going to try stopping imodium again

You can do either, quit or taper.

But, since you find that it helps in one aspect, it makes sense to me to just reduce the dose. A reasonable approach is to drop dosing to twice a day. I've been taking mine twice a day for more than a decade, and that schedule works well for me. I take it when I first get up in the morning and in the early evening (so approximately 6am and 6pm).

I increase my dose when traveling, but it does cause that thick, pasty stool you are talking about, and it is difficult for me to pass. So, I don't strive for that as a regular thing. I prefer a looser consistency, even if it means more trips to the restroom.

Jan

do slowing foods cause you the same problems or just the imodium?

I've never known a "slowing" food, just thickening. For me none the fiber supplements and no foods with soluble fiber slowed me at all. They actually increased my output by increasing the bulk. But, what they do is make stools easier to pass (yes you can strain even with diarrea because of the irritation it causes) and more comfortable by soaking up those bile acids that cause butt burn.

Jan