If you have severe diarrhea, or if it doesn’t clear up after using Imodium that you purchased over the counter, visit your doctor and discuss a prescription for a stronger dosage of the medication.
Never take more than 16 milligrams in a single day unless your doctor says it’s safe to do so. [4] X Research source
If you’re taking prescription-strength Imodium, read the label carefully to determine how much Imodium your doctor prescribed for you and how often to take the medication. If you take too much Imodium, it can cause serious heart problems and even death.
Not all Imodium pills are the same strength, so if you had the prescription filled at a different pharmacy than usual, read the bottle to check the prescription strength.
Depending on your daily schedule, this may mean that you need to take Imodium while you’re still at work or school.
If you don’t want to have to get up in the night to pee, take the Imodium at least 2–3 hours before your bedtime.
If you must take Imodium in the morning or during the day, have a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverage along with it. This will wake you up and prevent you from becoming too drowsy.
It will take at least 48 hours for the Imodium to start working, so don’t worry if you continue to have diarrhea for the first couple of days that you’re taking the medication.
If you find yourself seriously constipated and go more than 3–4 days without a bowel movement, visit your doctor and ask if you should continue taking Imodium.
If you must drive after you’ve taken the drug, be extra attentive to the conditions of the road and other drivers around you.
This includes alcoholic drinks, like gin and tonic.
With any of these conditions, visit your doctor and describe your symptoms. Bloody stool can be a sign of internal bleeding, so make an appointment as soon as possible. Have a stool test done if you have bloody stools since you could have a bacterial infection and taking Imodium may make the illness worse.
In a serious allergic reaction, your face, mouth, throat, and tongue may start to swell up.
Signs of an Imodium overdose include fainting and a fast, irregular heartbeat. If you’ve lost and regained consciousness, ask someone else to drive you to the hospital rather than driving yourself.
