is immodium bad for you if you have UC?

hi everyone. so normally i don't like to take immodium because it makes my stomach feel kind of weird, but i have exams coming up and i'm in the midst of a flare and i can't afford to be getting up every 45 minutes to go to the bathroom. do you think it's unhealthy to take immodium regularly for a few days? does it normally help you guys? please let me know. thanks!

Immodium usually works pretty well for me. I've always got a box of it in my medicine cabinet. I don't use it too often tho. And when I do I don't take a lot. Maybe just a couple pills on a bad day because I get the same weird feeling in my stomach. But it does help a bit during a flare. Not sure if it's considered bad for UC but it tends to constipate me a bit after like 3 or 4 days of taking it even though I only take a little bit. But that's just me. It's never caused diarrhea or pain or bleeding or an actual flare or anything for me. And I know a lot of people with IBD take use it more than me just to help keep the bathroom trips down a bit without problems. So, I'd say a taking it for a few days to help get through your exams should be fine. I would probably do the same. It really depends on how well you tolerate I guess. and you could always stop if you think it's giving you problems of course. Good luck with your exams! it really must be hard having to deal with that during a flare!

When not in a bad flare I will take imodium. I can tolerate more than most. I start with 6 in the morning and take 2-4 after more if I have another loose bm later. I would suggest starting with 1-2 after the first loose bm and one after each subsequent loose bm. I don't think I've ever been constipated so I take much more. This is all under the approval of my GI.

6 IN THE MORNING!! You take those at once? I think 2 maybe 2 1/2 of the immodium will start to give me the effects of one of the lomitil.

I take immodium or Lomitil 4 days a week. Sometimes I take one of each. It's that or stop working, lose my clinic, go bankrupt and go crazy..... You just have to time when to take it. Always need to give it about two hours to start working. I can count on it to stop working in about 3-4 hours. I only take it during flares though, just don't need it otherwise. Those that don't have to take it are blessed.

I always have a bottle of the liquid Immodium in the house- my GI told me to use that as opposed to the pills. Apparently it wokrs faster & better. I have used the pills & got that gross, sick feeling in my gut. I take about a half-dose if I need to, I think it's around 2 T. Which stops things for about 4 hours. Love taking it, though I don't use it often. Only when absolutely necessary- long car ride in the AM, holiday dinner at the relatives, etc. I would never use it for everyday use, as it can be constipating. It's safe to use when needed, not as a maintenance med.

Dr. A:
My original GI in 1987 prescribed me imodium before it was OTC. He said take as much as I can tolerate; it wasn't harmful or addictive. I now buy 2-packs of 96 tablet bottles and keep them at work, in the car and at home. Yes, I 've actually taken, at most, 8 at once in the morning if I'm going to take a tour bus or something then 2 before each meal throughout the day. At most my stool will firm up but I never had problems passing a bm taking these. In the severe flare I'm in now I would not take them because I need the diarrhea in order for the stool to pass out without a lot of pain.

I think imodium should only be used if necessary so that your colon doesn't get lazy -- i.e. get used to needing imodium just to get the job done (and also to prevent toxic megacolon). That way whenever you do use imodium it should be more effective.

When I had exams last year I took 1 imodium a couple of hours before an exam and that seemed to work fine for me. I also ate light the day before to keep things safe.

when i had UC i would take it, about 5 or 6 a day. I also had the lomotil or something else,but it always made me sleepy.
There is a risk for toxic megacolon, and honestly, i was hoping i would get it so i wouldnthave to make the surgery decision myself! how awful is that!
It ususally worked,but not always. But it was really the only way i could do anything

     I took the store brand of Immodium liquid form this morning...only 2 teaspoons....it did the trick!