What is Loperamide Hydrochloride? You will find an exhaustive answer to the question posed in the materials of the presented article. In addition, we will tell you in detail about how to take this medicine, in what cases and in what dosage.
General information
Loperamide hydrochloride is a symptomatic drug that is very commonly used to treat acute and chronic diarrhea. Such a drug is dispensed without a doctor's prescription and is sold in almost every pharmacy at a very reasonable price.
Pharmacological action
The drug "Loperamide hydrochloride", the instructions for which are enclosed in a cardboard package, reduces the motility and tone of the smooth muscles of the intestine, and also inhibits the peristalsis of this organ, significantly increasing the time it takes to pass its contents. Thus, the presented medication has an antidiarrheal effect. It should be noted that the drug "Loperamide hydrochloride"starts to work very quickly. After taking this drug by mouth, the therapeutic effect lasts approximately 4-6 hours.
Pharmacokinetics
This medication is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract rather poorly (about 40%). Due to the high similarity with the receptors of the intestinal walls, as well as the high degree of biological transformation during the first passage through the liver, the plasma level of the unchanged component after taking 2 mg of the agent (1 capsule) is less than 2 ng / ml. The maximum concentration of the active substance after using the solution is reached after about 2.5 hours, and after the capsules - after 5 hours. Plasma protein binding occurs in 97%. This drug is metabolized in the liver and partly excreted in the urine, in the form of conjugates with bile, and also along with faeces.
Medication release form and composition
Loperamide hydrochloride, the use of which is described below, is marketed as:
- Substance-powder for solution preparation.
- 2 mg tablets that fit into a carton of 50, 30, 20 or 10 pieces.
- 2mg capsules in packs of 30, 20 or 10.
- Gelatin hard capsules of yellow color, which contain a white powder with the active ingredient - loperamide hydrochloride. Each such capsule contains 2 mg of the active substance. In addition, the presented drug contains in its composition and auxiliary components: talc, corn starch, lactose, magnesiumstearate and colloidal silicon dioxide. Gelatin capsules are sold in a carton of 20 or 10 pieces.
Where else is the active ingredient loperamide hydrochloride found? The use of this substance in pharmacology allows the production of such drugs as Imodium and Diara. However, its percentage in these preparations is much less than in the above medication.
The drug "Loperamide hydrochloride": what is it intended for?
According to the instructions, this drug is required to be taken in the following cases:
- To normalize stool during ileostomy.
- In case of impaired metabolism and intestinal absorption, which are caused by a sharp and dramatic change in diet or habitual food composition (for example, during a diet, while traveling).
- As an adjuvant for infectious diarrhea.
- As a symptomatic treatment for acute or chronic diarrhea (allergic, radiation, drug or emotional origin).
Contraindications to the use of medication
When should Loperamide (tablets) not be used? The instructions for this medication state that it is not recommended for use when:
- intestinal obstruction;
- diarrhea due to dysentery, acute pseudomembranous enterocolitis or other organ infectionsGIT;
- diverticulosis;
- acute ulcerative colitis;
- hypersensitivity.
It should also be noted that such antidiarrheal drugs for children should be prescribed only from the age of 4. In addition, according to the instructions, Loperamide is contraindicated in the 1st trimester of pregnancy and during lactation. With extreme caution, this drug is prescribed for liver failure.
Drug "Loperamide hydrochloride": instructions for use
Tablets and capsules of this drug must be taken orally without chewing. The dosage of such a drug depends on the severity of the disease and the age of the patient.
For adults with acute diarrhea, the first dose is 4mg followed by 2mg after each bowel movement (if the stool is still loose).
For chronic diarrhea, the first dosage should be 2mg. Maintenance therapy for adults should be built so that the patient's stool frequency is 1 or 2 times a day. The maximum daily dosage is 16 mg.
The therapeutic effect of taking this drug develops within 48 hours. If, for 2-4 days, using up to 16 mg of the drug every day, it is not possible to achieve the desired result, then you should definitely consult a doctor who will reconsider his diagnosis. The use of the drug can be repeated, but only if the specific treatment or diet does not normalize the stool.
As for children, such a drug should be prescribed only from the age of 4. Its dosage also depends on the age of the patient and the severity of the disease.
Children from 4 to 7 years of age should be given the drug 3-4 times a day, 1 mg. The duration of therapy is 3 days. Children from 7 to 12 years old are prescribed 1 tablet four times a day for 5 days. In acute diarrhea, the initial dosage for babies should be 1 capsule. The maximum daily dose for babies is 8 mg.
If a child has loose stools after each act of defecation for a long time, then each time he should be given 1 capsule, but not more than 6 mg per 20 kg of body weight per day. If the baby does not go to the toilet for more than 12 hours, and also after the normalization of the stool, it is recommended to stop taking the presented medication.
Drug overdose
In case of an overdose of this drug, the patient may experience the following deviations:
- disturbances in coordination of movements;
- pupil constriction;
- stupor;
- drowsy;
- increased skeletal muscle tone;
- intestinal obstruction;
- oppressed breathing.
For the treatment of such pathological conditions, doctors very often use the drug "Naloxone" with simultaneous symptomatic therapy.
Side effects
It should be especially noted that after the use of the drug "Loperamide hydrochloride" patients may experience various side effects. Especially often they appear with prolonged use of the drug. So, the presented drug can cause the following side effects:
- flatulence;
- electrolyte disorders;
- vomit;
- intestinal colic;
- dizziness;
- gastralgia;
- nausea;
- hypovolemia;
- drowsy;
- dry mouth.
In young children, this drug most often causes abdominal discomfort, as well as skin rashes. Very rarely, the drug "Loperamide hydrochloride" can contribute to urinary retention or intestinal obstruction.
If after 2 days these phenomena do not disappear, and the patient does not feel better, then you should definitely consult a doctor who should prescribe another (similar) drug. If such a drug does not help you, then it is better to get checked for the presence of an infection that caused diarrhea.
Drug Interactions
According to the instructions, with the simultaneous use of the drugs "Loperamide hydrochloride" and "Colestyramine", the effectiveness of the first may decrease. If you need to use this drug with Co-trimoxazole or Ritonavir, you should know that its bioavailability is significantly increased.
Special Instructions
Loperamide hydrochloride should be taken with extreme caution in liver failure. It is also not recommended to use it in such clinical situations when it is necessaryinhibition of intestinal motility. In the absence of the proper therapeutic effect 2 days after the use of this drug, it is advisable to clarify the diagnosis with a doctor and exclude the infectious genesis of diarrhea.
