Loperamide for IBS Gas Pain: Does It Work?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can range from occasional mild symptoms to more intense long-lasting symptoms. As it has an uncertain cause, no cure exists other than treatments to relieve symptoms. Loperamide is used for the relief of acute and chronic diarrhea.

Condition

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a common gut disorder, affects one in five people. Symptoms vary, the common being pain in the abdomen, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. It affects twice as many women as men, usually starting in the adolescent years or slightly later.

Treatment

• Loperamide only reduces the symptoms of diarrhea, with comparable results to diphenoxylate. It works by slowing the longitudinal smooth muscles of the large intestine, lengthening the amount of time contents remain in the intestine. When marketed as Imodium, loperamide requires a prescription but does not as other brand names.

Misconceptions

• Although loperamide has a chemical relation to morphine and other narcotics, it doesn't relieve pain at any dosage. The lessening of the symptoms of diarrhea may lead the user to believe the medicine also relieves irritable bowel syndrome gas pains. Although unusual, loperamide can in fact bring on abdominal pains as a side effect.