In the Imodium preparation, indications for use are concise: diarrhea caused by violations of intestinal motility and external stimuli not of a bacterial nature. But with apparent ease of use, this medicine can not be used thoughtlessly.
What does Imodium help with?
Stomach upset and diarrhea can occur for various reasons. Imodium effectively cope with diarrhea of any origin, but not always it will benefit the patient. Let's see why.
The main active substance in this drug is loperamide. It selectively acts on the receptors of the intestinal mucosa, blocking some of them. As a result, motor functions weaken, the sphincter closes more tightly, the movement of stool masses slows down and the production of mucus is suspended. The effect is achieved - the contents of the intestine no longer require outside. But after all, diarrhea began not just for that!
If the body rushes to emptying, then from some substances it needs to get rid of. The use of Imodium is justified in cases where diarrhea does not stop for a long time and the body continues and continues to erupt from itself water and waste products. In this case, diarrhea should be urgently stopped in order to avoid dehydration and other dangerous phenomena. With this task Imodium will cope better than any other means. If the situation is not so critical, it is better to choose antidiarrheal drug from a number of enterosorbents or microbiotic drugs.
Imodium has the following indications for use:
- allergic diarrhea;
- diarrhea of a neuro-emotional nature;
- diarrhea caused by the use of certain drugs and radiation therapy;
- upset stomach due to climate change, diet, water;
- Ileostomy, which caused fecal incontinence.
Method of Imodium application
Adults drug is indicated for use 2-3 times a day for 2 mg, that is, one capsule at a time. The maximum daily dose is 16 mg. In emergency cases, the first dose may be 4 mg Imodium. Children are recommended to take 1-2 capsules per day, the maximum possible amount of the drug - 8 mg per day. Children younger than 6 years of Imodium use are only allowed under the supervision of a doctor. The dose should be selected strictly individually.
The drug starts to act within an hour after taking, the maximum effect is achieved in 2-3 hours. After 4 hours Imodium is inhibited by the liver and kidneys, leaves the body with urine. If you used other antidiarrhoeic drugs, the effect of the medication may be completely unpredictable - prolonged, or short-term. It is advisable not to allow such cases.
Contraindications to the use of Imodium
There are quite a lot of contraindications for this medicine. First of all, these factors include:
- Diarrhea of a bacterial nature (infection with staphylococcus, etc.);
- dysentery;
- intestinal obstruction and adhesions;
- subielius;
- bloating ;
- colitis of any origin;
- hypersensitivity to loperamide;
- lactose intolerance.
Also, the drug is not used in the treatment of children younger than 5 years and the first trimester of pregnancy. Only by prescribing a doctor, Imodium can be used for people with impaired renal and hepatic functions.
Imodium-plus drug indications for use and contraindications do not differ, a component has been added to the medication that reduces flatulence and relieves spasms. The difference between Imodium and Imodium is only that the latter is slightly more tolerated and eliminates the attendant diarrhea symptoms.