Lomotil

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Lomotil

Comprehensive information about Lomotil and allied drugs is under the article Diphenoxylate
Diphenoxylate

Diphenoxylate is an opioid agonist used for the treatment of diarrhoea that acts by slowing intestinal contractions and peristalsis allowing the body to consolidate intestinal contents and prolong transit time, thus allowing the intestines to draw moisture out of them at a normal or higher rate and therefore stop the formation of loose and l...
.

Lomotil is the trade name

Trade name

A trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the name which a business trades under for commercial purposes, although its registered, Legal name , used for contracts and other formal situations, may be another....
of a popular oral anti-diarrheal drug

Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine or medicament, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease....
in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, manufactured by Pfizer

Pfizer

Pfizer Incorporated is a major pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in sales in the world. The company is based in New York City, and its research headquarters is in Groton, Connecticut....
. Its UK BAN

British Approved Name

A British Approved Name is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as defined in the British Pharmacopoeia....
generic name is Co-phenotrope.

Its active ingredients are diphenoxylate

Diphenoxylate

Diphenoxylate is an opioid agonist used for the treatment of diarrhoea that acts by slowing intestinal contractions and peristalsis allowing the body to consolidate intestinal contents and prolong transit time, thus allowing the intestines to draw moisture out of them at a normal or higher rate and therefore stop the formation of loose and l...
and atropine

Atropine

Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , jimsonweed , Mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a hard drug with a wide variety of effects....
. Diphenoxylate is anti-diarrheal and atropine is anticholinergic

Anticholinergic

An anticholinergic agent is a substance that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system....
. Diphenoxylate is chemically related to the narcotic

Narcotic

The term narcotic is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis....
drug meperidine. A subtherapeutic amount of atropine

Atropine

Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , jimsonweed , Mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a hard drug with a wide variety of effects....
sulfate is present to discourage deliberate overdosage.

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Encyclopedia

Trade name

Medication

United States

Pfizer

British Approved Name

Diphenoxylate

Atropine

Anticholinergic

Narcotic

Atropine

Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , jimsonweed , Mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a hard drug with a wide variety of effects....
sulfate is present to discourage deliberate overdosage. Atropine has no anti-diarrheal properties, but will cause tachycardia

Tachycardia

The word tachycardia comes from the Greek words tachys and kardia .Tachycardia typically refers to a heartrate that exceeds the range of the normal resting heartrate, based upon age:...
when overused. The medication diphenoxylate

Diphenoxylate

Intestine

In anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the Gastrointestinal tract extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine....
s.

The inactive ingredients of Lomotil (as a liquid - it comes in pill form as well) are cherry

Cherry

The word cherry refers to a fleshy fruit that contains a single stony seed. The cherry belongs to the family Rosaceae, genus Prunus, along with almonds, peaches, plums, apricots and bird cherry ....
flavor, citric acid

Citric acid

Citric acid is a weak organic chemistry acid, and it is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks....
, ethyl alcohol 15%, FD&C Yellow No. 6, glycerin, sodium phosphate

Trisodium phosphate

Trisodium phosphate , available at most hardware stores in white powder form, is a cleaning agent, stain remover and degreaser, commonly used to prepare surfaces for painting....
, sorbitol

Sorbitol

Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is a sugar alcohol that the body metabolises slowly. It is obtained by Redox of glucose changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group....
, and water

Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
.

Other trade names for the same therapeutic combination are Lofene, Logen, Lomanate and Lonox, among others. In other countries, Lomotil may have other names.

In the United States, Lomotil (Diphenoxylate HCl and atropine sulfate) is classified as a Schedule V

Controlled Substances Act

The Controlled Substances Act was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970....
controlled substance by federal law, and is available only for a medical purpose.

Contraindications

Absolute contraindication

Contraindication

In medicine, a contraindication is a condition or factor that increases the risks involved in using a particular medication, carrying out a medical procedure, or engaging in a particular activity....
s for Lomotil are:

Allergy
Allergy

Allergy is a Disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to Natural environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are Acquired disorder, predictable and rapid....
to diphenoxylate or atropine
Presence of jaundice
Jaundice

Jaundice, also known as icterus , is a yellowish discoloration of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclera , and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia ....
Diarrhea associated with pseudomembranous enterocolitis, diarrhea caused by antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
treatment, or diarrhea caused by enterotoxin
Enterotoxin

An enterotoxin is a protein toxin released by a microorganism in the intestine.Enterotoxins are frequently cytotoxic and kill cells by altering the Semipermeable membrane of the epithelial cells of the intestinal wall....
-producing bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
.

Interactions

Interactions with other drugs:

Sedative
Sedative

A sedative is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.At higher doses it may result in slurred speech, staggering gait , poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes....
s
Barbiturate
Barbiturate

Barbiturates are medication that act as central nervous system depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia....
s
Antidepressant
Antidepressant

An antidepressant is a psychiatric medication used for alleviating major depressive disorder or dysthymia. Drug groups known as MAOIs, tricyclics, and second-generation antidepressants such as SSRIs, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are particularly associated with the term....
s (e.g., Elavil, Prozac, Paxil)
Tranquilizers (e.g., Valium, Xanax, Klonopin)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (e.g., Nardil, Parnate)

Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
that is caused by some antibiotic

Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
s such as cefaclor

Cefaclor

Cefaclor, also known as cefachlor or cefaclorum , is a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria such as pneumonia and ear, lung, skin, throat, and urinary tract infections....
, erythromycin

Erythromycin

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that has an antimicrobial spectrum similar to or slightly wider than that of penicillin, and is often used for people who have an allergy to penicillins....
or tetracycline

Tetracycline

Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum polyketide antibiotic produced by the Streptomyces genus of Actinobacteria, indicated for use against many bacterial infections....
can worsen with Lomotil.

Safety

The drug combination is generally safe in short-term use and with recommended dosage

Effective dose

An effective dose in pharmacology is the amount of medication that produces a therapeutic response in 50% of the people taking it, sometimes also called ED-50....
. Long-term use may present problems of mild drug dependency. The dosage should be reduced after 48 h.

Lomotil may cause several side-effects

Adverse effect (medicine)

In medicine, an adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication or other intervention such as chemotherapy or surgery....
, such as dry mouth, headache

Headache

In medicine a headache or wiktionary:cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes neck. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies....
, constipation

Constipation

Constipation, costiveness, or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system in which a person experiences hard feces that are difficult to expel....
and blurred vision

Blurred vision

Blurred vision is an ocular symptom....
. Since it may also cause drowsiness or dizziness

Dizziness

Dizziness describes a number of subjective symptoms, which the patient may describe as feelings of lightheadedness, floating, wooziness, giddiness, confusion, disorientation or loss of balance....
, Lomotil should not be used by motorists, operators of hazardous machinery, etc. It is not recommended for children under two years of age. In rare cases lomotil may cause paresthesia.

Toxicity

Lomotil may cause serious health problems when overdosed. Sign

Medical sign

A medical sign is an Objectivity indication of some medical fact or characteristic that may be detected by a physician during a physical examination of a patient....
s and symptom

Symptom

A symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and not measured....
s of adverse effects

Adverse effect (medicine)

In medicine, an adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication or other intervention such as chemotherapy or surgery....
may include any or several of the following: convulsion

Convulsion

A convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body....
s, respiratory depression (slow or stopped breathing), dilated eye pupils, nystagmus

Nystagmus

Pathologic nystagmus is a form of involuntary eye movement. It is characterized by alternating smooth pursuit in one direction and saccadic movement in the other direction....
(rapid side-to-side eye

Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
movements), erythema

Erythema

Erythema is redness of the skin caused by capillary congestion....
(flushed skin), gastrointestinal constipation

Constipation

Constipation, costiveness, or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system in which a person experiences hard feces that are difficult to expel....
, nausea

Nausea

Nausea is the sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit....
, vomiting

Vomiting

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Undesired vomiting may result from many causes, ranging from gastritis or poisoning to brain tumors, or elevated intracranial pressure....
, paralytic ileus, tachycardia

Tachycardia

Coma

In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness. A comatose person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary actions....
and hallucination

Hallucination

A hallucination, in the broadest sense, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus . In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid, substantial, and located in external objective space....
s. Symptoms of toxicity

Toxicity

Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ , such as the liver ....
may take up to 12 hours to appear.

Treatment of Lomotil overdose must be initiated immediately after diagnosis

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is the identification of the nature of anything, either by process of elimination or other analytical methods. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with slightly different implementations on the application of logic and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships....
and may include the following: emesis (induced vomiting), gastric lavage

Gastric lavage

Gastric lavage, also commonly called stomach pumping or Gastric irrigation, is the process of cleaning out the contents of the stomach....
, ingestion of activated charcoal, laxative

Laxative

Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the Colon for rectum and bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas in that circumstance....
and a counteracting medication (narcotic antagonist

Antagonist

An antagonist is a character or group of characters, or, always an institution of a happening who represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend....
).

Prompt and thorough treatment of overdose leads to a favorable outcome

Outcome

Outcome may refer to:* Outcome , a concept in game theory* The Outcome, a Swedish punk rock band* outcome measure in a clinical trialan outcome is an end result of something or can be referd to as cause and effect : you break a vase so your outcome would probably be punishment....
. After a narcotic antagonist is given, recovery is usually within 24 to 48 hours. Children are at risk of a very poor outcome and must be kept for observation.

External links

. RxList.

Source

. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Public domain.