Imodium

[Wiles]

My GI today suggested to take Imodium daily. Has anyone had any experiences to share with this sort of thing? I'm a bit worried that taking it long term might mess with bowel function, not that it's working right at the moment anyway...

I never used imodium much because it had occasionally given me extremely bad cramps.

 

[Jeff D.]

The last time I took it I had horrible constipation. I got a fissure and I was not a happy camper. It may be different for you but I have yet to take it again.

 

[Kev]

Well, it may be urban legend, but I've always been advised to stay as far away from Imodium as possible. Just the fact that it, like many others, work as a major diuretic (sp?)... dehydrating a normal persons intestines to slow any diarrhea... but for us, dehydration is dangerous AND causes intense pain. now, that's just folklore from a totally untrained sole, but i'd move cautiously. Your GI could be right, but it sounds kind of strange to me

 

[katiesue1506]

I was told very strongly DO NOT TAKE IMMODIUM DAILY... unless you have to... like on a trip or a long plane ride or something...

But that was just my GI...

I was told your body can get sort of "addicted" to it. Not like a recreational drug... but more like... like people get addicted to chapstick. It makes your lips feel better so you use it all the time... well Imodium makes your diarrhea go away... so you use it all the time... and then you come to the whole dehydration thing that Kev mentioned. BADBADBAD.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Wiles]

I was surprised when he suggested it. I have no intention of taking it daily. I'll take it when I need to go out, see how it goes.

I wasn't overly pleased with the visit to his office. I went in worried that my Crohn's may be coming back after surgery. I don't think he'd really take notice unless I was very ill. The thing is, I don't want it to get that far again. Oh well. My family doctor is pretty good though, he'd probably send me for tests long before the GI would.

 

[Kev]

Good intentions sometimes take you places you never intended to go. Back in college, I'd leave school at 3:30, report to work at 4. I worked my way thru college driving cab, six nights a week. But, it allowed me to go to school, and even sometimes study at nite by the domelight, pay me bills, all good stuff. Right?

but, driving cab carries some risks. All of those passengers, confined space, trading money back and forth.. I periodically was exposed to/caught every bug on the go. In order to keep working, going to school, not losing my job, I started taking over the counter (OTC) 'non drowsy' cold remedies. Found one that worked great.. took care of my symptoms, let me work, and it even gave me extra energy. Problem is, that even when the bug passed, I felt worse after I stopped taking the OTC drug. Then I rationalized it. It was a respected brand name, it wasnt' prescription strength, and I 'REALLY' felt better while taking it. Long story short, I became addicted to it. What I didn't realize is that a good portion of the drug was a form of speed. That is what gave me the extra energy, that was the addictive part of it. I didn't intentionally become addicted, but you know what they say about good 'intentions'. It may sound laughable to become addicted to an OTC drug.. its' not like its an illegal street drug, and it certainly isn't like an addiction to prescription drugs... but an addiction is an addiction, and long haul, or long hour drivers know that these can be the hardest to break, because they're so available. I could get them at any pharmacy, grocery or convenience store.

 

[FL Wildcat]

Any advice on how to post a new thread. Thanks

 

[Cog]

It has been suggested to me many times and I really did not find it to work + it gave me a headache. I still have them as a back-up, they are not high on the list for being effective for me

 

[Kev]

Hey FL Wildcat.. Well, in an existing thread, either use the Post Reply icon on the left side of the screen, or use the Quick Reply To This Message icon you'll see in the far right corner of each individual post/reply (third of three icons). As to a new thread, just go to whichever section of the forum you want to post in, and you should see a 'New Thread' icon on the left hand side. It will allow a member to post anywhere. There's even an option for anonomous (sp?) posting in two specific areas of the forum for non members. for further info on this, or other aspects, I suggest reading the FAQ section. It's worth reading anyway, as it covers most Frequently Asked Questions... Hence the title FAQ. It's the second option from the left on the top of the forum. hope that helps.

Hey, anyone out there know if the 'odium' in "Imodium" correlates to 'sodium'?

 

[Shoeless]

never has done a bit of good for me

 

[ccarp001]

Immodium doesn't really work for me, and I doubt it's a good idea to take it long-term, at least going by the warnings on the bottle. my doc perscribed Colestid (sp?), and it works well. also, if you have those kinds of concerns about your doc, you may want to consider finding a different one, as the relationship between a Crohnie and their doc is a long-term one! I would def reccomend to find another GI, rather than relying on your GP. they just don't have the amount of specialized knowledge required to treat Crohns, in my opinion.

 

[darthmaul]

imodium

I was using imodium to help my "IBS" diarreha but was told by my doc to stop it because if you have UC it could make it worse.
I am waiting for test results from a colonoscopy I had last week. I am still in alot of pain and still going 10 to 15 times a day.
My specialist thinks i may have microscopic colitis.

anyone else have these symptoms and how have you been treated for it?