Loperamide

Loperamide (full name: Loperamide Hydrochloride) is the active ingredient in diarrhoea treatments such as Imodium. Loperamide works by slowing down the muscles of the intestinal wall, thus preventing the stools from leaving the body quickly. Because stools become drier the longer they remain in the intestine, Loperamide has the dual effect of making the stools less runny, as well as less frequent. This makes Loperamide a very effective treatment for the symptoms of diarrhoea.

What medicines contain Loperamide?

The following medicines containing Loperamide can be purchased without a prescription from Express Chemist:

• Imodium.

When should I use Loperamide?

Use Loperamide to treat the symptoms of short-term episodes of diarrhoea. Loperamide can treat short-term cases of holiday tummy or short episodes of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

When should I not use Loperamide?

If you find that you have runny stools every day for a period of more than a few days, you should seek medical advice. Loperamide only treats the short-term symptoms of diarrhoea, and is not a fix for long-term medical conditions.

Children under 12 should not use Loperamide. You should also not use Loperamide if you have blood in the stools, a serious gastrointestinal disease such as Cholera, Dysentry or Salmonella, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have inflammation in the gut, then you should seek medical advice. You should not use Loperamide if you are suffering from constipation.