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Loperamide

Medication antidiarrhoeal digestive
Aka: Imodium, Lomide
Brands seen in Singapore: Imodium, Eldoper, Colodium, Loramide, Vacontil
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Short-term diarrhoea · IBS diarrhoea diagnosed by a doctor
When to take
Label: no more than 8 capsules in any 24 hour period
Take with
Liquid · with or without food
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: usually eases diarrhoea within about 1 hour
  • Sold in SG pharmacies without a prescription
  • SG label: makes stools more solid and less frequent
Cons
  • Over the label max can cause serious heart problems
  • Not for bloody stools, fever or antibiotic diarrhoea
  • NHS: not past 48 h without talking to a doctor
Sources
  1. NHS medicines A–Z — About loperamide (brand name: Imodium), page last reviewed 10 April 2024 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Loperamide is a medicine to treat diarrhoea (runny poo). It can help with short-term diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) … Loperamide works by slowing down food as it goes through your gut”
  2. NHS medicines A–Z — About loperamide, Key facts · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Loperamide usually starts to make your diarrhoea better within 1 hour. If you buy loperamide … do not take it for more than 48 hours without talking to a doctor … Too much loperamide can cause serious heart problems”
  3. NHS medicines A–Z — How and when to take loperamide · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The recommended maximum dose in 24 hours is: 6 capsules or tablets, if you buy loperamide from a shop or a pharmacy; 8 … if you have a prescription … You can take loperamide with or without food”
  4. NHS medicines A–Z — Who can and cannot take loperamide, Who can take loperamide · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Loperamide is available to buy without a prescription for: anyone aged 12 years or over with short-term diarrhoea; adults … with short-term diarrhoea caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but only if a doctor has diagnosed IBS”
  5. NHS medicines A–Z — Who can and cannot take loperamide, Who may not be able to take loperamide · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Do not take loperamide if you: have severe diarrhoea after taking antibiotics; are having a flare-up of an inflammatory bowel condition … Talk to your doctor … if you have liver problems … blood in your poo and a high temperature”
  6. NHS medicines A–Z — Taking loperamide with other medicines and herbal supplements · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking: clozapine … ritonavir … quinidine … other medicines for diarrhoea, constipation … Speak to your doctor if your diarrhoea is very severe and you take metformin … or medicines for high blood pressure or heart failure”
  7. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Loperamide, medication information leaflet, article last reviewed 01 July 2026 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Loperamide is used to treat diarrhoea. It works by slowing down the movement of stools in your bowels … Inform your healthcare professional if … You have any heart conditions, including those associated with irregular heart rhythm or liver disease”
  8. Singapore National Drug Formulary — IMODIUM CAPSULE 2 MG [SIN06212P] product information (indication, dosing, forensic classification), last updated 28 July 2026 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “IMODIUM® is used to treat diarrhea. IMODIUM® makes the stools more solid and less frequent … The capsules should be taken with liquid … But: Do not take more than 8 capsules in any 24 hour period! … Forensic Classification PHARMACY ONLY MEDICINES”
  9. Singapore National Drug Formulary — IMODIUM CAPSULE 2 MG [SIN06212P], Contraindications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Do not give IMODIUM® 2MG CAPSULE to children under 2 years. Do not use IMODIUM® 2MG CAPSULE: If there is blood in your stools or you have a high temperature; If you have inflammation of the lower bowel”
  10. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084, managed by Health Sciences Authority, last updated 7 Aug 2026), Forensicclassification column · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “IMODIUM CAPSULE 2 mg | SIN06212P | Pharmacy Only — all 7 single-ingredient oral loperamide products in the register are Pharmacy Only (ELDOPER, COLODIUM, LORAMIDE, VACONTIL, ABYDIUM capsules; LORPA SYRUP 1mg/5ml) (pulled via datastore_search API, 27 Aug 2026)”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.