If you’ve been suffering from a bout of diarrhoea, you may have heard of a medication called loperamide, more commonly known as Imodium or Dioraleze here in the UK.
While it’s a go-to choice for people trying to escape the bathroom, it’s important to understand how it works with your digestive system to put an end to your stomach troubles.
How It Works
Loperamide does its job by interacting with specific parts of our intestines and nervous system. This interaction slows down the natural squeezing of our intestines that usually pushes stool along. By doing this, loperamide gives our intestines more time to absorb water from the stool, which makes the stool thicker and helps prevent excessive fluid loss.
When stool spends more time in the intestines, we don’t need to rush to the bathroom as often. This slower movement also brings more comfort and reduces the feeling of urgency. So, loperamide helps maintain a steady stool movement, prevents excessive fluid loss, and eases the discomfort of stomach issues.
Side Effects, Proper Use & Precautions
Like with any medication, taking loperamide can cause side effects in some people that take it. While these are rare, typically mild and don’t tend to last very long, it’s important to be able to identify them.
If the following side effects continue to persist and are making you feel particularly uncomfortable, please consult your doctor or pharmacist for further guidance:
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Gas
- Feeling sick
- Feeling dizzy
- Headaches
You should only take loperamide as instructed by the medicine packaging or by following your healthcare professional’s advice.
Before taking loperamide you should check with your doctor to make sure it’s the most appropriate medication for your condition, if you are any of the following:
- Are pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- Have ever had an allergic reaction to loperamide
- Have had diarrhoea for more than 2 days
Please check the NHS website for more information.
Order Your Loperamide with Healthera
If you’ve been prescribed loperamide by your GP or just need it for short-term diarrhoea, you can place your order from the comfort of your home by using the Healthera app.
It only takes a couple of minutes to set up your order for collection or home delivery from your local pharmacy.
Simply click the button below to get started:
