Deadly trend of using anti-Diarrhea drugs to get high
Doctors warn against deadly trend of using anti-diarrhoea drugs to get high
Anti-diarrhoea drugs contain loperamide which reduces bowel movements
In high doses it may trigger euphoria so people are using it recreationally
In online forums addicts discuss taking it to dampen withdrawal symptoms
Medical journal published story of two people who died after overdosing
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There is an alarming new trend of people using anti-diarrhoea drug Imodium to 'get high' - sometimes with fatal consequences, doctors warn.
Medics said the over-the-counter medication - whose active ingredient is loperamide - is being used recreationally and drug addicts are taking it to manage their addictions.
While loperamide works by reducing the movement in the intestinal wall - to prevent diarrhoea - some medical literature suggests at high doses it can cause euphoria.
But it is also extremely toxic to the heart - and the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine has documented the case of two people died of an overdose as a result of taking the drugs.
The key ingredient in Imodium, called loperamide, is increasingly being abused by drug addicts to get a fix
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He described two case studies of patients with a history of drug abuse who tried to manage withdrawal symptoms by taking massive doses of loperamide.
They both overdosed and emergency medical services were called.
The patients were treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), naloxone - a drug given to block the effects of an overdose - and standard Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
Despite doctors' best efforts, both patients died.
Dr Eggleston said there has been a 10-fold increase in people posting on forums about abusing loperamide between 2010 and 2011.
Doctors warned the over-the-counter medication can be taken by addicts in massive, potentially lethal doses
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And Dr Eggleston said the Upstate New York Poison Centre has seen a seven-fold increase in calls related to loperamide abuse between 2011 and 2015.
This echoes national data from the National Poison Data System, which showed a 71 per cent increase in calls about people intentionally taking loperamide between 2011 and 2014.
Dr Eggleston said: '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.'
Mess. Imagine the constipation though
