Feeling hesitant to take an over-the-counter drug because I know I will develop dependency...do you have any advice?

If you can don’t take it, it’s simple as that.

Perhaps avoid eating meat and/or greasy foods before you have to travel and will be unable to use the loo for prolonged periods.

Beyond that, you have to make a quality-of-life decision. Which is more important to you… being independent of meds, or being able to travel at will?

BTW, I usually pop an Imodium or two before a flight across the pond or long car trip, just for peace of mind. I see its availability as a modern convenience, not unlike mobile phones and iPods that make our lives more convenient and pleasurable.

I really hate the idea for myself of having to take any medication for the rest of my life, so I empathasize with your reluctance.

Are you sure you can’t overcome the primary problem? I realize you have medical problems and it might seem impossible. I had bad diarrhea due to what seemed like very bad lactose intolerance for years. Diagnosed by some doc as IBS, others as an allergy, whatever. I know your situation is much different and more complex. Anyway, after years of running to the bathroom after consuming dairy I took some mega mega antibiotics for something unrelated, and my lactose intolerance went away completely. I did also take some probiotics during the time, but I truly think the antibiotics are what did the trick.

My point of that story is you never know when certain medical conditions will get better, even when there seems to be no hope. Sometimes they cure when you are treating something else.

Having said all of that, I think if I were you I would continue to take the immodium if my only withdrawal was feeling like shit for a few days. If the medicine actually makes my digestive system dependent I would be much more reluctant. My analogy would be taking anticonstipation drugs that work on motility, the body can get accustomed to the drug, and it becomes impossible to go the bathroom without beng drugged up.

@HungryGuy It’s not just when I travel though…it is all the time.

@JLeslie It’s still possible that my absorption will improve, but there isn’t a whole lot of hope for it clearing up completely out of the blue because I have had my colon removed. My body simply can’t absorb water very well. Unfortunately I don’t know the full extent of Imodium’s impact on the body. From what I could tell, I was just feeling crummy when I withdrew, but you still don’t know for sure what’s going on inside there. I do know that it was fairly easy to wean off of it (this time) so I guess if I ever had reason to really want to do so, I could always quit again.

It’s a bit of a give and take situation but I think I’m just going to have to take the stuff. I get kidney stones too, so if my water absorption is really poor, that’ll be an issue.

@Mariah I see. I don’t know much about options after having your colon removed. You might be stuck. Have you tried any of the groups out there for people with your same situation, to see if people who have lived without their colon for many years have other things they have done to address the problem? I certainly would not only rely on a doctor or two and their opinions. If it does come down to the only way to feel more nomral is to take the Immodium, I think you should feel ok with it. Being addicted is not the worst thing. It isn’t an addiction that negatively impacts your ability to maintain relationships or accomplish your goals. People use and abuse caffeine and we complete accept it in our society. It affects our arteries, digestive system, sleep centers, and withdrawal sucks, but the majority of America daily consumes the stuff to feel normal.

Yeah, I participate in a forum for people who have had this surgery, and many of them have lived without their colons for decades. But what’s odd is that most of them have taken Imodium as needed over long periods of time, but have never experienced withdrawal effects. I think because I am a really little person it might be hitting me harder than your average person? Anyway, the trouble with that is that no one on the forum has been able to help because it doesn’t have the same effect on them, some of them wouldn’t even believe me when I said that I had had withdrawal. But yeah, I don’t think having the dependency will really harm me, it’s just the principle of the thing that is bothering me, I guess.

@Mariah I believe you. Especially if you have had the withdrawal happen more than once. I assume you have tried to figure out the minimum effective dose you can take? Adult doses are usually based on 180 pound men, so women, especially petit women get overdosed all the time on tons of medications.

@JLeslie Hah, well it’s kind of funny (in a depressing sort of way) because my weight actually falls into the range of “children 9–11 years” in the dosing information on the back of the bottle, and they recommend only up to 3 capsules per day. My doctor said I could take up to 8 in a day. That’s standard for us colonless folks. I don’t think I’ll have quite as much trouble with it ever again because for the 5 months that I had my ostomy I was really needing the stuff and I was usually taking 8 every day. It was when I tried to cut down from that that I really had withdrawal. Now I only need one maybe every other day. So definitely it’s possible that I won’t get so dependent this time. Thanks. :)

If you need immodium for a long term basis, what’s the worry? Dependent or not, it sounds like you have to take it . . .

@Mariah Doses for OTC can be much lower than at prescription doses, but your doc was giving probably a prescription dose or upper linit he gives to all his adult patients, even the fat ones. :). Like I frequently take 600mg ibuprofen for bad muscle pain or during high fever with illness, and the OTC dose is 400 for adults. The script does comes in either 600 or 800, and is commonly prescribed. I know three petit women persinally who have bad side effects on 400mg of ibuprofen and I find it surprising, but I believe them.

My mother has and my sister had chronic diarrhea. They take (took) immodium every day with no ill effects. My mother is now 87.

Since I have the family tendency of bowels turning to water at the drop of a hat, I carry some in my purse. I am lucky that I don’t have to take it all the time, but I would if I needed it.

@mrrich724 Yep, I probably don’t have much of a choice, and it’s silly to worry about things you can’t control. But I do it anyway… :)

@JLeslie Yeah, 8 a day was probably way too much for me. Hopefully it’ll be a nonissue now that I’m taking a much more reasonable amount.

@marinelife That’s reassuring, thanks. I do know a lot of people who haven’t had any of the same effects from Imodium that I have had, but I was taking silly huge amounts.

Please correct me if I am wring but isn’t rice a natural immodium? eat lots of plain rice, not that exciting but will certainly help things. when I was living on rice in madagascar I would live for days when I could have coconut (does the opposite). I know you said dietary changes may not help but I cant see someone getting addicted to eating lots of plain rice as its really not the greatest meal but will make you more comfortable at least!
Immodium isnt that dangerous to become dependent on really though is it? maybe try eating rice with every meal and then maybe that will help for you to take less immodium when you do need it?

@bongo Yeah, one of the dietary suggestions for people who have had their colons removed is to eat lots of complex carbs. I do try to do that, and it does do the job to an extent, but isn’t a total fix. But good point, maybe if I eat a whole lot I won’t need the pills as often. Thanks for the suggestion!

I don’t think it’s very dangerous to be dependent on Imodium, but I can’t say for sure. It is an opiate, surprisingly enough. I know I sure felt like crap when I was withdrawing.

Wow, eating more rice is surely a much better alternative than taking Immodium. Rice is to Asian people what bread is to Europeans so nothing wrong at all with just going Asian when it comes to eating.

I take a few Immodiums with me wherever I go to prevent horrendous emergency situations like my stomach suddenly demanding that I sit down on a toilet now, otherwise my butt would self-destruct in 10 seconds. I then look around and realize I’m in a subway train. If I don’t have an Immodium to pop in right then and there, omigod…noooo-!

Bananas and cheese will also bung you up.

I had no idea about imodium in that way. Thanks for the info.

I don’t see why’d you would have a problem with becoming dependant on something you’re dependant on anyway.

Well, I do, its the principle, obviously, addiction is intellectually abhorrent…
but just think of it like food, for example.

Even if I didn’t need to eat, I would never stop, I’m completely addicted to it. And I feel completely justified in my addiction, because eating food also happens to be a medical necessity for me. Now, like with any addiction, eating to excess would be a problem, but I generally don’t eat too much more than is necessary to live in good health and comfort, and I think you’ll be able to do the same with your immodium.

If you think about it, you’re probably dependant on shoes to walk outside. Just try taking them off and experiencing the months of withdrawals it will take before your feet can cope on their own. That’s just one another addiction. When you realise the degree to which you are already dependant on so many other natural products and artificial contrivances, you will have less of a problem accepting that modern medicine is one of them.

As you said, it is not a matter of temptation or pleasure, it is a matter of medical necessity.

As long as your doctor and pharmacist have assured you that there is no real harm in taking Imodium, you might want to look at the dependency aspect of it in another way. I, for instance, have a hereditary high triglycerides level (as does my Mom, Dad does not) so we have to take cholesterol meds, or risk the heart disease that runs rampant on both sides of my family tree. Two of my relatives are diabetics, so they have to take insulin for the rest of their lives. Most of my older relatives have arthritis and have to take NSAIDS on a regular basis. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that these meds exist, because if they didn’t, we would all be doomed. Maybe not doomed but we would all feel yuckier and would have to stay home all the time.

So try looking at these meds as you would with food and water and air, just something that you need on a regular basis to stay alive. And in your case, to lead a more normal life, where you’re not sitting on the potty all the time. That’s all. : )

@The_Idler @Kardamom Good suggestions, thanks. This shouldn’t be sucha mental shift for me – before surgery, when I was sick, I was dependent on MUCH scarier, much more harmful drugs in order to stay healthy. I feel so fortunate that I get to count such itty bitty things like this as my concerns, these days.

Rachael, I am aware of your situation and here is some advice from an oldie person.

Applesauce works for me in a big way. If apples ever become addictive, I am in trouble.

I have a serving of applesauce at least once a day.

We can talk more in private, if you wish. jp

@john65pennington I thought apples do the opposite?

JLeslie, not for me. I am lucky to have a laxative provided by Mother Nature that works.

@john65pennington Right, apples are laxatives, that’s what I was saying.

@Mariah Since you are such a small person, you could ask your doctor to have a compounding pharmacy fix a dose up for you up with the active ingredients in Immodium for your weight, or better yet, ask them if you can get the same thing in a liquid form. That way, you can adjust the dose to fit your needs at the time.

I think when you have a chronic medical condition and there is a drug that will help you deal with it, you have to accept that you need to use it. It sucks that you have this condition but I wouldn’t focus on the idea of dependency.

I’m on my iPhone so in short, it’s fine as long as you don’t have active colitis. And since your colitis is now in a pathology lab don’t worry about it.

@snowberry This is a great idea, however since I was taking 8 pills a day before, I think I already have small enough increments; taking 1 pill now and then should do the job. Thanks for helping out.

@janbb Certainly. It’s actually a testament to how far I’ve come that this is bothering me. I used to be on much, much scarier meds. I guess before it never felt like a choice, I just really needed the medication, and now it’s not so dire. Thanks for your reassurance.

@Rarebear Thanks for weighing in. I once took Imodium with active colitis (my doctor told me to try it and see what happens), that was one scary night. My colitis is in a pathology lab, love it.