Yep, it's the same thing as Metamucil. Just remember to increase gradually. Also note, that for some people it is an irritant and can be purgative (cause diarrhea) and cause gas. If that happens, you'll need to stop it and try something else, such as methycellulose, apple pectin, or chia seeds.
Jan
Take a deep breath and relax; this too will pass.
Posts: 14415 | Location: Fremont, CA, USA | Registered: April 07, 2000
Just remember not to take the fluids they harp on about taking. You could try the following dosage: one tablespoon mixed in with yoghurt or sprinkled over breakfast cereal. You can also make a fruit smoothie and just bung a tablespoon of the husks in there. Like Jan says, start with a little and just build up till you find the dosage that works for you. In my experience, it's amazing stuff. If you like oatmeal, I can recommend a spoon of the husks mixed into oatmeal porridge. Works very well.
"Today I'm 51 % sweetheart and 49 % dragon*. So don't push it. (*Percentages subject to change without notice.)"
Posts: 1235 | Location: Norway | Registered: February 08, 2007
I notice the effect immediately. Literally. If I have the husks on yoghurt for breakfast, my BMs will be ok at about lunchtime. Sorry to be graphic here...but the output slows down straight away, and the BMs become formed and sting/burn much less than they would without the husks. The husks form a kind of thick gel when they mix with fluid (in the yoghurt and in your digestive system) so that's the consistency when you go to the loo. (Hmmm...was this more info than you needed?! ) If the husks don't work, I'd seriously give the DIY metamucil wafers a try since they are by far the most effective for me. If they do work for you it's so worth the effort making them. If you bake up a batch of those and they don't work within a few hours, then I'd say psyllium doesn't work for you. I eat about 4 of my homemade wafers each day. (I make them about the size of half a Ryvita crispbread.)
"Today I'm 51 % sweetheart and 49 % dragon*. So don't push it. (*Percentages subject to change without notice.)"
Posts: 1235 | Location: Norway | Registered: February 08, 2007
Hi Manchester, Don't blame you for being confused! Since we can't get Metamucil wafers, it's hard to mimic the dosage that everyone else talks about. When I talk about the husks, I mean the pale, powdery stuff that you can buy in plastic tubs or cardboard cartons. It's ground psyllium husks. That's what I mix with muesli or oatmeal if I've run out of my homemade wafers. (Not always I can be bothered to make a new batch and then I use the husks in the meantime.) The wafers that you can get in the US seem to be very efficient, but since they're impossible to get hold of here, I make my own based on what I saw was in the Metamucil wafers (I googled the contents on the net). So if I have homemade wafers lying here, I eat about 4-6 per day (depending on greed levels) and they keep my BMs semi- solid. My wafers are made primarily of ground oats, a little plain flour (which I substitute some of for ground husks, for extra effect) and....whole psyllium seeds. They're little brown things that look like cumin seeds. They really seem to be the deciding factor since the homemade wafers work so much better than any other psyllium product for me. If I have wafers to hand, I don't need the husks in addition.
"Today I'm 51 % sweetheart and 49 % dragon*. So don't push it. (*Percentages subject to change without notice.)"
Posts: 1235 | Location: Norway | Registered: February 08, 2007