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i took imodium while pregnant

by Dr. Carley Dibbert PhD Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

It may be okay to occasionally take Imodium as instructed during pregnancy, but there’s no evidence showing it’s safe. Imodium is a category C drug. The FDA categorizes prescription and over-the-counter medicines to indicate how safe or risky they’re believed to be during pregnancy.

Most doctors believe taking Imodium at a normal dose and infrequently won't lead to an increased risk of birth defects, but there's no guarantee. If a pregnant woman took high doses of Imodium for the opioid effects, that could contribute to a risk of birth defects similar to taking opioid pain medicines.May 7, 2022

Full Answer

Can you take Norco when your pregnant?

It is classified as an opioid narcotic. If you are currently using Norco and become pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant, be sure to schedule a meeting with your doctor. In general, Norco should only be used by pregnant women if the benefits of using the medication outweigh its potential risks.

Can you take Pepto- Bismol when pregnant?

Pepto Bismol is given a Class C label for usage during the first and second trimesters, while for the third trimester of pregnancy it is labeled as a Class D drug. It means that Pepto Bismol is relatively safe during pregnancy but a health care professional must always be consulted before taking Pepto Bismol during pregnancy.

Can you take Zyrtec when pregnant?

Zyrtec can be taken during pregnancy, but you should contact your doctor/midwife as soon as you find out you are pregnant. Zyrtec should be taken at the same time each day, but if you miss a dose, take a pill as soon as possible. If you remember near the time when the next dose is scheduled, you can skip the missed dose. Do not take two doses of Zyrtec at the same time.

Can I take Zicam cold remedy when pregnant?

Zicam ® Cold Remedy was not formulated to be effective for flu or allergies. If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Keep out of reach of children. In case of overdose, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.

Can Imodium harm an unborn baby?

Loperamide, the active ingredient in the brand-name drug Imodium, is used to treat acute diarrhea and sometimes chronic diarrhea, and is considered safe for pregnant women.

Can Imodium cause miscarriage?

Can taking loperamide in pregnancy cause miscarriage? A very small study of 105 pregnant women taking loperamide showed no link with miscarriage.

What pregnancy category is Imodium?

OTC Antidiarrheal Medications in PregnancyDrug nameFDA pregnancy risk classification by trimester (1st/2nd/3rd)Use in pregnancyLoperamide (Imodium)B/B/BProbably safe*Atropine/diphenoxylate (Lomotil)C/C/CNot recommended (adverse animal studies)2 more rows•Jun 15, 2003

What can I take for diarrhea when pregnant?

Imodium is an effective OTC medication for treating short-term diarrhea. However, the ACG do not recommend taking the antidiarrheal medications diphenoxylate-atropine (Lomotil) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) during pregnancy.

Is Imodium safe during first trimester?

A doctor may also advise a pregnant patient to avoid Imodium, especially during the first trimester. The first trimester is when a baby is doing all of its major development, and the organs are developing. It's best to avoid all medicines during the first trimester.

Can pushing to poop cause a miscarriage?

Straining to have a bowel movement will not cause a miscarriage. According to the American Pregnancy Association, most miscarriages happen from: Problems with the baby's chromosomes. Problems with the mother's hormones, uterus, or cervix.

Can diarrhea cause miscarriage?

Dealing With Diarrhea Although it doesn't cause miscarriage, diarrhea can affect a pregnancy. An occasional loose stool can be normal, but if you have any of the following, call your doctor: Diarrhea for more than 3 days. Fever of 100.4 F or higher.

Is Category B safe during pregnancy?

Category B Animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.

Can I take Imodium while pregnant NHS?

Loperamide in pregnancy Loperamide is not usually recommended in pregnancy. This is because there is not enough information to say whether it is safe or not. If you're pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking loperamide. They'll be able to advise you about the benefits and possible harms of taking it.

What should you not take with Imodium?

There may be an interaction between loperamide and any of the following:abiraterone.alcohol.amiodarone.anti-psychotics (e.g., chlorpromazine, clozapine, haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone)"azole" antifungals (e.g., fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole)barbiturates (e.g., phenobarbital, butalbital)More items...

When should I be worried about diarrhea during pregnancy?

Remember, while a mild case of diarrhea isn't anything to really worry about during pregnancy, there are a few times you should get in touch with your practitioner right away, including if you: Have more than three stools a day.

Is it safe to take anti-diarrhea pills while pregnant?

There's not enough data to completely rule out risk for most drugs in pregnancy (for safety reasons, few studies test drugs in human pregnancies), but I would rate anti-diarrhea drugs as low-risk. It's always a good idea to call your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medicine, to make sure it's safe for you and your baby.

Is it safe to take loperamide while pregnant?

Bismuth subsalicylate- (Kaopectate or Pe pto-Bismol) or loperamide- (Imodium) type medications are considered safe for pregnant women. L operamide – the active ingredient in the brand-name drug Imodium – is used to treat acute diarrhea and sometimes chronic diarrhea. You can buy it at a pharmacy or drug store. The same goes for Kaopectate and Pepto-Bismol, which both have bismuth subsalicylate as the active ingredient.

Can you take over the counter medicine while pregnant?

This means you will need to avoid many over-the-counter medicines. If you are unwell, you should consult your doctor or midwife first, and find out what options are available .

Is imodium good for pregnant women?

Whilst IMODIUM ® isn’t recommended during pregnancy or breast-feeding, please see our section on frequent diarrhoea to find out more.

How does loperamide work?

Loperamide is a drug that functions by lowering your intestine’s activity. This gives the small intestine time to absorb more water and minerals resulting in firm, healthier looking stools. This is because when the intestine’s activity is lowered the bowel movements slow down, giving your small intestine the required gap it needs to create healthier stool.

What are the side effects of loperamide?

Loperamide is a medication that can have some side effects and risks, these are because your body isn’t used to the medication yet. This should naturally correct itself once your body adapts to the medication. It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor about the pill before taking it. Some of the side effects are: 1 You may have dry mouth initially. 2 Nausea can be common with this medicine. 3 In some cases, you may feel dizzy. 4 You may experience some extra fatigue. 5 In case of an allergic reaction, you may see a rash on your skin. 6 In rare cases, your intestines may swell. 7 You may experience bouts of constipation.

Can you take loperamide while pregnant?

Loperamide during pregnancy should not be consumed unless prescribed, it acts as a last resort against an extremely bad case of diarrhoea, the consumption should also only be considered based on the period of gestation. Doctors believe there is little evidence to say loperamide and pregnancy problems are directly related to one another, it is still, however, considered a prescription priority drug, which means it should not be consumed, under any circumstances, without a physician’s approval.

Is it safe to take loperamide?

Loperamide is a medication that can have some side effects and risks, these are because your body isn’t used to the medication yet. This should naturally correct itself once your body adapts to the medication. It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor about the pill before taking it. Some of the side effects are:

Does loperamide cause birth defects?

It’s unsure, there is not enough scientific evidence to argue for or against birth defects in children caused by loperamide. It is commonly assumed that in limited doses and under the care of a doctor, loperamide will not harm your child.

Is it bad to take medication while pregnant?

This is also when your baby is being nourished so extreme care must be taken about what you consume. This includes medication. Some medication can be harmful to your baby. This is why you must take extreme care and be cautious about the meds you decide to consume to treat any condition you may face during pregnancy.

Can Imodium be prescribed during pregnancy?

If doctors prescribe the drug – do not panic; Imodium, during pregnancy, can be prescribed if doctors feel that the problem cannot be cured without the same.

Why do pregnant women have diarrhea?

The fact is, pregnant women deal with diarrhea quite a lot, and if they aren't cautious, it can cause problems.

Is loperamide safe for pregnancy?

It's not known if loperamide is safe to take in pregnancy. If you're trying to get pregnant or you're already pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking loperamide.

Is it safe to take imodium while pregnant?

It may be okay to occasionally take Imodium as instructed during pregnancy, but there's no evidence showing it's safe. Imodium is a category C drug. The FDA categorizes prescription and over-the-counter medicines to indicate how safe or risky they're believed to be during pregnancy.

Can Imodium cause miscarriage?

Secondly, can Imodium cause miscarriage? A very small study of 105 pregnant women taking loperamide showed no link with miscarriage.

What are the side effects of imodium?

Here are a few of the possible side-effects (5): Abdominal cramping, constipation, nausea, and vomiting.

What is Imodium used for?

The medication is used to treat short bouts of diarrhea, and could also be prescribed to treat IBS. It is available under different brand names – Imodium, Imodium Advanced, Pepto Diarrhea Control, Diocalm Ultra, Diar-aid, K-Pek II, Imotil, Vaprino, Entrocalm Loperamide, and more (2). Diarrhea is a condition of loose and watery stools ...

Why does loperamide cause diarrhea?

Know more about the causes of diarrhea during pregnancy here. Loperamide acts by slowing the intestinal mobility, reducing the water and electrolyte movement, and thus increasing the transit time of stool in the intestine.

Is loperamide safe during pregnancy?

Loperamide (Imodium) is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and acute diarrhea (1), and to regulate bowel activity after intestinal surgery. In this post, MomJunction tells you if consumption of loperamide is safe during pregnancy, the possible side effects, and more.

Can loperamide cause miscarriage?

There is also no solid scientific affirmation that women taking loperamide are likely to have preterm labor, miscarriage, or a low birth weight baby.

Can you take loperamide while pregnant?

Do not take loperamide during pregnancy unless the doctor prescribes it based on the severity of diarrhea and the stage of gestation. And the doctor prescribes the drug only if the potential benefits outweigh the risks. You should not self-medicate during pregnancy.

Can you self medicate with loperamide?

A final note: You can take loperamide during pregnancy only if your doctor strongly feels that the drug will benefit you. You cannot self-medicate as it might have some unwanted effects on your health.

Does Pepto Bismol cause bleeding?

Pepto-Bismol contains salicylate (similar to that found in aspirin), which may cause bleeding in mother and/or baby. Bismuth has caused birth defects in experimental animals. While pregnant, do not take either of these medications.

Is imodium A-D good for diarrhea?

Therefore, we have put these two medications in the “yellow light” or caution category. If your doctor feels that it would be better in your situation to slow down diarrhea, Imodium A-D may be the best choice.

Can you take antidiarrhea while pregnant?

Pregnancy diarrhea can be uncom fortable, however, no antidiarrhea medications (even those obtained over-the-counter) should be taken without your doctor’s advice. Increased intestinal motility and consequent diarrhea is the body’s natural way of getting rid of harmful bacteria/toxins.

Is kaolin safe to take during pregnancy?

The combination of kaolin and pectin (Kaopectate), even though it is safe to take during pregnancy, is not very helpful. Imodium A-D is a more effective pregnancy diarrhea medication and is reported to be safe to take during pregnancy.

What is loperamide used for?

Loperamide (Imodium®, Norimode®, Diah-limit®, Diocalm ultra®, Normaloe®, Diaquitte®, Diasorb®, Entrocalm loperamide®) is a medicine usually used to treat short episodes of diarrhoea. Loperamide may also be prescribed to treat long-term diarrhoea due, for example, to irritable bowel syndrome, or to help digestion in people who have had part of their intestine removed.

Can a mother take medicine to reach her baby?

Most medicines used by the mother will cross the placenta and reach the baby. Sometimes this may have beneficial effects for the baby. There are, however, some medicines that can harm a baby’s normal development. How a medicine affects a baby may depend on the stage of pregnancy when the medicine is taken.

Can loperamide cause stillbirth?

No studies have investigated the chance of stillbirth following use of loperamide in pregnancy.

Does loperamide cause miscarriage?

A very small study of 105 pregnant women taking loperamide showed no link with miscarriage. This result requires confirmation in much larger studies.

Does loperamide cause birth defects?

It is currently unclear whether any increased chance of birth defects observed in some studies may be due to a direct action of loperamide itself or might be caused by nutrient imbalances or other features of the underlying conditions that loperamide is used to treat when used long-term. Well-designed studies of much larger numbers of pregnant women need to be carried out before we can say whether use of loperamide in early pregnancy increases the chance of birth defects in the baby.

Can you take loperamide while pregnant?

Taking loperamide during pregnancy is not expected to cause any problems that would require extra monitoring of your baby. If you have an underlying illness that causes severe long-term diarrhoea, your doctor may wish to monitor your baby’s growth in the womb more closely.

Is loperamide safe for pregnancy?

At present, there is information on only around 750 babies of women who were treated with loperamide during pregnancy (see below). More pregnancies need to be studied to be able to say whether or not use of loperamide in pregnancy is safe. When deciding whether treatment with lopermaide in pregnancy is appropriate, it is therefore necessary for women and their doctors to weigh up the risks and benefits to both mother and baby of not taking a specific treatment against those of continuing the treatment. The outcome of this assessment will vary from person to person and will depend on the severity of the mother’s condition and the complications that could arise if her treatment is altered.

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