quote: 1- How long does it take before it starts to work, instantly, a couple doses..ect ?
Like Susan, about 20 minutes. Depending how bad the D is, sometimes I have to take more. I try to take the smallest effective dose, unless I'm in a situation where there is NO way to go to the bathroom, then I load up and face the consequences if I took too much.
quote: 2- How long does it last, 1 hour, 2 hours...ect ?
Depends on how much I take. I'd say 8-12 hours.
quote:3- Which is better Imodium A-D or Advanced ?
I've never taken Advanced. I think it just has an anti-gas ingredient along with the loperamide (sp?). I take store-brand "Imodium" which doesn't have an advanced version. It's cheaper and just as effective. Walmart usually has the best price of the stores I shop at.
quote: 4- I assume it's not heathly to take it everyday, is this true?
My old GI doc is the only one I've heard say it's not. Countless people on here have shown that it apparently is, and some are prescribed a low dose by their dr to help control it. You can build up a tolerance to Imodium, so I would suggest not taking more than you need. Plus there is the awful Imodium rebound if you take it when you don't need it. More on that later.
quote: 5- 1 more thing, will it make the C worse?
Imodium is to treat D, not C, and I think it works by slowing/stopping the motility of your gut. So yes, it would probably make C much worse.Now, about that Imodium rebound I mentioned. Others on here have mentioned they get this too. When I take enough Imodium that it stops me up good, often I'll get a rebound attack the next day when it wears off. I get worse cramping than I usually do when it's not a rebound thing. Then when I finally start going, first it's solid (from when the imodium was acting on my intestines) and that stuff shoots out, reopening or aggravating my fissure. It's solid poop that comes out with the force of non-so-solid poop because guess what's behind it? A cramping, spasming intestine and soft poop! So soft is next, then eventually it's just liquid. I hate those rebound attacks. A normal attack is much less unpleasant for me. I've found that Imodium is most effective and I'm the most comfortable if I wait to take it until the first wave of D comes out. If I don't wait and just take the imodium, it hurts. If I wait, I'm fine. Anyhow, I take the smallest dose I can to stop the D for the next few hours at least. I have IBS-D. If you alternate between C and D, you will be far more susceptible to rebound attacks, I think. And if you're C, it's not the drug for you. If you can tell us a lttle more about yor symptoms, we may be able to help more
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