhea deserves a medical evaluation because any number of conditions could cause it, and many of these conditions are treatable. These include bowel inflammation, excessive amounts of bacteria in the small intestine, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, side effects of drugs, an overactive thyroid gland and, sometimes, cancerous growths. When no cause can be found, doctors often say the diarrhea is caused by irritable bowel syndrome. Imodium is often helpful for treating this.

I strongly encourage you to discuss your problem with your doctor.

Stephen Goldfinger, M.D., is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is a graduate of Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and his clinical base is at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009