Abuse of Loperamide
It is logical however to think that while loperamide is available easily over the counter, it shouldn’t be unsafe to handle without prescription. Well, it is also counterintuitive to the former opinion when you realize that most drugs that are easily available over the counter are easily abused! This has called for concern in recent times, but the problem didn’t just emerge from the blue. The growing rate of abuse of loperamide amongst the populace has been associated with the opioid epidemic which hit the United States some time ago.
Opioids are drugs classified as narcotics, which include heroin, which is used in the relief of pain. A few years ago, doctors prescribed these drugs as pain relievers indiscriminately, with little knowledge of their potential to be addictive and easily abused. Soon, a lot of people started to misuse the drug when they discovered that high doses of opioids gave a euphoric high which felt pleasant. Addiction to opioids caused dependence on the drug, and over time, there were increased symptoms of abuse. [3]
