Fiber

A lot of people on here take Metamucil, maybe possibly give that a try?

I find oatmeal thickens stuff up for me. Oatmeal is a probitoc booster and jas many health benefits, I think that would be great to use

I go 14-20x a day to the bathroom. I am happy with it and at peace with it. I know not everyone is the same, I hope everything works out for you

I do not have experience with Fort Lauderdale, Florida but I have plenty of experience with Baycare In Tampa at St. Joseph. Anyone of those doctors are great if you do not mind driving to the St Joseph Area in Tampa or Lutz. They are highly experienced with J-pouches Good luck friend

I am only 7 months post take down.  Fiber has been a blessing for me so far....  not as fun to take as super sweet cupcakes but the outcome has been good for me. As for frequency fiber has not cut down on my trips to the toilet...( I am like Lauren..14+ per day). I tried Imodium but found that it made me strain to empty so I stopped using it. It did get me down to 11 to 14 per day but for me not worth the strain. I live in California so can’t help with any doc recommendations but if you find anything that helps with frequency please post as I will try anything to get a break from the relentless life.....”always poopin” as my father calls me...lol

@Al P posted:

I have tried konsyl with some success. Doesn’t seem to reduce frequency. But does thicken a bit.I read good reviews on Heather’s tummy powder. Any advice from fellow J pouchers? I really wish I could reduce my frequency.
lomotil and Imodium no longer seem to work as well as it had in the past.

Also need a GI in Fort Lauderdale Florida area well-versed in Jpouch

Thank you . AP

Hello,

Thanks for the info about Heathers Tummy Fiber, never heard of it before, I’m gonna try it. Konsyl no longer works for me either.  Almost all OTC meds do not work slowing my frequency down any longer. I take 1/2 of a vicodin to help slow it down, it seems to work the best for me.

@Ryan138 posted:

I am only 7 months post take down.  Fiber has been a blessing for me so far....  not as fun to take as super sweet cupcakes but the outcome has been good for me. As for frequency fiber has not cut down on my trips to the toilet...( I am like Lauren..14+ per day). I tried Imodium but found that it made me strain to empty so I stopped using it. It did get me down to 11 to 14 per day but for me not worth the strain. I live in California so can’t help with any doc recommendations but if you find anything that helps with frequency please post as I will try anything to get a break from the relentless life.....”always poopin” as my father calls me...lol

100% agree!!! Loperamide did the same thing to me as well!!! I love your jokes too Ryan XD

I tried All-bran cereal from Kellogg’s a few days ago, and it dropped my frequency significantly. I ate a 1.5 cup bowl with milk, and I heated the cereal in the microwave for a minute, as I usually do with harder cereals.

However, I read here on this forum that all-bran gave some pouchers terrible obstruction! So be careful! I guess I did not have issues because I heated it like instant oatmeal, and it was easy to chew.

One member said that their Dr recommended only 1/3 cup a day. So, I ate 1/3 cup today again heated, it did not make a huge difference in frequency. You might try different amounts, and methods with/without milk, heated/cold, but be careful not to get an obstruction! Chew it very well.

After my experience with all-bran cereal, I searched “bran” on this website, and saw a member writing about “Smart bran” cereal. I will see how that one will work. It has multiple bran types from different sources.

There are many fiber supplements out there, for both water soluble and insoluble forms, like Metamucil or Citrucel. I don’t like eating fiber in a supplement form, it feels like a duty. So I am trying to find something that is a real meal and includes what I need. I hope I can make it work with bran cereals, as they have both water insoluble and soluble fiber, and I like the taste. They can also be added in other baked goods.  I hope this helps.

Experimentation with fiber is very useful for folks to find out what works best for them. Psyllium is actually 70% soluble fiber and 30% insoluble fiber. Here’s some more detail from a Mayo publication:

”Fiber is classified as soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibers are more fermentable and may cause gas. Insoluble fibers move through the digestive system largely intact, and that can increase stool bulk.

Most fiber supplements are exclusively soluble or insoluble fiber. For example, FiberCon (calcium polycarbophil) and Benefiber (wheat dextrin) are mainly soluble fiber. They tend to cause more bloating and flatulence. Citrucel (methylcellulose) is mainly insoluble fibers that are nonfermentable, so it’s less likely to contribute to bloating and gas. Psyllium husk (Metamucil and Konsyl) is rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.”