Pharmacologic Substance
loperamide hydrochloride
lo·per·a·mide hy·dro·chlo·ride [ loh-per-uh-mide hy-droh-klor-ide ]
Effect:
Decreased GI Motility; Stimulation Large Intestine Fluid/Electrolyte Absorption; Stimulation Small Intestine Fluid/Electrolyte Absorption
May Treat:
Colonic Diseases, Functional;
Diarrhea;
Dysentery, Bacillary
More Information:
Definitions related to loperamide hydrochloride:
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A drug used to treat diarrhea. Imodium slows the movement of the muscles in the small intestine to allow more water to be taken out of the feces (waste matter) and more nutrients to be absorbed.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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The hydrochloride salt form of loperamide, a synthetic, piperidine derivative and opioid agonist with antidiarrheal activity. Loperamide acts on the mu-receptors in the intestinal mucosa. This leads to a decrease in gastrointestinal motility by decreasing the circular and longitudinal smooth muscle activity of the intestinal wall. This slows intestinal transit and allows for more water and electrolyte absorption from the intestines. Loperamide is not significantly absorbed from the gut and does not cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore it has no central nervous system effects.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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