Loperamide Hydrochloride 2mg Capsules

Loperamide is a very efficient way to treat the foul symptoms brought on by diarrhoea and is equally as convenient because there is no need for a prescription to buy a pack. Because loperamide comes in the form of pills, they are effortless to use so when you are in need, you can get them whenever you like. 

Loperamide can be purchased from most online pharmacies and come in packs of 6, 8, 10, 12, and 30 capsules, so if you need them, you can them asap, knowing that you are in no need for a prescription.

Feel free to speak to medical professionals at Click Pharmacy if you need further advice on how to use the medication or if it right for you. 

Before any use, it is not recommended that you give this medicine to anyone under the age of 12 unless prescribed by your doctor. Loperamide capsules are only for oral use. For adults with acute diarrhoea, take 2 loperamide capsules as soon as possible and one after each time you go to the toilet with diarrhoea, if symptoms remain or have worsened after 48 hours, immediately consult your doctor. Drink plenty of water so you do not dehydrate as diarrhoea can cause a severe loss of body water. 

Loperamide works its wonders by slowing down the activity of the bowels, thus, reducing the speed at which the contents pass through, leaving the food in your body for a more extended period. Doing this allows more water to be adequately absorbed back into your, therefore resulting in firmer stools that pass through at a slower rate.

This entirely depends on how your body reacts to the treatment and symptoms tend to improve clinically after 48 hours. If 10 days have passed and symptoms have not improved or if they have worsened, you should consult your doctor immediately. The dosage depends on the severity of diarrhoea; the usual dosage consists of 2 tablets of 2 mg a day, however, only if instructed by a doctor, you can increase the dosage to 16 mg a day. As the treatment continues, you should gradually lower the dosage. As mentioned previously, do not give this medicine to children under the age of 12 unless prescribed by a doctor. These are the usual dosages given to children; these dosages should not be modified unless recommended by a doctor.

2 to 5 years (13 to 20 kg): First-day dosage schedule: 1 mg orally 3 times a day (3 mg total daily dose). Subsequent daily dosage: 1 mg only after a loose stool, not to exceed 3 mg/day.

6 to 8 years (20 to 30 kg): First-day dosage schedule: 2 mg orally twice a day 2 (4 mg total daily dose). Subsequent daily dosage: 2 mg only after a loose stool, not to exceed 4 mg/day.

9 to 12 years (over 30 kg): First-day dosage schedule: 2 mg orally 3 times a day (6 mg total daily dose). Subsequent daily dosage: 2 mg only after a loose stool, not to exceed 6 mg/day.

Like all medicine, loperamide does have side effects and these undesired symptoms can be categorised into different columns. 

The more common gastrointestinal side effects include constipation, flatulence, nausea, dry mouth, abdominal cramp, colic, vomiting, meteorism, and abdominal pain. The uncommon side effects include abdominal discomfort, upper abdominal pain, and dyspepsia. The rarer side effects are ileus (this includes paralytic ileus), megacolon (including toxic megacolon), and abdominal distension.

The side effects that affect the nervous system include headaches and dizziness as the more common adverse effects. It also has the uncommon side effect of somnolence and the exponentially rarer side effects include loss of consciousness, stupor, depressed level of consciousness, hypertonia, and coordination abnormality.

It also has a rare side effect of fatigue. Also, there is a possibility of overdose, so there is an irresponsible use of this medicine, it may result in death.

Never use this medicine if you are allergic to any of the active or non-active ingredients as this can a dangerous reaction. Do not give this medicine to anyone under the age of 12 unless prescribed by their doctor, however, do not under any circumstance whatsoever, give this medicine to a child under the age of 2 years due to the risks of respiratory depression and cardiac severe adverse reactions. Do not take loperamide if you have severe diarrhoea after taking antibiotics, if you are constipated or your stomach looks swollen or if you are having a flare-up of an inflammatory bowel like ulcerative colitis.

A primary difference between Loperamide and Pepto-bismal is that the latter has a very distinct pink colour, whereas loperamide has a neutral colour.

Another difference between Loperamide and Lomotil is that the former can be bought over the counter, whereas Lomotil can only be bought with a prescription.

Always read the patient information leaflet before starting your treatment. The patient information can be found here.

Content reviewed 06 April 2020, Last updated 06 April 2020