Loperamide in the symptomatic control of chronic diarrhoea. Double-blind placebo-controlled study

Fifteen patients (20-66 years) with persistent diarrhoea of varying aetiology were selected for an open trial of loperamide 2 mg capsules. The optimal daily dose for substantial reduction of the diarrhoea ranged from two to seven capsules. Eleven patients showed a significant improvement in stool consistency, a highly significant decrease in stool frequency and a decrease of abdominal cramps. One ileostomy patient with abundant ileostomy output and intermittent leaking of the ileosotmy appliance at night experienced a substantial reduction of the stoma output with virtual disappearance of soiling accidents as night. Loperamide appeared to be ineffective in two patients with cholerrhoeic diarrhoea; in one patient with laxative-induced diarrhoea and in one patient with probable nervous diarrhoea. The eleven successfully treated patients then entered a doubleblind placebo-controlled trial for ten days or util relaps, the daily dose being indentical to the optimal one previously determined in the open phase of the study. The investigator was able to guess the code correctly in ten out of eleven cases. The drug was well tolerated. Because of its considerable efficacy and low side-effect liability, loperamide has to be considered a promising drug in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea.