How Long Does It Take Imodium to Work?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Imodium WorksWhat Not to Take With ImodiumWhen Will Imodium Start Working?How Long Will Imodium Last?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Imodium Works

What Not to Take With Imodium

When Will Imodium Start Working?

How Long Will Imodium Last?

Imodium may start to relieve diarrhea in less than one hour, reaching its peak therapeutic effect within two and a half hours of taking liquid Imodium, and five hours of taking an Imodium capsule.

By doing so, loperamide slows down the movement of food through the gut and reduces the speed and frequency ofcoloncontractions. This gives your bowel more time to absorb water,electrolytes, and other nutrients from your intestines, adding bulk and firmness to the stool.

Imodium may interact with certain drugs, foods, and beverages. These interactions can increase the risk of side effects and heart rhythm problems. Do not take with:

It’s best to check with your healthcare provider or a pharmacist before starting any medication if you are concerned about possible interactions.

Imodium doesn’t stop diarrhea immediately, but you may experience symptom relief within an hour of taking the medication.

Loperamide levels in your bloodstream are at their highest two and a half hours after ingesting liquid Imodium, and five hours after ingesting an Imodium capsule. Imodium reaches its peak effectiveness around these times.

How Much Imodium Should I Take?Imodium Dosing:Adults and children 12 years or older: 4 milligrams (mg) (2 tablets) after the first loose bowel movement, then 2 mg (1 tablet) after each subsequent loose stool. Do not use more than 8 mg (4 tablets) in 24 hours.Children 9 to 11 years (60 to 95 pounds): 2 mg (1 tablet) after the first loose bowel movement, then 1 mg (one-half tablet) after each subsequent loose stool. Do not use more than 6 mg (3 tablets) in 24 hours.Children 6 to 8 years (48 to 59 pounds): 2 mg (1 tablet) after the first loose stool, then 1 mg (one-half tablet) after each subsequent loose stool.  Do not use more than 4 mg (2 tablets) in 24 hours.

How Much Imodium Should I Take?

Imodium Dosing:Adults and children 12 years or older: 4 milligrams (mg) (2 tablets) after the first loose bowel movement, then 2 mg (1 tablet) after each subsequent loose stool. Do not use more than 8 mg (4 tablets) in 24 hours.Children 9 to 11 years (60 to 95 pounds): 2 mg (1 tablet) after the first loose bowel movement, then 1 mg (one-half tablet) after each subsequent loose stool. Do not use more than 6 mg (3 tablets) in 24 hours.Children 6 to 8 years (48 to 59 pounds): 2 mg (1 tablet) after the first loose stool, then 1 mg (one-half tablet) after each subsequent loose stool.  Do not use more than 4 mg (2 tablets) in 24 hours.

Imodium Dosing:

Adults and children 12 years or older: 4 milligrams (mg) (2 tablets) after the first loose bowel movement, then 2 mg (1 tablet) after each subsequent loose stool. Do not use more than 8 mg (4 tablets) in 24 hours.

Children 9 to 11 years (60 to 95 pounds): 2 mg (1 tablet) after the first loose bowel movement, then 1 mg (one-half tablet) after each subsequent loose stool. Do not use more than 6 mg (3 tablets) in 24 hours.

Children 6 to 8 years (48 to 59 pounds): 2 mg (1 tablet) after the first loose stool, then 1 mg (one-half tablet) after each subsequent loose stool.  Do not use more than 4 mg (2 tablets) in 24 hours.

A single dose of loperamide has a half-life of approximately 11 hours with a range of nine to 14 hours. This means that it takes about 11 hours for your body to eliminate 50% of one loperamide dose from your system.

It takes five half-lives for 97% of a drug to be eliminated from your system.Thus, a single dose of loperamide should stay active in your body for up to 55 hours, relieving diarrhea for up to three days.

Is it OK to Use Immodium Every Day?No. Imodium is intended as a short-term medication to treat diarrhea. You should not use it for more than two days in a row. If your diarrhea continues beyond that, stop taking Imodium and contact your healthcare provider.

Is it OK to Use Immodium Every Day?

No. Imodium is intended as a short-term medication to treat diarrhea. You should not use it for more than two days in a row. If your diarrhea continues beyond that, stop taking Imodium and contact your healthcare provider.

Summary

6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.IMODIUM.Johnson & Johnson Limited (UK).Who can use Imodium?Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.How IMODIUM (Loperamide) Products Work: Dosage, Side Effects, Ingredients.Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.Imodium.Clarke W, Marzinke M.Basic pharmacokinetics.Contemp Pract Clin Chem. 2020 Jun;4(1):895-904. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-815499-1.00050-8Food & Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: FDA warns about serious heart problems with high doses of the antidiarrheal medicine loperamide (Imodium), including from abuse and misuse. Published January 2018.

6 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.IMODIUM.Johnson & Johnson Limited (UK).Who can use Imodium?Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.How IMODIUM (Loperamide) Products Work: Dosage, Side Effects, Ingredients.Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.Imodium.Clarke W, Marzinke M.Basic pharmacokinetics.Contemp Pract Clin Chem. 2020 Jun;4(1):895-904. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-815499-1.00050-8Food & Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: FDA warns about serious heart problems with high doses of the antidiarrheal medicine loperamide (Imodium), including from abuse and misuse. Published January 2018.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Food and Drug Administration.IMODIUM.Johnson & Johnson Limited (UK).Who can use Imodium?Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.How IMODIUM (Loperamide) Products Work: Dosage, Side Effects, Ingredients.Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.Imodium.Clarke W, Marzinke M.Basic pharmacokinetics.Contemp Pract Clin Chem. 2020 Jun;4(1):895-904. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-815499-1.00050-8Food & Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: FDA warns about serious heart problems with high doses of the antidiarrheal medicine loperamide (Imodium), including from abuse and misuse. Published January 2018.

Food and Drug Administration.IMODIUM.

Johnson & Johnson Limited (UK).Who can use Imodium?

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.How IMODIUM (Loperamide) Products Work: Dosage, Side Effects, Ingredients.

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.Imodium.

Clarke W, Marzinke M.Basic pharmacokinetics.Contemp Pract Clin Chem. 2020 Jun;4(1):895-904. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-815499-1.00050-8

Food & Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: FDA warns about serious heart problems with high doses of the antidiarrheal medicine loperamide (Imodium), including from abuse and misuse. Published January 2018.

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