20 replies to this topic

[ElisehasIBS]

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I take imodium several times and week and it usually helps but was wondering about lomotil. Is lomotil as prescription? Thanks for any help.

[Nikki]

Lomotil is addictive. the doc won't allow you to take it long term. Afer a few months of percribing it to me he owuldn't give me anymore. How much does that suck. It helped me a lot too. Try something different that can help you long term. Mikes tapes for examle have helped so many people. I am half way through the program now and it has helped me no end.www.ibsaudioprogram.com

[ElisehasIBS]

I'm so embarressed I posted a question and totally forgot where I posted it. Thanks to all who responded I wont let that happen again.

[Oksana]

Lomotil & Imodium do work differently. Imodium is now available OTC and it contains an ANTI-SPASMODIC (stops cramping in the bowel). Now that it's available OTC, you can also get it with GAS-X (anti-gas) in it (which helps stop bloating) and in minty chewable form too!From what I know, Lomotil paralyzes the whole GI tract and Imodium only works on the lower. I haven't taken Lomotil in years, but found that it blocks me up to a constipated feeling until I stop taking them.I take 1 Imodium every morning an hour before my breakfast yogurt. If I am working or traveling I take another Imodium in the afternoon.I also have an RX for NULEV and they are WONDERFUL! An RN galpal whose husband has IBS w/ D turned me onto them. Nulev are minty sublinguals and if I have urgency I take 1-2 and if it continues I take more. The generic form is NOT the same, they don't dissolve & taste chemical. The side effect is dry mouth (big deal).If I'm stressed they are a godsend, as they enable me to leave the apartment and drive to work. I highly recommend the combination of an OTC Imodium w/ Gas-X & 1-2 Nulev.I was traveling in the South Pacific and discovered a new diarrhea medicine... SMECTA that works great. Small packets that you mix into a half-glass of water and take 3x per day. I got hit w/ bad traveler's D (INCREDIBLY BAD cramps & horrible smelling D). A double-doses of Imodium w/ Nulev was not working because of the bacterial parasite that was in my GI tract. But, I had to fly, so I had to stop the D & cramping which had me doubled over and moaning in the bathroom. I took 2 packets of SMECTA a few hours apart and it stopped my D by dawn! I then ate the BRATT diet for the next few days. I also took BACTRIM-DS 2x per day for a week to kill the bacteria and it worked so well the D not only stopped, but I managed my 6th day on Bactrim w/ no Imodium at all.I've found this in the past, that Bactrim (usually Rxed for bladder infections) stops my D. HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS?

[alpaca]

Yes, the rebound. What a nightmare. I tend to have it with both Immodium and Lomotil but as I sometimes take them in combo- I'm not sure which is worse. This isn't too much of a problem if you can plan to be home on your rebound day but what I worry about is when you are on vacation or something and need to stop yourself up for like a week. Anyone have advice on that? How do you contol it when your "special event" lasts more than a few days??

[Patty Lou]

Yes, Lomotil is a prescription and I think it has helped me more than Imodium. I was taking Imodium and it wasn't doing a thing, so after a visit to the ER, and a doctor's appointment, I am now taking Lomotil and it has helped somewhat. All I can say, that for me, it definitely is better. But then everyone is different...but it wouldn't hurt to try it.....anything for relief when you have a bad attack!!!!!Good luck to you....Patty Lou

[ellisa]

I've posted a few messages on this site but never had a reply. Don't you like Aussies? We have IBS too. My doctor actually gives me a prescription for 1000 lomotil at a time (no kidding & I get a government rebate) It helps but I still get D. I take it almost every day (6-8 tabs) & the problem I find is that if I drink water it negates the lomotil. Also I seem to "move away" from the world a bit. My doctor found no contra effects & has no problem giving me the tablets - if you know of any long term effects I would like to know - hate the dry mouth/disfunction effect they have, but at least I can keep going to work.AussieSufferer

[tdellaringa]

I also found the rebound/D effect with Lomotil. I have a prescription of it now but am using Immodium AD when I feel I need something. I like it because it seems to stop me, yet I can still go the next day. I'm freaky about going every day.The lomotil seemed to stop me up for a day or two and then bam, major "catch up" day. It would be either D or just simply going and going and going with cramps. I prefer the Immodium.Tom

[Jayann]

Elise, i also take Lomotil for d. I pretty much take it every morning. I was taking 8 immodium at a time before my GI started me on Lomotil. Now i only take about 1 to 4 a day when having bad attack. I have been on Lomotil about 2 years now.

[3fans8]

I have been on Lomotil for 13 years. With no problems. Thank god the doctor will give them to me there what keeps me going.

[Kitty19HasIBS]

1000 pills of lomotil, good God. Isn't there any rules in your country about limiting???? Every doctor I know here gives a perscription for one month at a time, and if it's before 30 days I cannot get it refilled.

[katz]

my doc prescribed nulev for me. i can take them like 2 tabs 4 times a day if needed for the the "D". today was one of those days that i really needed the help from drugs! needless to say a real ****ty day, ya know!? i took 2 this morning and it really seemed to help. my dr. never said anything about being addictive or anything(this is a form of levisid.). try it who knows it may help cuz, immodium doesn't do it anymore!

[teach8]

i'm with alpaca. please send advice soon so that i can actually look forward to a week visiting my son in san francisco. he has only one bathroom which could create panic moments, plus he loves to go on long walks (with probably not a public bathroom in sight).

[AnneMarie]

I prefer Immodium for the same reasons Tom mentioned. Lomotil stops me up a little too well, and then when the dam finally does burst, it's really awful. Plus, I find that the Lomotil makes me really sleepy. Now, correct me if I'm wrong (someone like Kmottus or MNL), but I believe the two drugs work in different ways. Immodium is a fairly benign drug in that it pretty much just works on the bowel - what I mean is, it goes to the bowel and tells it to slow down. But I think Lomotil crosses the bloodstream and tells the brain something like "hey, slow down the bowels". I think that's one of the reasons the latter makes me so sleepy. Anyway, they both work for different people. My father has an ileostomy and passes almost entirely liquid stool and when it gets out of hand, he swears by Lomotil. Whatever works.

[J_j]

Don't feel bad - I'm in the USA and feel like my computer must type out invisible in here. No one answers and a post I made a mere two days ago is no where to be found....I care - way on the other side of the world, I feel closer to you than my own neighbors as no one knows what this is like if they don't have it. And to make matters worse, it is one cruel, selfish world out there...

[reinnil]

It's funny how meds work on people in different ways. As I mentioned before I have taken Lomotil for 30 yrs. They don't make me sleepy, in fact just the opposite! They seem to give me a spurt of energy. I find that if I take two after my morning BM I can pretty much relax the rest of the day till dinner (unless I eat fried food) Sometimes I will eat something that sets me off but if I take two more Lomotil and lay down for a few minutes that seems to do the trick. If I neglect my morning meds I start running off till noon and don't dare leave the house unless I am sure there will be a bathroom handy! Everyone has to find what works for them. My Dr gives me a prescription for 200 with 3 refills. I have tried everything but always go back to the Lomotil as that works best, overall, for me. My Dr says 'if it ain't broke don't fix it!'30yrs seems to be long enough to test what works.

[MissIBS]

Lomotil works wonders for me. I used to take up to 5 Lomotils, but they did me absolutely no good during my attacks. My attacks are so severe, I get the sweating, nausea, shaking, fainting, weakness, etc. I now take up to 3 Lomotils with a Donatol for my attacks and they help tremendously. The only downside is the tolerance issue. I've been on a bad bout for over a month and haven't been able to kick it. Having to take the Lomotil every day has built up my tolerance, and now 3 don't always take care of an attack completely. My doctor has no trouble prescribing it for me. I've been on it for over a year, and he said that if it's working, than that's what we'll stick with.Good luck!

[Mikala1]

I have found Lomotil to be stronger than Immodium. the only problem is, after I take it for more than 2 days when I go off it I get a major D attack. Now I just take Immodium every day (anywhere from one half up to 2 depending on how I feel or what kind of situation I'm going to be in) and then I don't get rebound D. Anyone else experience rebound diarrhea from lomotil?

[reinnil]

I have been taking Lomitil for 30 years. It is not addictive like painkillers. When I had a colonoscopy the Dr asked me to stop the meds and only take Metamucil for three months. I did return to rely on Lomotil with his okay. In 30yrs I have not taken more than 2 pills a day. Under most circumstances this is adequate. I only take more if I am going out to dinner and know that I am going to drink wine or eat salad. Yes, it is a habit but then so are my BP pills! Find another Doctor. Hope you get some relief, dear

[Kathleen M.]

That type of prescription filling has to do with your INSURANCE not the regulations about how much you can prescribe at once.Many insurance companies only allow 30 days at a time. Mine currently will do 3 months at a time, but that is fairly uncommon.Most docs prescribe how most of the insurance companies ask them to because it is just easier that way.I think the insurance companies just don't want you getting a years supply, and then have you drop coverage right after they pay out. It is a way to keep you paying every month.I have gotten prescriptions refilled before the insurance deadline when I have been going on vacation and taking generics where it didn't cost that much to just pay out of pocket. They could fill them then as long as *I* paid for it.K.