When immodium was prescription (early 1990s), it cost about $2/capsule. Presently, a box of 72 tablets is $4.39 at a local grocer, here in Houston, Tx.

Why? B/c so many people are afflicted with medical conditions, such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or HMS (hyper-motility syndrome), they [under physician's direction] take up to 16 or even more, each day.

Why else would you purchase a bottle of 72 pills for 'diarrhea'? Just how often have you experienced a bout of diarrhea this last year?

Loperamide is metabolized by the liver, which is the most significant concern as a patient's dose is increased.

This 'news' is NOT new news. Desperate opiate addicts have pursued highs off of massive doses for almost three decades, but the consequences of a single dose >100pills are catastrophic damage to liver and heart. I have YET to hear ONE account of someone that experienced euphoria from such an extreme dose.

I'm experienced in this arena and am outraged this 'news' has been sensationalized, as if it's a new abuse epidemic, while including unsubstantiated information (ie. 'poor man's methadone'; 'euphoria') experienced in high doses.

At least in Houston, Texas, this has not been, at any time, the case.

BUT NOW......guess what?

He says people abusing this drug will put a few hundred pills in a blender, make a smoothie and drink it.

Kids can afford to blow $15 to buy over 200 pills, and believing there's this legally accessible euphoria that compares to methadone or better is going to prove a repeat of history, after news articles presented information on achieving 'highs' by ingesting high amounts of dextromethorphan (DXM--a cough suppressant....the DM in robitussin DM).

This article will create more harm than any possible good. As they say, "once on the internet, it's forever". The convenience of a 200-pill smoothie that's tolerable, will destroy the lives of countless curious teens.

I wish this had NEVER been published.