[3] It is available in France (where it was first introduced in ~1990) and other European countries (including Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Finland, Russia and the Czech Republic) as well as most of South America and some South East Asian countries (including China, India and Thailand), but not in the United States.

[5] Racecadotril is used for the treatment of acute diarrhea in children and adults and has better tolerability than loperamide, as it causes less constipation and flatulence.

[6][7] Several guidelines have recommended racecadotril use in addition to oral rehydration treatment in children with acute diarrhea.

[9][10] There is insufficient data for the therapy of chronic diarrhea, for patients with renal or hepatic failure, and for children under three months.

Additional contraindications for the children's formulation are hereditary fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption and saccharase deficiency, as it contains sugar.

Enkephalins are peptides produced by the body that act on opioid receptors with preference for the δ subtype.

[11] Activation of δ receptors inhibits the enzyme adenylyl cyclase, decreasing intracellular levels of the messenger molecule cAMP.