When the digestive system malfunctions, the human body undergoes not the best moments of its life. They begin to annoy diarrhea and reducing pain in the abdomen, accompanied by frequent bowel movements.
No one is safe from the appearance of such symptoms. They can be the result of taking stale food, excitement, stress, temporary changes in the place of residence, which entails a change in the usual food and water, and non-compliance with basic hygiene rules.
To fight such troubles, medicines help modern people. A large number of positive reviews received today such a drug as Imodium. In just a few doses of this medicine, diarrhea stops its development, and the work of the gastrointestinal tract returns to its normal mode of functioning.
Despite the high effectiveness of the Imodium drug, doctors are advised to be careful with its use. Why? Let's get it together.
What is the medicine "Imodium"?
So this is an antidiarrheal agent. The active substance - loperamide - affects intestinal motility, in particular, slows it down, which ultimately contributes to the long passage of undigested food on the way to defecation. In other words, there is a delay in the bowel movement. Due to this effect of the drug on the intestinal wall, it is possible to quickly return the stomach to normal. After taking the drug, spasmodic pain in the abdomen disappears, dehydration is not allowed .
What ailments does Imodium help to cope with?
This medicine is taken if necessary to treat chronic and acute diarrhea, the causes of which are different. Indispensable drug for prescribing to patients with an ileostomy (an opening in the abdominal cavity through which emptying occurs). The main task that this medication effectively copes with is to give the feces a solid consistency. The urge to excrement gradually subside, the walls of the colon and anus become elastic and are able to hold the entire contents of the intestine.
How does the Imodium drug work? Reviews insist that relief occurs within half an hour after taking the medicine.
Forms of release of the drug and features of their administration
The Imodium medicine, reviews of a positive nature that can be heard from those who have ever bothered to use it to eliminate delicate problems, is produced in various modifications.
In pharmacies, you can buy capsules, as well as tablets for resorption and chewing. From the form of release, the essence of the drug does not change.
How to take the medicine "Imodium"? Instructions for use, reviews of patients and doctors focus on the fact that the drug is prescribed inside, regardless of the form of release.
Capsules and lozenges are prescribed for adults and the elderly, as well as children over six years of age. The specific dose of the drug taken depends on the condition of the patient. But chewing pills are suitable for both adults and elderly patients, and children can be prescribed only after twelve years.
Contraindications
The instructions attached to the Imodium preparation, reviews of young mothers and pregnant women indicate that you can’t take this medicine during the period of gestation and during breastfeeding.
This medication is not prescribed for patients who have a pronounced intolerance to the components contained in the composition of this therapeutic agent.
The use of the drug "Imodium" in cases of acute dysentery is unacceptable, when there are signs such as fever and blood discharge in the bowel movements. This medicine is not permitted for acute ulcerative colitis, bacterial enterocolitis, and constipation. In addition, the Imodium tool is not suitable for those who do not tolerate lactose.
Since one of the side effects after taking the drug is a sleeping state, it is unacceptable to control any mechanisms during treatment and prevention of delicate problems. This drug is used with caution in people with impaired liver function.
Important points of using the drug "Imodium"
The interaction of this medicine with other medicines has not been studied. But taking it simultaneously with analogues containing loperamide in its composition can cause complications.
Infrequent, but possible symptoms when using Imodium (reviews also focus on these problems) may include: skin rash, dry mouth, abdominal discomfort, dizziness.
Also side effects of the medicine include: drowsiness, fatigue, distraction. There are reviews about Imodium that suggest that this antidiarrheal can cause nausea, vomiting, bloating and even heartburn. Conditions such as bowel obstruction and constipation are also possible.
Is this drug used to treat children?
As already mentioned above, you can prescribe this drug to patients of preschool age. The medicine is allowed to be taken by a child over six years old.
But doctors today prescribe it for younger children. However, this occurs under the strict supervision of a specialist and only when the diagnosis requires it. The medicine "Imodium" for children is better to take in the form of tablets. Capsules are not all babies can swallow. And chewing pills are intended for middle and older children.
The usual Imodium tablet for children can be crumbled or dissolved in a tablespoon of water for easy swallowing.
The opinion of doctors about the drug
Since defecation is delayed while taking the Imodium medication, this means that the infection that has entered the intestines and the produced toxins are retained in the gastrointestinal tract. For this reason, doctors are not advised to rush to give the child this particular drug. Without knowing the diagnosis, you can only worsen the condition of the patient. Despite the fact that the medicine “Imodium” for children has mostly positive reviews, this point must be taken into account.
The tool itself inhibits the development of intestinal infections, but does not eliminate them. Therefore, many doctors after taking the Imodium drug are advised to drink sorbents, such as activated carbon or Atoxil powder, in order to quickly cleanse the body of harmful substances.
If after one or two tablets the condition has returned to normal, you should not get carried away with further taking the medicine to prevent overdose. Some patients may feel better after a couple of tablets or capsules, and some require complex treatment.
Patient Reviews
To date, the medicine "Imodium" according to statistics is the most effective drug in the fight against diarrhea caused by various microorganisms. In most cases, it is effective, and the result occurs almost fifteen to thirty minutes after taking it. You can not say about other medicines that you often need to drink during the day.
Of course, the advantages of the drug should not distract from its side effects. And this suggests that you should not get too carried away with such a tool.
The largest indicator of the effectiveness of the drug "Imodium" - reviews. With bloating, such a remedy may not help, but cause an even greater reaction. Many negative responses often concern just the same side effects of the medication.
Analogues of the drug
To whom the preparation “Imodium” categorically does not suit or causes side effects, it uses its analogues, which include such medicines as capsules “Lopedium”, “Loperamide”, “Stopoperan” and tablets “Uzara”.
Despite the presence of analogues, it must be understood that they may also not be suitable for certain groups of patients.
Diarrhea is often the result of poor hygiene. Do not eat dirty vegetables and fruits, wash your hands more often, worry less about trifles - and your intestines will not let you down.
Well, children from diarrhea, dysbiosis and bloating are recommended to be treated strictly under the supervision of a doctor, especially if the child is less than six years old. It is often very difficult to determine the problem of disorders of the children's intestines only by external symptoms. To be sure of the right treatment, you need to take tests. Only after this can the problem be radically affected by the appropriate drugs. Binding to one medicine is not appropriate. This is the opinion of specialists to which you need to listen.