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From: sdyer@bbncc5.UUCP (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Placebos (???) : Kaopectate & Diarrhea
Message-ID: <306@bbncc5.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 7-Dec-85 22:42:31 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncc5.306
Posted: Sat Dec  7 22:42:31 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Dec-85 03:44:20 EST
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Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA
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> 	WRONGO!
> 	Actually, Kaopectate is a very effective inhibitor of gut motility,
> which would correlate very well with its effect at stopping the symptoms of
> diarhhea.  Notice I say the symptoms.  If the diarhhea is caused by bacteria,
> stopping it with Kaopectate will make you feel good for awhile, but it will
> ultimately make the diarhhea worse and it last longer.

Huh?  Perhaps Craig could tell us what active component of Kaopectate
(the kaolin clay or the pectin or the water, perhaps) is a very effective
inhibitor of gut motility.  It would be news to me (and the investigators
who did the controlled studies).  Craig must obviously be confusing
Kaopectate with Parepectolin, which is Kaopectate+tincture of opium.
Tincture of opium, paregoric and other opiates like Lomotil and Imodium
all have a characteristic effect on the motility of the gut, which is
often used to advantage in controlling certain diarrheas.
-- 
/Steve Dyer
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