Searching for an alternative to opioid painkillers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, some addicts are now turning to the diarrhea drug Imodium for a high, researchers say. Researchers have found that Imodium’s key ingredient, loperamide, is the culprit feeding addicts’ high.
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In a news release from the Annals of Emergency Medicine, Eggleston said that loperamide is harmless in therapeutic doses, but very risky when taken in high doses.
Although both men received emergency medical services at their homes, they died before they got to the hospital, the report said.
Experts say the two cases represent a growing, unsafe trend. This can be seen, in part, in the 10-fold increase in web forum posts about the abuse of loperamide. A majority of user-generated content pertaining to loperamide discussed using the medication to self-treat opioid withdrawal (70 percent).
All of this may be having tragic consequences.
But the American College of Emergency Physicians says the Poison Control Center in NY has seen a sevenfold increase in calls relating to Lopermide abuse or misuse from 2011 to 2015; with two patients dying from cardiac arrest.
William Eggleston, PharmD, from the Upstate New York Poison Center, in a statement published by the American College of Emergency Physicians, said that loperamide’s accessibility and affordability are among the reasons the medicine is prone to abuse.
“Our nation’s growing population of opioid-addicted patients are seeking alternative drug sources with prescription opioid medication abuse being limited by new legislation and regulations”, Eggleston added.
Speaking to CBS News, addiction specialist Dr. Scott Krakower said the trend is not overly surprising. The report noted that individuals took loperamide in treating their opioid abuse issue and for euphoric properties. “Health care providers must be aware of increasing loperamide abuse and its under recognized cardiac toxicity”.
Apparently Imodium, a drug prescribed for diarrhea problems is being potentially used as a substitute for other powerful opiates.
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The nation’s ongoing opioid crisis, which has received increased attention after revelations regarding Prince’s alleged painkiller addiction, is incredibly serious, with 886 people dying of drug overdoses in this city alone past year.
