A growing number of opiate addicts are turning to the over-the-counter anti-diarrhea drug Imodium A-D to get high. A new report reveals that the drug appeals to drug users due to its wide availability and cheap price.
The main ingredient in Imodium A-D is loperamide, which slows down the intestines and helps stop diarrhea. However, when taken at high doses above the recommended limit it creates a high through its stimulating action on opioid receptors and can also pose very serious risks.
"It's an opioid agent and it helps to bind receptors in the brain and cause a similar euphoria or high," said Scott Krakower, a physician who specializes in addiction disorders at Northwell Health.
Krakower says that it takes en extremely high dose of Imodium A-D to get high, but that's just what addicts are doing to satisfy their itch, with reports of people taking anywhere from 50 to 300 pills per day. In these large doses, the anti-diarrhea drug acts in the same way as heroin, morphine and oxycodone, only for a faction of the price with bulk prices around $10 for 400 tablets.
"Folks that are desperately addicted, folks that are looking to stave off withdrawal symptoms will do whatever it takes sometimes, really extreme things," said Jeffrey Reynolds of the Family and Children's Association. "So in the scheme of things, taking 300 pills is not unheard of."
"Loperamide's accessibility, low cost, over-the-counter legal status and lack of social stigma all contribute to its potential for abuse," added William Eggleston, a pharmacist at Upstate New York Poison Center and lead author of a related study.
Although loperamide is safe when used properly, the growing problem of its use by addicts means that doctors need to be more aware of the potential downsides of its abuse.
"Our nation's growing population of opioid-addicted patients is seeking alternative drug sources with prescription opioid medication abuse being limited by new legislation and regulations," Eggleston said. "Health care providers must be aware of increasing loperamide abuse and its under recognized cardiac toxicity. This is another reminder that all drugs, including those sold without a prescription, can be dangerous when not used as directed."
The findings were published in the April 29 issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
