Metamucil

I like the wafers best. Multigrain apple flavor.

Metamucil does help add bulk and also promotes regularity. It also cleans the lining of the intestine as it moves along, thereby theoretically reducing the amount of bacteria clinging to the lining, which bacterial clusters are going to be what precipitates the immune response which causes IBD. Metamucil, or other fiber products, therefore has multiple benefits for the user.

I have never heard this theory. Where did you hear this?

quote:

It also cleans the lining of the intestine as it moves along, thereby theoretically reducing the amount of bacteria clinging to the lining, which bacterial clusters are going to be what precipitates the immune response which causes IBD.

Sue

Is benefiber the same. I been tryin it in foods for my sond water but doesnt help to stoparrhea. He has 20 bm a day and on diapers.

i have heard fiber prevents diverticulitis, but not IBD...

I read it somewhere, can't remember where, and I am not sure it was specific to metamucil. What I read is that fiber supplements like metamucil assist those with IBD by soaking up extra liquid in the intestine as it moves along, and in so doing, reduces the lining of the intestine to the amount of bacteria that creates the bad autoimmune response. That is the theory anyway.

It seems to me that if metamucil or fiber removed bacteria, it would be removing both the good and bad bacteria. So how does that effect the autoimmune response if we are supposed to be relying on positive bacteria?

Sue

I have no idea. I read a theory on how it helps IBD and am merely repeating what I read. I suppose that less bacteria, good and bad, may be better than a lot of bad bacteria. But I don't know. There are many theories out there about what helps or does not help IBD.

I would also say that this theory is at least consistent with my experience taking antibiotics vs. not being on antibiotics the past 17 years......I have fended off IBD symptoms while taking antibiotics, but failed to do so every single time I went cold turkey onto probiotics. That is not theory, it's fact............

I also believe that one cannot manage pouchitis without antibiotics and simply relying on probiotics will not be effective. I've not met a single chronic PI sufferer who has succeeded in probiotic therapy and been able to toss out antibiotics.

I don't believe pouchitis is merely a bacteria issue and tend to think that most pouchitis sufferers are really Crohn's patients, or some other subset of IBD that is not UC, and possibly not identified. Why antibiotics work for treating it is a mystery to me.

I think that the benefits of fiber, for treating IBD have more to do with prohibiting constipation, and encouraging motility, rather than eliminating gut bacteria. I don't buy into the bacteria issue is a cause of UC. But who knows, since there is so little known about IBD.

Sue

Does Metamucil cause gas in everyone? I have gas issues but not every day so I don't know if I can pinpoint it to metamucil. It's so weird with the jpouch recovery as every day is different it's so hard to know what works and what doesn't. I even keep a journal but still has no rhyme or reason. I am hoping the up and down days end and it's mostly uphill.

C.

Chrfor, I take it twice a day; a tablespoon full in the morning before I leave for work; another in the evening before I go to bed.

I just mix it with a glass of water and chug it. I prefer the orange flavor. I've tried and like the wafers/cookies, but I find the stuff sticks to my teeth. I've also tried the pills and thought they were fine; I just prefer the mix.

While I sometimes get that bloated/gassy feeling, I've never felt like it came from the Metamucil.

I hope this helps. Prayers & Best Wishes, Steve

Thanks Steve. I take it twice a day too. I take the pills - couldn't stand the powder. It does seem to bulk up the stool so I guess that's a good thing.

Sounds like you are happy with your jpouch. That's awesome to hear!

Christine

Does anyone get cramping from Metamucil? I just started taking the waffers and also papaya extract and my bowel movements are thicker but I have more stomach cramping...any thoughts?
Linds

I love metamucil -- it cut my bathroom trips by 1/2 when I started. I take 1 tablespoon of the powder in 4 oz. water twice a day - after my first and last meals of the day. I recently tried the generic brand, and it also worked well (although I only do this once and a while if I forget to take a little container of the real stuff when I'm out.) It hasn't made me gassy or cramp so far - but I'm sure everyone has a different experience with it.