Metamucil ?

I take it right after breakfast and before dinner. I don't think the timing is too critical as long as it mixes with the food in your stomach. It bulks things up - I like to think of it as glue. Its behavior makes more sense if you see what happens to it in a glass if you don't drink it down.

Some physicians apparently advise drinking it with less water than instructed on the label. My physician did not make that recommendation, and I think reducing the water is bad advice, for several reasons. The product label points out that too little water creates a choking risk, it firms up fine with the recommended amount of water, and I don't think we should *ever* be restricting water to get firmer stools.

Hi,
and thanks Scott, have tried what you recommended and so far, first day seems good.
Regards
Bob

The reason why doctors usually recommend to take the Metamucil with less water than instructed on the package is because Metamucil is also used as a laxative. Taking it with the larger amount of water might have the opposite effect or increase your frequency. Just sayin'.

I use the natural Psyllium Husks that I buy at my local supermarket in the natural foods section. It is much cheaper than the Metamucil and does not contain all the sugar and other additives. I take 1 tbsp with meals and at bedtime. It does a great job at thickening stools. It looks like sawdust and is not water soluble so you just need to mix it with something else besides water or juice, like yogurt, honey or applesauce. I wash it down with a little water but then limit the amount of fluid for about an hour afterward.

Metamucil is certainly used by folks who are constipated, but it's *not* a laxative. All it does is affect the bulk and consistency of the stool. It generally seems to make things closer to the pudding-like consistency of psyllium husks after they've been sitting in water for a while, whether it started out hard or liquid. It's not absorbed, and doesn't seem to affect much besides stool consistency. It's best not to take meds at the same time, since some might bind to the psyllium (though not nearly as much as cholestyramine).

This shouldn't be a theoretical exercise bordering on religious dogma. This is a low cost, low risk experiment. Try it with less water for a day or three, and try it with more water, and see what works better for you. OTOH if you are prone to dehydration then you should be wary of *any* advice to limit fluids.

Curious...

Back before I was struck by UC, I used to take drugstore brand psyllium husk capsules every morning as a fiber supplement.

The doctor suggested using the powdered stuff with water, but I had trouble choking it down and the capsules seemed to work fine for me.

As I get closer to my takedown, I'm wondering if the capsules will still be beneficial, or if they don't work because of transit time or what not with the pouch.

thanks.

I have no experience with the capsules. Transit time may affect the absorption, I don't know. Scott may have some insight and chime in here.

I couldn't stand using water to take the dry stuff either. The applesauce or honey works best for me. It's not bad at all that way.

Some people report good results with the capsules. In my body they just don't work as well - they don't seem to mix adequately with everything else. They are the easiest low-calorie way to get psyllium. I find the sweetened *smooth texture* powder tolerable, though I don't sip and savor it, and it isn't my favorite way to consume sugar. I don't like artificial sweetener, but the powder comes that way, too. For a while I used the Metamucil wafers, and they worked just fine for me, too. It's not the best biscuit on the market, but some of the flavors are really okay. I haven't tried mixing the unflavored powder in food, but that might work great for you. My diet is already driven as much as I'm willing to tolerate by stuff to mix the VSL into.

So, consider how important the calories are, one way or the other, consider palatability, and mostly consider what seems to work best for you.

Scott, you seem to be very knowledgeable in everything I love reading your posts. on the topic of Metamucil it seems that when ever I try Metamucil or any kind of fiber pill it just makes me so bloated. Do you think it is because of all the scar tissue? The gastro told me I have a poor functioning pouch and because of all the problems I went thru during my surgeries it is too much of a risk to go thru another surgery. I don't know if I want to go back to an ileostomy. Now I just go and get dilated every few months and that seems to help for awhile. In fact I am going tomorrow for the procedure. your thoughts grace

Thanks.

As this is all trial and error, when the time comes, I'll try and see what works. I'm allergic to nutrasweet, so I tend to avoid all artificial sweeteners because the headaches are killers.

cheers.

Thank you for your kind words, Grace. If Metamucil makes you feel bloated, but you still want to try thickening your stool, you could 1) use smaller doses, possibly a bit more frequently, or 2) try one of the other thickeners (e.g. Benefiber or Citrucel) to see if you get a better result. When you have a stricture that needs to be dilated, only dilation will help. If you find a thickener/bulking agent you like, I suggest you pay attention to whether it starts to make you uncomfortable as dilation time approaches - thicker stool might have more trouble getting through a narrower opening.

ATXGuy, I avoid all artificial sweeteners on principle, but a Nutrasweet allergy probably wouldn't cause any problem with the other sweeteners, since they're chemically very different. OTOH I don't know if there's a fiber supplement artificially sweetened with anything other than Nutrasweet. Benefiber is very low in calories and might be easier to take unsweetened than psyllium.

Yeah...it's a taste thing. The nutrasweet reaction is so strong, that I react instantly to the flavor of all the artificial sweeteners.

But I appreciate the thoughts on the different sources. If I need it, I'll probably try the capsules first (I already have some in the house) and go from there).

cheers.

My son has had success in making his stools solid by using acacia fiber. He would not drink so we make our own capsules. He takes 5 at breakfast, 5 in late afternoon and 5 at bedtime. The acacia has no sweeteners or other ingredients.

I make a smoothie every morning with frozen strawberries, banana, blueberries, spinach, almond milk and a big Tablespoon of Metamucil. It is so great right away in the morning, and thickens things up perfectly! And I get my fruits(and spinach)in without the roughage from eating them whole!

I use the capsules and take them right before meals. I take 7 or8 before each meal, along with a couple immodium (and don't drink the extra water that is recommended), but most probably need less-I also have incontinence issues so REALLY need to bulk. The psyllium just absorbs a ton a water from your meal.

Start with a low dose and work your way up until you see what works for you. I like the capsules because they are easiest to take.

another two cents: I don't think I could live without my psyllium husks (what Metamucil is made from but without any flavour, sweetener etc). It seems I may take more than others as I am reading this but I find it helps provide bulk and form to the stool. I take a heaping teaspoon with a couple of ounces of water after each meal and then another before bed. I buy it in bulk (Bulk Barn) and the cost is much less than Metamucil. I find the taste of Metamucil really unpleasant (even the unflavoured kind - is too sweet). I have not had any trouble with bloating from psyllium.

I use both Metamucil and Psyllium husks. (OMG no, not at the same time :-)) I find that the Psyllium husks don't dissolve well in liquids and I can't handle the texture - like eating sawdust - so I mix mine with liquid honey, jam or peanut butter. I use the Metamucil in the morning 0 added to my fruit smoothie and I carry it in my purse to use when I am out somewhere because it is easier to deal with in a restaurant or friend's house than the "sawdust". But you are absolutely right, it is a lot cheaper and healthier without all the added sweeteners and doers a great job as a thickener.