Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

It breaks my heart to read these things about Imodium. I've had people tell me on these boards I should be careful with what I write about the diet. Negative stuff about available drugs can also make people insecure you know. Yet I can't forbid people to write about it. However, I do know people that have been on Imodium or a generic for years without developing any tolerance... One person I know about (though not sure he has IBS) has used it for 20+ years without problems. It is also recommended as a preventative here in Sweden for people with IBS-D and it's prescribed for daily use. I seriously doubt they'd do that if everyone developed a tolerance for it. The stronger types of opioids used have a risk of people developing a tolerance and becoming addicted but the constipating effect always remains according to the articles I have read. Imodium has not been found to give problems with developed tolerance in any research study.

If Imodium has lost it's effect for some of you then it can apparently happen, but please don't make it sound like that always has to happen.

In my case for example loperamide is a life-saver. I couldn't have a normal life without it. I do Heather's diet, I use a SFS, I try to exercise at least taking a daily walk, I drink peppermint tea and anise-fennel-cumin tea. I make sure I get 8+ hours of sleep every night, I do yoga, I meditate and pray, I try to relax as much as possible.

It isn't enough! I need the loperamide to be able to have a life. I started taking loperamide in the fall of 2005. I started with 2 pills per day. However that didn't give me enough margins so in Feb. 2006 I started taking 4/day and I have stuck to that dose since then and have even had to go back to 2/day for periods here and there because my bowels got to slow.

For those of you who developed tolerance, how long did it take? And after you stopped taking it did the tolerance go away and if so after how long?

Loperamide is like I said, my life-saver and without it I would not be able to have a normal life at all. I also have problems with my sphincter due to a paralysis disease I had as a child and I'm in the process of getting help with that. Having a positive outlook is crucial for me to have a good life. And I get so scared every time I read bad stuff about Imodium. For me it's a miracle drug. When my bowels are slow I get no D, no bloating and almost no pain whatsoever. If my IBS got really bad again and I didn't have a medicine that worked I'd be forced to have a colostomy to be able to leave my apartment and even then I'd be sick. When my IBS was at it's worst before I got stable with loperamide et.c. I got D and cramps and pain and was so nauseous that just looking at food triggered my gag reflex and I had to focus on my breathing and try to relax to not have to go throw up. I do not want to be that ill again - EVER!!!

So, please even if you share your own experiences try not to be too negative. I don't want to lose my positive outlook.

/Ulrika, IBS-D

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