Re: Danger! IMODIUM ALERT!! everybody PLEASE read!! Re: green stool

I was addicted to imodium. I was off and on it for 15 years.
It irritates me when people say you don't get addicted or that your body doesn't get used to it. Because I started as a kid around 99 and stopped in 11. I quit for a year inbetween.
I started because my ocd made me scared to crap myself and my mom had a miracle drug. I liked the feeling and taste. The chalky mint taste. I was soon from .5 to the max dose as a kid and as a teen I was taking 4 daily everyday.
It gave me a sense of calmness. Especially as a teen when I hardly ate. I never knew why I'd not eat for days and when I did it went straight through me. So I thought hey imodium slows the food down and I can get the nutrients I needed. So it soon became essential to take it! Or I thought I could die.
Later in my teens I kept with it due to the long long trips my x and I would go on. Made it so much easier to not worry about having a bm and stopping which would've made him mad.
I remember quite a few times before I first quit I'd scream and cry if my father wouldn't buy it for me. I didn't know it was an addiction then. Heck I was in middle school.
When I got smarter and older I decided to kick it for good.
One day I just told myself no more! I was done. I stopped fast. What a mistake that was. I felt ill in the day but I thought toughen up. It wasn't till it woke me up with violent and I mean VIOLENT stomach cramps that I knew I had to take one. I tried to wait and hold out but as I was grabbing my guts in agoney, and I was drenched in sweat, burning up but freezing cold and feeling like my head and ass were about to explode, I gave in. I took 1 pill and the pain, fear, sweating, and Parinoia stopped DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS!
I knew then I had to wean myself off. I didn't take it for the runs really ever. I took it for the feeling.
I waited till I got the symptoms again n took the pill. Eventually it went from every other day to 3 days. Then from 3 days to four. Then 4 to 5 and so on. It wasn't a month long challenge it was more like two months. Because one week it was every other day. The next week it was 3 days. Next week 4 days. Next week 5 days. Next 6 days. Next 7 days. Till I took one pill a month and then none.
I'm happy to say I been off it sense November 2011.
Longest I been off it and I'm working on my anxiety and ocd daily.
It's not without its issues though.
I get fissures easily. Due to the imodium tightening my sphincter muscle. Not sure how to fix that. I still have bouts of bad constipation. Which I'm trying to fix.
I wish people knew the devastating effects this drug does. I wish they would just stop it.
I have no need to ever take it again. Even though it's currently at the house I'm at.
The years I spent fearing soft and the runs I wish I could take back. Because now I'm just wanting less hard compacted stool lol
Stay away from imodium. Even if you just take the recommended amount it can be habit forming and ruin your life! Take it from a x addict Tweet