i guess i'm still not clear on how our bodies work. so, as i understand it, when you take immodium, it slows down your motility i.e., the poop itself is MADE more slowly.
what happens with fiber supplements? is it that the poop that is already made and sitting there becomes more solidified? or does it do anything in the poop creation process?
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Fiber absorbs fluid. It thickens stool, like cornstarch thickens pudding. Thicker stool is easier to retain and causes less burn. It does not slow the gut or reduce bowel movements at all.
Jan 
In folks with colons, soluble fiber (like Metamucil) is chiefly used to treat constipation - the opposite of its purpose for J-pouchers. So it tends to thicken a J-poucher's loose output from the ileum (the end of the small intestine), but it helps hold water in the colon a create a softer consistency (for non-J-pouchers).
Bowel slowers, like Imodium, just slow the movement of food residue from the stomach to the J-pouch. It will all eventially get there, though. I use Lomotil (another bowel slower) only at night, and I tend to get a good, uninterrupted night's sleep. I don't really want to slow it down during the day, unless I'm going someplace where using the toilet is a real nuisance, since I want to be done pooping at bedtime. The key, I think, is pouch capacity: as long as your pouch can hold 1/4 of your day's output, you'll tend to go at least four times daily (except for preventive measures, like using the toilet before going out). If your pouch can hold 1/8 of your day's output, you'll go at least 8 times daily. It's key to try to to get to a state in which your pouch has sufficient capacity to let you ignore it most of the time.
I have a j-pouch but don't use it because of complications so I have a loop ileo. It has been this way for almost 10 years. I do not normally eat too much food with fiber in it, i.e. pineapple, celery, etc. I received a Nutribullet (www.nutribullet.com) for Christmas and would like to know if this method of pulverising/extracting will tend to cause fiber blockages or if it is all right to use it.
Jim
