Editing Loperamide (section)

==Medical uses==
Loperamide is effective for the treatment of a number of types of diarrhea.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hanauer SB | title = The role of loperamide in gastrointestinal disorders | journal = Reviews in Gastroenterological Disorders | volume = 8 | issue = 1 | pages = 15–20 | date =Winter 2008 | pmid = 18477966 }}</ref> This includes control of acute nonspecific diarrhea, mild [[traveler's diarrhea]], irritable bowel syndrome, chronic diarrhea due to bowel resection, and chronic diarrhea secondary to inflammatory bowel disease. It is also useful for reducing [[ileostomy]] output. [[Off-label use]]s for loperamide also include chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, especially related to [[irinotecan]] use.

Loperamide should not be used as the primary treatment in cases of [[Dysentery|bloody diarrhea]], acute exacerbation of [[ulcerative colitis]], or bacterial [[enterocolitis]].<ref name=drugs.com>{{cite web|url=https://www.drugs.com/pro/loperamide.html|title=Loperamide|access-date=14 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520143952/http://www.drugs.com/pro/loperamide.html|archive-date=20 May 2016}}</ref>

Loperamide is often compared to [[diphenoxylate]]. Studies suggest that loperamide is more effective and has lower neural side effects.<ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Miftahof R |date=2009 |title=Mathematical Modeling and Simulation in Enteric Neurobiology |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=3Qyd9TmOY5EC&pg=PA18 |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=9789812834812 |pages = 18|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728102724/https://books.google.com/books?id=3Qyd9TmOY5EC&pg=PA18&dq=|archive-date=28 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| veditors = Benson A, Chakravarthy A, Hamilton SR, Elin S |date=2013|title=Cancers of the Colon and Rectum: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Diagnosis and Management |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=afb1AAAAQBAJ&q=D&pg=PA225 |publisher=Demos Medical Publishing|isbn=9781936287581 |pages = 225|url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170908145128/https://books.google.com/books?id=afb1AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA225&dq=D#v=onepage&q=D&f=false|archive-date=8 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Zuckerman JN |date=2012|title=Principles and Practice of Travel Medicine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FXxksru7IQYC&pg=PA203|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781118392089|pages = 203|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908145128/https://books.google.com/books?id=FXxksru7IQYC&pg=PA203&dq=|archive-date=8 September 2017}}</ref>