Can Imodium AD May Treat Autism ? : Hope or Hype Explained !

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which an autistic individual faces many issues such as sensory, behavioral, and communication challenges. Although there is no cure for autism, people often think about new treatments and treatments for autism, and one question that comes up sometimes is: Imodium AD may treat autism.

What is Imodium?

Imodium AD is an antidiarrheal medicine whose generic name is loperamide. It slows down intestinal muscle movements, which allows the body to absorb more water and provides relief for diarrhea.

Link Between Imodium AD and Autism

If the question is asked whether Imodium can be used for the treatment of autism then the answer is no, Imodium is not a treatment for autism, there is no treatment for autism but therapies such as Speech therapy, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy as well as some label and off label medicines are used to manage its symptoms. Read the Autism PPT for detail

Label medicines are those that have been approved by the (FDA) Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of autism such as Risperidone and Aripiprazole. Off-label medicines are those that are useful in reducing behavioral symptoms and gastrointestinal issues for example Stimulants, Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Alpha-adrenergic agonists, Anticonvulsants etc.

However, Imodium does not make any difference to core symptoms of autism such as behavioral, sensory sensitivities, and communication challenges.

Why do people link Imodium AD and Autism?

Gut health and Brain connection: Some autistic children indeed have gastrointestinal issues, some have diarrhea and some also have constipation. Therefore gut health has also been suggested as a reason for the appearance of autism symptoms, but it is also true that imodium has no direct effect on the overall symptoms of autism.

μ-Opioid receptor and Loperamide: Just like opioid drugs bind to the μ-opioid receptor and provide relief from pain, loperamide binds to the μ-opioid receptor similarly. The generic compound of imodium that is Loperamide binds to the μ-opioid receptor and since the μ-opioid receptor also affects social behavior, there is a hypothesis that loperamide also binds to the μ-opioid receptor and this reduces social difficulties in ASD children, but detailed research has not been done on this topic.

Can I use Imodium AD?

If your autistic child has diarrhea, you can give Imodium to your child on the advice of the doctor but this is a temporary solution. But if you think that it will have behavioral effects then saying so will not be right, you can prefer Imodium to get relief from diarrhea. Medicines always have to be taken under the guidance of the doctor because the digestive health of all children is different and autistic children can also be sensitive.

My Experience with My Autistic Son:

My son who has moderate autism also had a lot of diarrhea problems. As he grew up, his problems reduced. But to reduce his diarrhea problem, I used some tricks which I am sharing with you in this blog. These tricks were successful in my child’s case and will be effective in your child too I cannot say this with such accuracy.

• I used to give beetroot juice to my child so that his gut health was strong.
• According to me, autistic children have more diarrhea because they do not chew their food properly and swallow whatever they bite, which causes problems in digestion. My son used to insist on eating the food himself, so I used to let my son eat one bite and when he put the bite in his mouth, I used to make a sound in front of him and do the chewing action and holding his hand I used to count from 1 to 10, due to which he slowly came to know that till Mummy did not count to 10, I could not put the next bite in his mouth, due to which he could also eat food independently and his gastric problems started reducing.
• After this I understood that my son used to swallow the bite without chewing due to which he used to have frequent diarrhea, you can also use this trick for your autistic child, Paying attention to your hard work can reduce the child’s issues a lot.

What Treatments Work for Autism

Some medicines and supportive therapies are given for autism such as

• Behavioral therapy- ABA- Applied behavior analysis – in which autism therapy is taught to deal with the behavior of the child.

• Speech therapy– speaking and understanding skills are developed.

• Occupational therapy – children are made independent by removing challenges in daily living routine.

• Sensory integration therapy– For patients who show different behaviors towards light, sound, and texture, their sensory needs are regulated.

• Medicines – Medicines are used to control irritability and anxiety and to reduce ASD, and ADHD symptoms.

Conclusion

Imodium is a very good medicine to cure diarrhea but it does not affect behavioral symptoms of autism and any direct treatment. You can take medicinal treatment and autism supportive therapies with the help of therapists and expert doctors to regulate symptoms of autism but do not give any medicine to your child without guidance. Imodium is not a treatment for autism, it is only a treatment for diarrhea which some autistic children suffer from but this too is a temporary treatment, definitely take advice from a doctor before taking any medicine for autism.

Research Sources

Original Research: Open access

Drug repurposing candidates to treat core symptoms in autism spectrum disorder by Elise Kotch et al. Frontier in Pharmacology

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)