Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Imodium?


cdfiance

Recommended Posts

cdfiance Explorer

First of all, I'm sorry for asking so many questions but I feel you guys have the most Celiac knowlege out there. Anyway, my question is about meds for cramps and diarrhea. Alex (my fiance with Celiac) is so warn out from diarrhea every day. She's not getting glutenated but since her intestine is in the process of healing, food just rushes through her causing painful cramps and frequent trips to the bathroom. It's especially troubling at night because the pain can make it hard for her to fall asleep and then when she does fall asleep she gets awakened with the urgent need to use the bathroom. I was wondering about Imodium or something similar to help her sleep through the night.

The problem is, before her diagnosis she took Imodium and it had a horrible result. Her diarrhea stopped for a bit but it was like her body was still fighting to get everything out of her so she had excruciating cramps and was shaking and sweating and crying in pain until she was able to continue having diarrhea. So you can understand why we are reluctant to try it again. We were thinking that now that the diarrhea isn't due to her body trying to get gluten out but due to malabsorption it might not result in the same painful situation. If not Immodium is there something she could take to at least ease the pain of her cramps and make her comfortable enough to sleep. I don't know if Tylenol or other painkillers take care of that kind of pain.

Thank you for your patience with my lack of knowledge!

Ryan


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



jmengert Enthusiast

I still get cramps and diarrhea fairly often, and I take Immodium for it when it's bad. It always helps my cramps immediately, and I've never had the side effect you've mentioned. However, I would imagine that taking Tylenol or something may also help, and perhaps she would want to try that if the Immodium has caused her problems in the past.

Also, Pepto Bismal is gluten-free (the liquid is last I heard), but it always made me nauseous, so I personally avoid it, but that's something else that she may want to consider, since other people swear by it.

I hope she begins feeling better soon!

jerseyangel Proficient

Hi Ryan,

Please don't apologize for asking questions--that's what we're here for!

I think it's wonderful that you are wanting to take such good care of Alex.

I use Immodium when needed, and it helps greatly. I've never had a bad reaction to it. I'm not sure if it would affect her any differently now, but it might be worth another try.

My gastroenterologist prescribed Neulev for me when I was first diagnosed. It is a med he uses for patients who have cramping after certain procedures. It is disolved under the tongue, and eases cramping.

Honestly, I got better relief from Immodium, but different things work for different people.

Has she tried a heating pad on her stomach? I hope she gets some relief soon!

Jestgar Rising Star

Can she take a day off from food to give her intestine some quiet time?

Just drink ginger ale and 7-up and maybe green tea or herbal teas. Then start with bananas and maybe applesauce to see if it helps.

Avoid anything harsh for a while like citrus or acidic fruits/veggies and have her boil all her veggies to mush.

This isn't a permanent diet change, just a chance for her digestive tract to calm down a little.

happygirl Collaborator

Make sure that the medicine you take is gluten free. The Imodium pills are, but I believe some of the liquid versions aren't.

Are you positive she is entirely gluten free? Is she eating out at all?

Best of luck, and I hope her symptoms improve quickly!!!!

cdfiance Explorer
Are you positive she is entirely gluten free? Is she eating out at all?

Yup, she's definitely totally gluten free and not eating out. Rice, applesauce, bananas, bland veggies, and gluten-free crackers and toast are basically all she's eating. Sometimes all I can convince her to eat is some applesauce when her tummy is feeling particularly bad.

Can she take a day off from food to give her intestine some quiet time?

Just drink ginger ale and 7-up and maybe green tea or herbal teas. Then start with bananas and maybe applesauce to see if it helps.

I've been worried she's not getting enough nutrients since she feels so weak a lot of the time but maybe she should just try Pedialyte and tea for a short time to see if things calm down. If her intestine isn't absorbing much anyway what does it matter :(

She's just getting so frustrated with how slow her recovery is going and how bad she feels most of the time. All of this is understandably starting to make her feel pretty blue. :(

Ryan

Jestgar Rising Star

Ibuprofen and aspirin are both anti-inflammatories (Tylenol is not). If she is going to take something for pain you might consider one of those. You could try the enteric coated aspirin (but I don't know what's in the coating) or maybe baby aspirin mashed into applesauce.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



larry mac Enthusiast
Make sure that the medicine you take is gluten free. The Imodium pills are, but I believe some of the liquid versions aren't.

HappyGirl has an excellent point. The liquid used to make me ill at my stomach the couple times I tried taking it (this was before I ever heard of celiac), but the tablets never did. I can't find the box and the ingredients aren't listed on the bottle of Equate brand liquid I have. But I'm pretty sure we've covered this topic before and it has gluten.

best regards, lm

kabowman Explorer

I find that if I have an accidental glutening, which is very very rare, I have to let the worst of it pass on its own before I take the imodium. After the first round or two, that is when I take my pills. I don't have to do that with my other food sensitivities reactions, just the gluten because of the cramping, sweating, etc. If I take it too soon, I still don't feel well.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - RMJ replied to Me,Sue's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      1

      Nausea

    2. - Colleen H posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      0

      Stomach burning and neuropathy

    3. - sleuth replied to fatjacksonthecat's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      18

      Nicotine Gum For Gluten Symptoms.. Am I Crazy?

    4. - Scott Adams replied to fatjacksonthecat's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      18

      Nicotine Gum For Gluten Symptoms.. Am I Crazy?

    5. - Me,Sue posted a topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      1

      Nausea


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,836
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    maegan.s
    Newest Member
    maegan.s
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • RMJ
      I have trouble with nausea. It often starts when I’m anxious about something (home repairs, sick dog) but continues long after the home is repaired or the dog is healthy again. When it happens I eat less and lose weight.  My gastroenterologist suggested ginger or peppermint tea. I don’t know if that will work or not because I haven't had the problem since she suggested it.
    • Colleen H
      Hello  I'm not sure what to think . Seems no matter what I do I get sick. I had some yogurt with only 2 grams of sugar and is labeled gluten free ...the strawberry version seemed to really set me off My jaw is burning as well as my stomach and my feet.  Horrible pain..plus acid reflux and nausea... sensitivity to touch pain. ..yikes !! I don't know if it's from the lactose in the yogurt or if I'm getting an ulcer  This condition can make you question yourself quite a bit.  Then if you are not sure the anxiety comes 😞 Does any of these symptoms sound familiar to anyone? The neuropathy is quite intense.  What do you eat or drink after this happens  Open to suggestions  Thank you 
    • sleuth
      Of course my son is on a 100% gluten free diet.  I wish his symptoms were not debilitating as there are right now.  He cannot work, even when a miniscule of cross contamination occurs.  It's not just GI distress, but intense fatigue, brain fog, depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc.  It's literally neurological inflammation.  Not to be taken lightly here.  We have sought out many other possible ways to cope during this window of time (8 months!!!!)  without success.   AN-PEP does not help and seems like studies on this are not well researched.  So, we are trying this out because research shows some promising results.  And, all participants showed no cravings afterwards, no signs of addiction.  The patch is different than the oral route such as smoking, vaping, gum, pouch, etc. 
    • Scott Adams
      Have you tried AN-PEP enzymes, for example, GlutenX (who is a sponsor here)? A lot of research has shown that it can break down small amounts of gluten in the stomach, before it reaches the intestines. It might be a better approach than risking nicotine addiction, and the questionable research around this. I also hope that he’s trying to be 100% Gluten-Free.
    • Me,Sue
      Hi all  I was diagnosed Coeliac a few years ago and follow a gluten free diet. The list of foods that I can eat without a problem grows shorter on a weekly basis. [I also have diabetes and asthma also].  BUT the reason I am posting this is because I seem to struggle with nausea quite a lot, which is really quite debilitating, and I was wondering if others suffer from nausea, even if following a gluten free diet. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.