Loperamide Hcl Coupons & Prices

Loperamide HCl (loperamide hydrochloride) is the antidiarrheal medicine best known by the brand names Imodium, Imodium A-D, and Diamode. It is sold over the counter and also by prescription, and a substitutable generic is widely available. If you use it often or need the higher prescription strength, a free loperamide-hcl coupon from Rx.com can help you compare pharmacy prices in your area. Enter your ZIP above to see today's price at pharmacies near you.

What is loperamide and how does it work?

Loperamide is an antidiarrheal medicine. It is a peripherally-acting synthetic opioid that works on mu-opioid receptors in the gut wall, slowing the movement of the intestines so that stool passes more slowly and the body reabsorbs more water. This helps firm up stools and reduce how often you go. Unlike opioids used for pain, at recommended doses loperamide acts mainly in the gut and does not produce the effects of pain-relieving opioids in the brain.

It is used to control and relieve acute nonspecific diarrhea and chronic diarrhea linked to inflammatory bowel disease, and it can reduce the volume of discharge from an ileostomy. Many travelers also keep it on hand for traveler's diarrhea.

How to save on loperamide with an Rx.com coupon

Loperamide is inexpensive as a store-brand over-the-counter product, but prices still vary from pharmacy to pharmacy, and the prescription-strength version (up to a higher daily limit under a doctor's care) is filled at the pharmacy counter. Some OTC medicines like this one can cost less with a coupon or when your provider writes a prescription for the generic.

To check, enter your ZIP code above to see today's price at pharmacies near you and show the free Rx.com coupon to the pharmacist. There is no membership or fee to use it. Because loperamide has no manufacturer copay or savings card, comparing cash and coupon prices is the most reliable way to pay less.

Loperamide vs. other antidiarrheal and gut medicines

Loperamide is one of several options for diarrhea and related digestive symptoms. Which one fits depends on your symptoms and what your provider recommends:

• diphenoxylate/atropine — a prescription antidiarrheal that also slows the gut; it is a controlled medicine, so it is only available with a prescription.
• bismuth subsalicylate — an over-the-counter option (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate) used for diarrhea, upset stomach, and traveler's diarrhea.
• dicyclomine — a prescription antispasmodic used mainly for the cramping of irritable bowel syndrome rather than to stop diarrhea itself.
• ondansetron — a prescription medicine for nausea and vomiting, sometimes used alongside diarrhea treatment.

This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your pharmacist or provider which option is right for you.

Safety, dosing limits, and when to avoid loperamide

Take loperamide exactly as directed. Over the counter, do not exceed the labeled maximum of 8 mg per day for up to 2 days; under a prescription, a provider may direct up to 16 mg per day. Do not take more than recommended. The FDA has warned that higher-than-recommended doses can cause serious, life-threatening heart problems — including QT prolongation, a dangerous rhythm called Torsades de Pointes, other ventricular arrhythmias, fainting, and cardiac arrest, with deaths reported. These events are largely tied to abuse or misuse, such as self-treating opioid withdrawal or seeking a high. To help curb this, the FDA has limited OTC package quantities.

Do not use loperamide if constipation must be avoided, or if you have dysentery, bloody stools with a high fever, or a bacterial gut infection such as C. difficile, Salmonella, or Shigella. Avoid it if you have an abnormal heart rhythm, and use caution with medicines that inhibit P-glycoprotein, CYP3A4, or CYP2C8, because they can raise loperamide levels in the body. It is not for children under 2. Call your provider if diarrhea lasts more than 2 days or gets worse. This is not medical advice — talk with your provider or pharmacist about your situation.