Does taking over-the-counter medications such as Kaopectate or Imodium AD for irritable bowel syndrome cause your body to develop a higher tolerance for them, and lead to a need to take higher and higher doses to control the diarrhea?

Pat

There is a small possibility that you might develop a tolerance to these agents, but the chance of this is extremely low if you are not exceeding the recommended doses. Irritable bowel syndrome can be a difficult disease to treat, and the severity of symptoms may wax and wane; if your usual remedies seem to be less effective than usual, it may be that your disease is in a phase where it is more difficult to treat.

It is also possible that there is another cause of your diarrhea besides IBS -- perhaps an infection or inflammation of the colon. Over-the-counter remedies would not address these conditions. Ask your doctor.