Loperamide is a drug used to treat diarrhea. Of course, a significant relationship has been seen between high doses of Loperamide and increased mortality. This drug is used to treat sudden or even chronic diarrhea by slowing down bowel movements. Stay with us if you want to know more about loperamide tablets’ function, application, dosage, and side effects.
What is a loperamide tablet?
One of the uses of Loperamide is to treat diarrhea or decreased stool volume in people who have had ileostomy surgery (to deliver the intestine through a small opening to the surface of the abdomen). This drug acts on mu-opioid receptors in the gut to slow down bowel movements. In this way, the speed of intestinal contractions also decreases. This allows the body to absorb fluids and nutrients, reduce stool water, and reduce the number of times the toilet is used.
Loperamide tablets also treat chronic diarrhea in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Of course, this drug only relieves the symptoms of diarrhea and does not affect its causes, such as infection. You can get this drug from pharmacies with or without a prescription.
Warnings
- You should not take loperamide tablets if you have ulcerative colitis, bloody or tarry stools, diarrhea, high fever, or diarrhea caused by antibiotic medication.
- Take this medicine only as recommended. Loperamide overdose can cause severe heart problems and even death.
- Cardiac problems may occur with the use of this pill, along with other drugs. Before use, ask your doctor or pharmacist about drug interactions.
- This medicine is not suitable for children under two years old. Also, give this medicine to older children and teenagers only with the advice of a doctor.
- Be sure to consult your doctor before using loperamide tablets during pregnancy.
- You should not use this medicine while breastfeeding.
Uses of loperamide tablets
Loperamide is one of the oral antidiarrheal medications that are available without a prescription. Currently, this drug is approved to treat various types of diarrhea and may even be used to treat some of the side effects of chemotherapy that cause diarrhea. In recent years, the non-pharmacological use of Loperamide has increased, and some people use it to self-manage opioid withdrawal symptoms and addiction.
Medical use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved loperamide tablets to treat various types of diarrhea, including:
- sudden diarrhea;
- Chronic diarrhea caused by irritable bowel syndrome ;
- Acute diarrhea with unknown cause in patients older than two years;
- reducing the output of patients with ileostomy;
- Treatment of diarrhea caused by chemotherapy.
How and dosage of loperamide tablets
If you have received this medicine without a prescription, read all the instructions on the package about taking two loperamide tablets before taking it. If your doctor has prescribed this medicine for you, use it as directed by your doctor. Loperamide tablet is an oral medication usually taken after defecation or as defined by the doctor. It is better to take chewable tablets on an empty stomach and chew them thoroughly.
The dosage depends on the severity of the disease and its response to treatment. Loperamide is prescribed for a child’s diarrhea based on age and weight. According to the doctor’s order, adults should not take this drug without a prescription of more than 8 mg per 24 hours, and its maximum consumption should not be more than 16 mg per 24 hours. It is better to use Loperamide 2 mg twice daily to treat chronic diarrhea. Continue this treatment for 12 hours after last diarrhea.
Diarrhea causes dehydration. Consuming plenty of fluids and electrolytes to replace lost water would be best. See a doctor if you experience symptoms of dehydration (such as extreme thirst, decreased urination, muscle cramps, weakness, and fainting). Also, it is better to have a low-spice diet during this period to prevent stomach and intestinal irritation. If you have used this medicine for ten days but your diarrhea is not cured, inform your doctor.
Forgetting the dosage
Most people take loperamide tablets only when needed and do not need to take this medicine daily. If you miss a dose, you do not need to do anything. If you are taking this medication to reduce bowel movements after an ileostomy, you must have a regular schedule for using the medicine. Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but skip it if it is almost time for the next dose. Never take two doses at the same time.
Drug overdose
You should call the emergency department if someone overdoses on Loperamide and has dangerous symptoms such as fainting or shortness of breath. Other overdose symptoms include difficulty urinating, slow breathing, deep sleep, fast or irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness, and fainting.
Side effects of loperamide tablets
Go to the emergency room if you have symptoms of an allergy, such as hives, shortness of breath, severe inflammation of the face or throat, or a severe skin reaction (including fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, a red or purple rash that spreads and blisters and peels). See.
Stop taking Loperamide if you see these symptoms:
- bloody or watery diarrhea;
- stomach pain or bloating;
- Persistent or worsening diarrhea;
- Fast or strong heartbeat, the feeling of a pounding heart, shortness of breath, sudden dizziness.
Common side effects of Loperamide
- constipation;
- dizziness or drowsiness;
- nausea;
- Painful abdominal cramping;
- dry mouth ;
- Urinary retention.
Serious side effects of Loperamide
- severe constipation with nausea or vomiting;
- stomach ache;
- the feeling of painful fullness in the abdomen;
- fast or irregular heartbeat ;
- severe dizziness;
- faint;
- Irregular heart rhythm or cardiac arrest.
Loperamide drug interactions
Drug interaction can change the drug’s action or increase the possibility of dangerous side effects. You must consult your doctor or pharmacist to ensure Loperamide does not interact with other medications. Please do not stop taking any prescription or change its dosage without your doctor’s approval.
Some drugs that interact with Loperamide include:
- pramlintide;
- antibiotics;
- medications that cause constipation, including anticholinergic medicines such as belladonna or scopolamine;
- antispasmodics such as glycopyrrolate or oxybutynin;
- strong narcotic pain relievers such as morphine;
- Some antihistamines such as diphenhydramine;
- tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline;
- cholestyramine;
- ritonavir;
- saquinavir;
- Medicines affecting heart rhythm include amiodarone, chlorpromazine, haloperidol, methadone, moxifloxacin, pentamidine, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol, thioridazine, ziprasidone.
Loperamide tablets can cause serious heart problems. The risk of this complication increases with the use of other drugs to treat infection, heart disease, depression, mental illness, cancer, malaria, and AIDS. Knowing that some vitamins and herbs may interact with this medicine is good.
Loperamide tablets cause dizziness or drowsiness, so it is hazardous to take it with alcohol or marijuana (which themselves cause dizziness and tiredness). Avoid driving, operating complex machinery, or doing anything that requires alertness while taking this medicine.
Interference with antibiotics
Antibiotics rarely cause severe intestinal disease caused by C. difficile bacteria. Symptoms include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramping, and blood or mucus in the stool. This disease may occur after antibiotic treatment or weeks to months later. The antidiarrheal pill loperamide worsens this condition. You should not take this medicine after the recent use of antibiotics, and be sure to see a doctor if you see the mentioned symptoms.
Loperamide tablet restriction
If you are allergic to Loperamide, tell your doctor or pharmacist. This product may contain inactive ingredients that cause allergic reactions or other problems. If you have these problems, consult your doctor before use:
- Heartache without diarrhea;
- Ileus;
- Black or tarry stools;
- blood or mucus in the chair;
- High fever;
- AIDS;
- liver disease;
- certain stomach or intestinal infections (such as salmonella or shigella);
- Some intestinal diseases (such as acute ulcerative colitis).
Loperamide tablets may contain aspartame or phenylalanine. If you suffer from phenylketonuria or any other disease that limits the use of these two compounds, consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
heart problems
Loperamide may cause a complication that affects the heart rhythm and prolongs the QT interval on the electrocardiogram. QT prolongation rarely causes a dangerously fast or irregular heart rhythm and other symptoms, such as severe dizziness or fainting, that require medical attention.
The risk of QT prolongation increases if you have certain diseases or take medications that cause this complication. Before taking Loperamide, tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking for these diseases, as well as the following:
- Heart disease (such as heart failure, bradycardia, QT prolongation on ECG);
- Family history of heart disease (such as QT prolongation on ECG or sudden cardiac arrest).
Lack of potassium or magnesium in the blood can also increase the risk of QT prolongation. This deficiency may increase with certain drugs (such as diuretics or diuretics) or complications such as severe sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Older adults are more sensitive to this drug’s side effects, significantly prolonging the QT interval. Children are also more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially drowsiness, and they are also more prone to dehydration. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor before taking Loperamide. This medicine is transferred to the baby through milk, so you should not use it during breastfeeding.
final word
Loperamide tablets are a very effective treatment for some types of diarrhea, and you can get it without a prescription from a pharmacy. Keep in mind that the use of this drug has limitations. We recommend you talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Loperamide and share your medical and medication history. Do not forget that this medicine is prohibited in children under two years of age and during breastfeeding.
Warning! This article is only for educational purposes; to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
