Healthcare Provider Resources (Accordions)

Fact Sheets

Sharing fact sheets with your colleagues helps alert more healthcare providers to the possibility of loperamide abuse by their patients.

Emergency Healthcare Providers

Download this fact sheet to encourage emergency healthcare providers to consider loperamide abuse in their diagnosis.

EMS PRactitioners

Download this fact sheet to educate emergency medical services practitioners about recognizing loperamide abuse.

GASTROENTEROLOGISTS

Download this fact sheet to educate gastroenterology providers about recognizing loperamide abuse.

Mental Healthcare Providers

Download this fact sheet to educate mental healthcare providers about preventing and recognizing loperamide abuse.

Pharmacists

Download this fact sheet to educate pharmacists and other healthcare professionals in retail-based locations about loperamide packaging changes.

General Healthcare Providers

Download this fact sheet to alert general healthcare providers to the possibility of loperamide abuse.

Patients

Download this fact sheet if you believe a patient may benefit from learning about the risks of loperamide abuse.

Media Guidance

Responsible reporting is an important aspect of communicating about public health issues. The document below provides guidance on hour journalists and other members of the media can avoid sensationalizing loperamide abuse and misuse and limit the risk of contagion. Please share this guidance with any journalist who approaches you about loperamide abuse or misuse.

Download the media guidance.

Literature

FDA Communications

Loperamide is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and remains available over the counter. FDA has released the following communications on loperamide.

FDA Drug Safety Communications

FDA Voices

May 9, 2018 – Emerging issues of misuse and abuse of OTC loperamide challenge FDA to address a new turn in the opioid addiction crisis, while maintaining access for patients

FDA in Brief

Sept. 20, 2019 – FDA approves new packaging for brand-name over-the-counter loperamide to help curb abuse and misuse

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles and Case Studies

- Ali M, Mujahid A, Bulathsinghala CP, Surani S. Cardiac Arrhythmia Secondary to Loperamide Abuse and Toxicity. Cureus 2020;12:e6936. doi:10.7759/cureus.6936
- Ali Z, Shoukat U, Khan M, Roomi S, Ullah W. ' Loperamide overdose induces ventricular tachycardia with catastrophic outcomes'. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect 2020;10:229-232. doi:10.1080/20009666.2020.1766839
- Atoot A, Sholem S, Khaddash I, Zuberi J . Transient Brugada Pattern Induced by Loperamide Abuse. Cureus 2020;12:e8037. doi:10.7759/cureus.8037
- Brar JK, Broyan VR, Allgaier JT, Nye L, Saxon AJ. Long-term Buprenorphine Treatment for Loperamide Use Disorder: A Case Series. J Addict Med 2020;14:e378-e381. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000000687
- Chiappini S, Schifano F. What about "Pharming"? Issues Regarding the Misuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs. Brain Sci 2020;10. doi:10.3390/brainsci10100736
- Donnelly SC. Recreational drug use of over-the-counter (OTC) medication: loperamide and the opiate epidemic. QJM 2020;113:1. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcz315
- Eggleston W, Palmer R, Dube PA et al. Loperamide toxicity: recommendations for patient monitoring and management. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2020;58:355-359. doi:10.1080/15563650.2019.1681443
- Escobedo Y, Wilson G, Costa SM, Ellington T. The long-lasting high: cardiac complications from loperamide toxicity. J Am Coll Cardiol 2020;75(11):2842.
- Feldman R, Everton E. National assessment of pharmacist awareness of loperamide abuse and ability to restrict sale if abuse is suspected. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003 ) 2020;60:868-873. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2020.05.021
- Fiil S, Kamronn TM, Petersen TS, Livbjerg S. [A young woman's loperamide abuse for the achievement of euphoric effect]. Ugeskr Laeger 2020;182.
- Gaines H, Mao T, Murray C, Sivaram CA. The twisted truth: identifying and treating torsades de pointes (TDP) in surreptitious drug use. J Am Coll Cardiol 2020;75(11):2819.
- Kapaganti S, Anwar AS, Saba R, Elkhouly A, Hassib M. A Rare Case of Loperamide-Induced Cardiac Arrest. Cureus 2020;12:e9396. doi:10.7759/cureus.9396
- Lowe C, Latour C, Tanawuttiwat T. Torsades de pointes in substance abuse patient with negative urine toxicity. J Am Coll Cardiol 2020;75(11):2811.
- Marie S, Tournier N. [PET imaging to study the functional impact of P-glycoprotein in neuropharmacokinetics]. Therapie 2020. doi:10.1016/j.therap.2020.02.018
- Myllymaki L, Westerbergh J, Carlsson H, Hojer J. [Torsade de pointes following repeated massive loperamide ingestions]. Lakartidningen 2020;117.
- Nair RM, Abdelghaffar B, Chung R. Loperamide Overdose With Ventricular Tachycardia Storm. Am J Ther 2020. doi:10.7759/cureus.3981
- Onders B, Neltner K. Loperamide Toxicity: “I’m in Love … I’m All Stopped Up”. Case Studies in Emergency Medicine 2020. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22445-5_34
- Rawala MS, Gulati R, Rizvi S. Cardiac Dysrhythmia Associated With Opioid Toxicity. Cureus 2020;12:e8243. doi:10.7759/cureus.8243
- Rizzolo K, Best R, Erickson JE, Schaeffer T. Loperamide toxicity: a case report of turning bowels and twisting points. Journal of Maine Medical Center 2020;2(2):2. doi:10.46804/2641-2225.1046
- Sahi N, Nguyen R, Santos C. Loperamide. Stat Pearls 2020.
- Sahu KK, El MA, Mishra AK, Goyal S. A tale of twists: loperamide-induced torsades de pointes and ventricular tachycardia storm. BMJ Case Rep 2020;13. doi:10.1136/bcr-2019-232823
- Sarker A, DeRoos A, Perrone J. Mining social media for prescription medication abuse monitoring: a review and proposal for a data-centric framework. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020;27:315-329. doi:10.1093/jamia/ocz162
- Shastay A. Dangerous abuse of a 40-year-old over-the-counter medication, loperamide. Home Healthc Now. 2020;38(3):167-168. doi:10.1097/nhh.0000000000000871
- Sobczak L, Gorynski K. Pharmacological Aspects of Over-the-Counter Opioid Drugs Misuse. Molecules 2020;25. doi:10.3390/molecules25173905
- Strzyzewski L, Key P, Jones P, Prahlow JA. Loperamide Abuse and Its Sequelae. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2020;41:207-210. doi:10.1097/PAF.0000000000000553
- 2020. Terrie Y. Antidiarrheal Is Latest Candidate for Abuse. Pharmacy Times.
- Wang A, Nguyen M, Diaz J, Smith T. Loperamide toxicity mimicking peripartum cardiomyopathy. Am J Emerg Med 2020;38:693. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2019.10.039
- Watson JC, Whitledge JD, Barbuto AF, Boyle KL, Ganetsky M. Toxicity of agents used for opioid withdrawal: a case-based approach. Int Anesthesiol Clin 2020;58(2):19-27. doi:10.1097/AIA.0000000000000265
- West J, Campbell R, Heckart J. 233: Cardiotoxicity from loperamide: the war on opiates. Crit Care Med 2020;48(1):99. doi:10.1097/01.ccm.0000619288.44664.53
- Webb NE, Wood DM, Black JC, Amioka E, Dart RC, Dargan PI. Non-medical use of loperamide in the UK and USA. QJM. 2020;113(1):25-30. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcz215
- Wolfes J, Ellermann C, Burde S et al. Divergent Electrophysiological Effects of Loperamide and Naloxone in a Sensitive Whole-Heart Model. Cardiovasc Toxicol 2020. doi:10.1007/s12012-020-09616-z
Item description
Description text goes here
Item description
Item description
Item description
Item description
Item description