FDA Intervenes With Anti-Diarrhea Drug Packaging

According to a recent FDA MedWatch article, the FDA has been inundated with reports of serious heart problems and deaths linked to people taking higher than recommended doses of loperamide. More commonly known as Imodium, loperamide is an anti-diarrhea medication that acts on opioid receptors in the intestines to decrease the number of bowel movements. Apparently consumers are intentionally taking much more than the recommended dosage.

The FDA’s maximum approved daily dose for adults is 8 mg per day, but when more is taken it can lead to heart rhythm issues or even death. To prevent this, the FDA is working with manufacturers to implement the use of blister packs and other single dose packaging to minimize the number of doses in each package.