As is known, in summer, children and adults are more often prone to various kinds of digestive system disorders. To help in the fight against diarrhea, loperamide will come. Loperamide refers to antidiarrhoeal agents, and the mechanism of its action is to reduce the tone of the intestinal muscular tissue and prolong the passage of the food lump through the intestine. Also, the drug affects the tone of the anal sphincter, helping to reduce the urge to defecate and incontinence. Relief after taking loperamide occurs very quickly, and the action lasts about 5 hours.
Loperamide - indications
- treatment of diarrhea in acute and chronic form, having a different origin (allergic, medicinal, radiation, food, emotional);
- acute diarrhea with the need to replace fluids (as an additional means);
- chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis);
- postoperative diarrhea (as an additional remedy);
- Diarrhea caused by infections (as an adjuvant).
Loperamide - contraindications
- age of child under 2 years;
- individual intolerance to the active substance of the drug;
- obstruction of the intestine, bloating, constipation;
- dysentery, which is accompanied by an increase in temperature and blood in the stool;
- colitis (ulcerative and pseudomembranous), which arose against the background of taking antibiotics.
Can loperamide be given to children?
Loperamide is not intended for use by children under 2 years of age. To children older than this age, loperamide is given as a remedy for diseases manifested by frequent urge to defecate. And it does not matter what caused the problem - allergies, nervous excitement, taking medicines or changing the diet. When taking loperamide, children should be given plenty of water to prevent the child from dehydration. You should also follow a diet. If the condition of the child is not relieved within 2 days after the beginning of taking the drug, it is necessary to conduct a survey to identify an infection that could cause diarrhea. When determining the infectious nature of diarrhea, treatment should be done with antibiotic drugs. If the use of antibiotics does not work and the diarrhea does not stop, then loperamide can be repeated. Stop receiving loperamide in case of normalization of the stool or its absence for 12 hours.
Loperamide - dosage for children
The dosage of loperamide for treatment of a child is determined by taking into account the age group it belongs to. It is very important not to exceed the required dosage.
In acute diarrhea, children receive loperamide in the following doses:
- at the age of up to 5 years - 3 times a day for 1 mg;
- at the age of 6-8 years - 2 times a day for 2 mg;
- at the age of 9-12 years - 3 times a day for 2 mg.
If the diarrhea is not stopped on the second day, loperamide is given to 2 mg after each defecation. The maximum allowable dose
In addition to pills loperamide children can be given and in the form of drops (30 drops four times a day). The maximum permissible dose of loperamide in the form of drops is 120 drops.
Loperamide: side effects
Like most drugs, loperamide has side effects. Most often they are caused by an incorrect dosage or an unreasonable drug intake. In this case, there may be abdominal pain and headaches, dizziness, spasms in the intestines, nausea, a feeling of dryness in the mouth and vomiting, allergic skin rashes.