Is Loperamide (Imodium) banned in India?

Loperamide slows the gut and is the standard over-the-counter antidiarrhoeal in most countries; in India it is a Schedule H prescription drug sold as Imodium, Lopamide, Eldoper and generics. It is not banned for adults.

We have found no Section 26A notification against loperamide. It is not on the CDSCO's list of banned drugs, which does include some older antidiarrhoeal products such as kaolin-pectin combinations and furazolidone combinations, and it is not in any of the FDC ban waves. The question that remains open, and that our plan flags for verification, is whether India has issued a specific restriction on loperamide in children. Several countries prohibit it under two, four or six years because it can cause paralytic ileus, severe drowsiness and breathing problems in infants, and Indian labels carry a similar contraindication. Whether that contraindication rests on a Gazette notification or only on the product label should be confirmed before this page is treated as final.

For practical purposes the answer is the same either way. Adults with simple diarrhoea can use loperamide for a short course as prescribed, and should not use it when there is fever or blood in the stool. Children with diarrhoea should be given oral rehydration solution and zinc, and seen by a doctor; loperamide is not part of paediatric treatment in India regardless of the regulatory paperwork.