Loperamide

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Date: April 2026, Version 4.0

Quick read

Loperamide is occasionally used in pregnancy if there is no other suitable treatment for long-term diarrhoea.

What is it?

Loperamide (Imodium®, Norimode®, Lomodine®, Entrocalm®) is a medicine used to treat short episodes of diarrhoea that can be bought from a pharmacy.

Loperamide may also be prescribed by your doctor if you have long-term diarrhoea due to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or to improve digestion if you have had surgery to remove part of your bowel.

Benefits

What are the benefits of taking loperamide in pregnancy?

By controlling diarrhoea, loperamide can improve your quality of life and help you get the right nutrients from your food. However, loperamide is only recommended during pregnancy if there is no suitable alternative, as there is not enough information to say it is safe for the baby.

Risks

What are the risks of taking loperamide in pregnancy?

It is unclear if there is any risk. One study has shown a possible link between loperamide use and birth defects in the baby, but another study did not agree with this finding. More research is needed to confirm that loperamide is safe to use in pregnancy.

Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to taking loperamide in pregnancy?

Yes, usually. If you have short-term diarrhoea, you will often be advised to use non-drug treatments first, such as resting and drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. 

If you have IBS, a different drug may be an option. 

If you regularly take loperamide and are planning a pregnancy or become pregnant, please discuss your treatment with your doctor.

No treatment

What if I prefer not to take loperamide in pregnancy?

If you take loperamide for long-term treatment, you may be able to safely stop if advised to do so by your doctor.

Medicines will only be continued during pregnancy when necessary and your doctor will be happy to discuss the risks and benefits.

Will I or my baby need extra monitoring?

In the UK, all women will be offered a very detailed scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. No additional monitoring of your baby is required due to use of loperamide.

Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken loperamide?

There is no evidence that loperamide used by the father can harm the baby through effects on the sperm.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions about the information in this leaflet, please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system (MyBump Portal) allows women who are currently pregnant to create a secure record of their pregnancy, collected through a series of questionnaires. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, your pregnancy outcome and your child's development. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit the MyBump Portal to register.

General information
Sadly, miscarriage and birth defects can occur in any pregnancy.

Miscarriage occurs in about 1 in every 5 pregnancies, and 1 in every 40 babies are born with a birth defect. This is called the ‘background risk’ and happens whether medication is taken or not.

Most medicines cross the placenta and reach the baby. For many medications this is not a problem. However, some medicines can affect a baby’s growth and development.

If you take regular medication and are planning to conceive, you should discuss whether your medicine is safe to continue with your doctor/health care team before becoming pregnant. If you have an unplanned pregnancy while taking a medicine, you should tell your doctor as soon as possible.

If a new medicine is suggested for you during pregnancy, please make sure that the person prescribing it knows that you are pregnant. If you have any concerns about a medicine, you can check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.

Our Bumps information leaflets provide information about the effects of medicines in pregnancy so that you can decide, together with your healthcare provider, what is best for you and your baby.