Imodium, or medically known as Loperamide, is a drug that works as an antidiarrheal. This means that this drug can stop diarrhea.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea can be of different types. You can have watery diarrhea, semi-solid or perhaps, the consistency might not be the problem at all. Diarrhea can also occur if you are having increased frequency of defecating. All these conditions can happen if you contract an infection from a bacteria, virus or some other pathogen.

What causes diarrhea?

Mostly, issues related to our bowels happen when we eat odd things or if the food is not cooked properly. From washing and handling of raw ingredients to making sure they are cooked through, are all important steps the person in charge of cooking needs to follow.

Common examples of foods that can trigger your bowels to act up are rice (reheated rice or if left outside, they can spoil and a bacterium B. cereus can cause food poisoning), rotten fruits and vegetables, flours and breads that have been infected with fungus, expired milk, unsanitary water, et cetera.

Use of loperamide

This drug works effectively to stop diarrhea. A single capsule is effective for 24 hours.

Do not use loperamide if...

• Do not use in children.

• Do not use if you have bloody diarrhea, e.g. in the case of Shigella infection/shigellosis.

• Do not use in extreme cases of irritable bowel disease (IBD). IBD also has an important clinical feature of bloody stools.