Immodium (Loperamide)

Greetings! Can you take lomotil? I know lomotil works for some and not others and Immodium same thing. I was never able to take as it did nothing for me.

I have asked about lomotil - and all I have been told is 'they're all the same !!'

But I will give that a go

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I have asked about lomotil - and all I have been told is 'they're all the same !!'

Not really true, since imodium/loperamide is a pure anti-diarrheal wherease lomotil has both anti-diarrheal and anti-spasmodic agents (Diphenoxylate which is anti-diarrheal and atropine which is anticholinergic). Those who have temporary ileostomies may have more issues with excessive motility and therefore lomotil would be the better choice.

I am not getting exactly what the problem is, motility or looseness? I don't recall taking either of these drugs when I had the temporary loop ileo. Although in retrospect, I believe that I had excessive motility issues which carried over after takedown, and thereafter resulted in me taking both loperamide and an anti-spasmodic to calm the issue down.

I don't believe the atropine in Lomotil is there for any therapeutic purpose. A subtherapeutic amount of atropine sulfate is present to discourage deliberate overdosage of the diphenoxylate.

Immodium and lomotil are used for the same purpose with jpouches or ileostomies. However, one may work for some and the other may work for others. For me, lomotil did nothing. But immodium worked like a champ.

I have a high output stoma, am on restricted fluids (1 litre rehydration salts + 500mls)

Stoma output is between 1.4 and 1.9 litres of very liquid output. I take buscopan as an anti spasmodic, I have spent 4 of the last 5 months in hospital for one reason or another (infection, dehydration etc) and lost 20kg in weight in the first 10 weeks (am still losing weight, so take high calorie drinks which has slowed weight loss down)
Pouch has a leak so takedown is not yet possible (is it likely that the wateriness of output will continue after takedown?)

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is it likely that the wateriness of output will continue after takedown

It will not be that watery, but it will never be completely formed as when you had a colon, before UC. It will be somewhere in between. Amount of BMs is controllable with loperamide/anti-spasmodics as needed, to where you can likely have 4-6 per day.

goody. What drugs do they have you on to slow down your ileo output? There are many things that can be done. At one time I had a "clinically classified" high output ileo. Massively underweight, dehydration, orthostatic hypotension, anemia, malnourishment.. and all that awful stuff.

I ended up on many drugs and a strict diet/drinking plan to slow down transit and ouput. I was to drink 2.5 liters minimum a day of oral rehydration salts. And drink nothing but that.

The diet/drinking, etc.. were difficult but if I adhered.. it worked very well too. Just wondering what are they doing to help you?

I use to take Loperamide but it stopped being effective. My consultant informed me that your can become immune to that drug making it ineffective. I have been taking Lomotil ever since and think it works better. I take 8 a day, 4 in the morning and 4 in the evening. They are definitely not the same! They can be used to treat/manage similar things.

Jodie

Hello liz11
in answer to your question "Just wondering what are they doing to help you?", very little unfortunately...!

And thank you for your input Jodie - I must get a prescription for the lomotil and give it a try

Jodie:
I have just rang the chemist to see if Lomotil is available over the counter - and been told it isn't - and nor is it available on prescription, as there is a manufacturing problem (they reckon it hasn't been available for a few months...??) Who makes yours?

Are you having any cravings? I did with my temp ileo. I craved baked potatoes, and tropical fruit (ie dole canned tropical fruit in 100% juice) These coupled with gatorade/ water all but cured my fatigue and watery output. Your body will tell you what it needs, in my case it was potassium and vitamin c, oh and lots of carbs.