Loperamide

Loperamide is an antimotility medicine, meaning it slows food down as it travels through your gut. This enables your body to draw in more water from your intestines in order for your stool to become firmer and not as frequent.

Loperamide may cause side effects in some people, but these are typically mild. Common side effects include: constipation, dizziness, nausea, headache and flatulence. If you’re concerned about any of these potential side effects, you should speak to your GP for advice.

Loperamide is a treatment for diarrhoea, especially for short-term diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Additionally, it’s also used to treat recurring or long-term diarrhoea related conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and short bowel syndrome.

If your travellers’ diarrhoea is mild, you typically won’t need treatment - you’ll start to feel better after rest and plenty of fluids.

 

If your diarrhoea is starting to get in the way of your trip, you could try an anti-diarrhoeal medication that hardens your stool and reduces stomach discomfort.

 

You can take preventative measures at avoiding diarrhoea whilst travelling by taking a medicine like Imodium (loperamide) or Pepto-Bismol which help to control an upset stomach and diarrhoea.