Sooo, opiates have an anti-diarrhea action by slowing down the intestines/Bowel movements, which is why they cause constipation.
Loperamide is an opiate that acts locally (and probably via the bloodstream too) on the intestines, but doesn’t get into the brain, so you get the anti-diarrhea effects without pain relief/getting high/slow breathing of opiates.
Some randos on the internet believe that you could consume a bottle of loperamide and overcome that inability to get into the brain. In theory that’s true (since the brain barrier is actively pumping it back out and there’s gotta be a limit to that rejection), but I don’t think it’s worked out in practice other than causing massive constipation.
The article touches on this:
> In future studies it has to be explored, for example, how loperamide can be transported into the brain and cross the blood-brain barrier.
> Nanoparticles might be a feasible option.
But it remains to be seen what opiate-like effects it would have on the brain if it got through.
For a short-term treatment, this could be managed/mitigated. Mechanically (this machine will breathe for you while we knock out your drive to breathe) or chemically: an opiate-antagonist (naloxone infusion or naltrexone tablets). Whether this would counteract the effect of loperamide remains to be seen.
I also wonder what made loperamide special or if opiates in general would have the same effect. It would be interesting to see if long-term opiate users get this particular tumour less.
Loperamide is an opiate that acts locally (and probably via the bloodstream too) on the intestines, but doesn’t get into the brain, so you get the anti-diarrhea effects without pain relief/getting high/slow breathing of opiates.
Some randos on the internet believe that you could consume a bottle of loperamide and overcome that inability to get into the brain. In theory that’s true (since the brain barrier is actively pumping it back out and there’s gotta be a limit to that rejection), but I don’t think it’s worked out in practice other than causing massive constipation.
The article touches on this:
> In future studies it has to be explored, for example, how loperamide can be transported into the brain and cross the blood-brain barrier. > Nanoparticles might be a feasible option.
But it remains to be seen what opiate-like effects it would have on the brain if it got through.
For a short-term treatment, this could be managed/mitigated. Mechanically (this machine will breathe for you while we knock out your drive to breathe) or chemically: an opiate-antagonist (naloxone infusion or naltrexone tablets). Whether this would counteract the effect of loperamide remains to be seen.
I also wonder what made loperamide special or if opiates in general would have the same effect. It would be interesting to see if long-term opiate users get this particular tumour less.