Definition

This is poisoning from overdose of antidiarrheal agents containing diphenoxylate or atropine.

Poisonous Ingredient

  • Diphenoxylate
  • Atropine

Where Found

  • Lomotil
  • Diphenatol
  • Lofene
  • Logen
  • Lomanate
  • Lonox
  • Lo-Trol
  • Nor-Mil
Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms

Note: Symptoms may take up to 12 hours to appear

Home Treatment

Usually, the normal treatment is to make the person throw up. However, DO NOT do this if the patient is unconscious or having convulsions. Contact Poison Control to verify that is the correct treatment.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

  • Patient's age, weight, and condition
  • Name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
  • Time it was swallowed
  • Amount swallowed
  • Name of the medication prescribed for the patient

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room

The patient may receive:

  • Gastric lavage
  • Activated charcoal
  • Laxative
  • Narcotic-counteracting drug (antagonist), approximately every 30 minutes

Expectations (prognosis)

Most patients will normally recover with treatment and 24 hours of monitoring. However, fatalities may occur in young children.

Review Date:3/2/2006
Reviewed By: Janeen R. Azare, PhD, MSPH, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-KetteringCancer Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.