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. India has not issued a specific Gazette restriction on loperamide in children that we can find. 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. That contraindication rests on the product label rather than on a Gazette notification.

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.