Loperamide of a number of types of diarrhea. This includes control of acute nonspecific diarrhea, mild traveler's diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic diarrhea due to bowel resection, and chronic diarrhea secondary to inflammatory bowel disease. It is also useful for reducing ileostomy output. Off-label uses for loperamide also include chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, especially related to irinotecan use. Loperamide should not be used as the primary treatment in cases of bloody diarrhea, acute exacerbation of ulcerative colitis, or bacterial enterocolitis. Loperamide is often compared to diphenoxylate. Recent studies suggest that loperamide is more effective and has lower neural side effects. Adverse drug reactions
Loperamide milk, and is not recommended for breast-feeding mothers. Loperamide is a substrate of P-glycoprotein; therefore, the concentration of loperamide will increase when given with a P-glycoprotein inhibitor. Common P-glycoprotein inhibitors include quinidine, ritonavir, and ketoconazole, among others. Loperamide is capable of decreasing the absorption of some other drugs. As an example, saquinavir concentrations can decrease by half when given with loperamide. Loperamide is an antidiarrheal agent which decreases intestinal movement. As such, when combined with other antimotility drugs, the risk of constipation is increased. These drugs include other opioids, antihistamines, antipsychotics, and anticholinergics. Loperamide is an opioid-receptor agonist and acts