Every mother faces diarrhea in a child. The cause of such a problem is stale food, allergy to a certain product, viral infection, strong feelings, change of diet, long trip and many other factors.
For children, frequent loose stools are much more dangerous than for their mothers and fathers, because it provokes dehydration, which develops very quickly in childhood.
Therefore, when diarrhea appears, first of all, special solutions are used to restore the waste of minerals and liquids. They are called rehydration solutions.
However, in some cases it is necessary to resort to antidiarrheal drugs. One of the very popular representatives of the group of such funds is Imodium. Is it possible to give it to a child when this medication is contraindicated and what, if necessary, can replace it?
Release form
The medication is represented by tablets that dissolve in the oral cavity. They are round and almost white in color. One blister contains 6 or 10 such tablets, and one cardboard box can contain 6, 10 or 20 tablets.
Composition
The main ingredient in Imodium, due to which the drug has a therapeutic effect on diarrhea, is loperamide. Each tablet contains such a substance in a dose of 2 mg and is supplemented with aspartame, sodium bicarbonate, mannitol, as well as gelatin and mint flavor. These excipients provide the drug with a sweet mint flavor, firm shape and quick dissolution in the mouth.
Operating principle
Loperamide has the ability to bind to opiate receptors located in the intestinal walls. This binding prevents the release of prostaglandins and acetylcholines, which affects peristalsis. As a result of this action, the evacuation function of the digestive tract is inhibited, and the time for the passage of food masses through the intestines will lengthen. In addition, the medication affects the anal sphincter, increasing its tone. This leads to a blockage of urge to use the toilet and a decrease in fecal incontinence.
Indications
The main reason for taking Imodium is diarrhea. The drug is prescribed for both an acute condition and chronic diarrhea, the provoking factors of which are irritable bowel syndrome, stress, rotavirus, diet disturbances, intolerance to a particular product, allergies, gastroenteritis, and so on.
From what age is it allowed to take?
Imodium should not be given to children under 6 years old, and doctors prescribe this medicine with caution to a child aged 6-12 years. Buying pills for a daughter or son on their own and treating diarrhea with them without consulting a pediatrician can be dangerous to the health of a little patient.
Contraindications
The drug is not prescribed:
- If a child has an intolerance to loperamide or any other ingredient in the medicine.
- If the doctor has diagnosed dysentery, salmonellosis, or other intestinal infection.
- If there is a suspicion of intestinal obstruction or such a dangerous pathology has already been identified in the child.
- If a small patient develops acute ulcerative colitis or has diverticulosis.
- If the cause of diarrhea is taking antibiotics.
In no case should a medication be given to children who, in addition to diarrhea, have an increase in body temperature or blood is present in their feces. In addition, special attention of the doctor requires the appointment of Imodium to children with impaired liver function.
Side effects
Due to the intake of Imodium, it is possible that:
- Constipation.
- Intestinal colic.
- Skin rashes.
- Abdominal distention.
- Discomfort in the abdomen.
- Nausea.
- Increased fatigue.
- Abdominal pain.
- Vomiting.
- Dry mouth.
- Tingling or burning sensations in the tongue.
- Dizziness.
- Sleepiness.
In rare cases, the medication causes intestinal obstruction or urinary retention. If at least one of these symptoms appears, the use of Imodium is immediately stopped. It is recommended to refuse taking the drug even in the absence of a therapeutic effect within two days.
Instructions for use and dosage
- It is necessary to remove the pill from the package very carefully, since the drug is fragile. It is not recommended to squeeze it through foil.
- Imodium is taken orally, asking the child to put the pill on the tongue. In just a few seconds, the medicine dissolves and the patient easily swallows it with saliva. You do not need to take a medication.
- For acute diarrhea, a child over 6 years of age is given 1 tablet and then repeated after each bowel movement if the stool is still loose. As soon as the consistency of the feces is compacted, the drug is stopped. Discontinue the medication if there is no stool for 12 hours or longer.
- In chronic diarrhea, treatment begins with one tablet per day. Further, the doctor adjusts the dosage individually, focusing on the frequency of the stool (there should be 1-2 bowel movements per day). The maintenance dose of the drug can be from one to six tablets.
- The maximum dosage of the drug per day for children is calculated by the patient's body weight. For every 20 kilograms of mass, it is permissible to give a maximum of 3 tablets of Imodium, but the dose should not exceed 8 tablets per day, which corresponds to 16 mg of loperamide per day.
- It is important not to forget that Imodium is only a symptomatic medicine, therefore, the cause of the liquefied stool should be found out and influenced. In addition, the drug must certainly be supplemented with rehydration solutions, because in childhood diarrhea causes a dangerous loss of fluid and electrolytes.
Overdose
An exceeded dose of Imodium has a depressing effect on the child's nervous system, which will manifest itself as stupor, drowsiness, impaired coordination of movements, increased muscle tone and even respiratory depression. In addition, intestinal obstruction may occur due to drug overdose.
For treatment, the child is washed with a stomach, given a sorbent (if less than 3 hours have passed) and naloxone (it is an antidote). With depression of the central nervous system, the small patient is carefully monitored for at least 2 days, and if breathing problems appear, the child is given artificial ventilation.
Interaction with other drugs
The drug annotation does not mention any interactions with other drugs.
Terms of sale
You can buy Imodium at the pharmacy without a prescription. The average price of a pack of 6 tablets is 240 rubles, a pack of 10 tablets is about 350 rubles, and the largest pack, including 20 pieces, is about 570 rubles.
Storage
It is recommended to keep the drug at home at temperatures from +15 to +30 degrees Celsius. At the same time, it is important for storage to find a place where the tablets will be inaccessible to children in order to eliminate the risk of overdose.
Shelf life of Imodium is 5 years. If it is not clearly marked on the pack or the indicated date has passed, in no case should the medication be given to children.
Reviews
There are different reviews about the use of Imodium in children. The positive mothers praise the tablets for their quick dissolution in the mouth and ease of use. The advantages of the drug are that the drug does not need to be washed down with water, and the mint taste does not provoke nausea or vomiting. According to mothers, taking this medicine very quickly stopped diarrhea.
As for the shortcomings, the most often mentioned are the high cost of tablets, because of which many parents are interested in cheaper analogs (from domestic manufacturers). There are also reviews that note the appearance of side effects, for example, abdominal pain or constipation. In addition, some children do not like the minty taste of the medicine.
Analogs
Instead of Imodium, the doctor may prescribe another drug based on loperamide, for example:
- Lopedium tablets or capsules.
- Loperamide capsules or tablets.
- Vero-loperamide tablets.
- Diara chewable tablets or capsules.
- Loperamide-Acri capsules.
- Loperamide Grindeks capsules.
Also, in case of diarrhea, a child can be prescribed drugs with a different composition, among which the most popular are:
- Enterol. The basis of this drug is saccharomycetes, which exhibit antibacterial activity, therefore, the drug is in demand both for diarrhea and for its prevention. The tool is released in powder, from which a suspension is prepared, as well as in capsules. Both forms are allowed for children over 1 year old.
- Smecta. This medication, containing smectite, absorbs toxic substances and helps to quickly get rid of diarrhea. It is produced in a form convenient for children - in portioned bags with a powder intended for preparing a suspension. Another advantage of such a drug is the fact that it can be given to children at any age.
- Bifiform. Such a drug based on bifidobacteria is produced in various forms (solution, sachet with powder, chewable tablets, capsules) and is prescribed for children with rotavirus infection, gastroenteritis, dysbiosis and other diseases. A medication in a solution for preparing a suspension can even be prescribed to a baby, a powder is prescribed to a one-year-old child and older. As for solid forms, capsules are allowed for children aged 2 years and older, and tablets are prescribed from 3 years old.
- Bactisubtil. The action of this drug is provided by spores of Bacillus cereus, which have an antidiarrheal effect. The drug is produced in capsules and is prescribed to children from 7 years of age with rotavirus, colitis, dysbiosis and other intestinal problems.
Watch the program of Dr. Komarovsky, from which you will learn all the rules for the recovery of a child after an intestinal infection.
