Imodium Special Precautions

Treatment of diarrhea with Loperamide HCl is only symptomatic. Whenever an underlying etiology can be determined, specific treatment should be given when appropriate.
In patients with diarrhea, especially in children, fluid and electrolyte depletion may occur. In such cases administration of appropriate fluid and electrolyte replacement therapy is the most important measure.
In acute diarrhea, if clinical improvement is not observed within 48 hours, the administration of Loperamide HCl should be discontinued and patients should be advised to consult their physician.
Patients with AIDS treated with Loperamide HCl for diarrhea should have therapy stopped at the earliest signs of abdominal distension. There have been isolated reports of obstipation with an increased risk for toxic megacolon in AIDS patients with infectious colitis from both viral and bacterial pathogens treated with Loperamide HCl.
Although no pharmacokinetic data are available in patients with hepatic impairment, Loperamide HCl should be used with caution in such patients because of reduced first pass metabolism. This medicine must be used with caution in patients with hepatic impairment as it may result in a relative overdose leading to CNS toxicity.
Effects of driving ability and use of machinery: Tiredness, dizziness, or drowsiness may occur in the setting of diarrheal syndromes treated with Loperamide HCl. Therefore, it is advisable to use caution when driving a car or operating machinery.