Antidiarrheal drug overdose
Diarrhea medicine poisoning; Diphenoxylate and atropine poisoningAntidiarrheal drugs are used to treat loose, watery, and frequent stools. This article discusses overdose of antidiarrheal drugs containing diphenoxylate and atropine. Both ingredients help slow intestinal movement. In addition, atropine helps decrease the body's production of fluids. Other antidiarrheal drugs on the market contain different ingredients, such as loperamide. This article focuses on antidiarrheal drugs containing diphenoxylate and atropine specifically.
Overdose
An overdose is when you take more than the recommended amount of something, often a medicine or drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful sym...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleThis article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual overdose. If you or someone you are with overdoses, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.
Poisonous Ingredient
The ingredients include:
- Diphenoxylate
- Atropine
Diphenoxylate is a weak opioid, a class of drugs that includes morphine and other narcotics. Abuse of opioids, or use of opioids for nonmedical reasons is a growing problem.
Growing problem
When a medicine is not taken in the way it is meant to be used and a person is addicted to it, the problem is called prescription drug use disorder. ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWhere Found
These substances are found in these medicines:
- Diphenatol
- Lofene
- Logen
- Lomanate
- Lomotil
- Lonox
- Lo-Trol
- Nor-Mil
Other medicines may also contain these substances.
Medicines containing diphenoxylate, such as Lomotil, are often confused with loperamide, a different drug which also contains an opioid ingredient.
Symptoms
Someone who has overdosed on this medicine may have some of these symptoms:
- Apathy (loss of desire to do anything)
- Slow breathing, or breathing stops
-
Pounding or racing heartbeat (palpitations)
Pounding or racing heartbeat
Palpitations are feelings or sensations that your heart is pounding or racing. They can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. You may:Have an unpl...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Slowdown or stoppage of the bowels
-
Coma (decreased level of consciousness, lack of responsiveness)
Coma
Decreased alertness is a state of reduced awareness and is often a serious condition. A coma is the most severe state of decreased alertness from whi...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article -
Constipation
Constipation
Constipation in infants and children means they have hard stools or have problems passing stools. A child may have pain while passing stools or may ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Seizures (convulsions)
-
Drowsiness
Drowsiness
Drowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Dry mucous membranes in the mouth
- Eye changes in pupil size (may be small, normal-sized, or large)
-
Eyes move quickly from side to side
Eyes move quickly from side to side
Nystagmus is a term to describe uncontrollable movements of the eyes that may be:Side to side (horizontal nystagmus)Up and down (vertical nystagmus)R...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Flushed skin
- Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there)
- Restlessness
- Urination difficulty
- Vomiting
Note: Symptoms may take up to 12 hours to appear.
Home Care
Seek medical help right away. DO NOT make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to.
Before Calling Emergency
Have this information ready:
- Person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (ingredients and strength if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
Poison Control
Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
Poison control center
For a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleThis is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
Take the prescription bottle with you to the hospital, if possible.
The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated. The person may receive:
- Activated charcoal
- Oxygen
- Chest x-ray
-
ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing)
ECG
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Intravenous fluids (given through a vein)
- Laxatives
- Tube through the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
Gastric lavage
Gastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Medicine to reverse the effect of atropine
- Medicine to reverse the effect of diphenoxylate
- Breathing support, including tube through the mouth and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)
Outlook (Prognosis)
Most people will recover with treatment and are monitored for 24 hours. However, deaths may occur in young children. Children under age 6 should be admitted to the hospital and closely watched for 24 hours because signs of lung problems may be delayed and severe.
Keep all medicines in child-proof containers and out of reach of children. Read all medicine labels and take only medicines that have been prescribed for you.
References
Aronson JK. Opioid receptor agonists. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:348-380.
Nikolaides JK, Thompson TM. Opioids. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 151.
Review Date: 4/1/2023
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.