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10 replies

muscle/tissue damage from long term metamucil?

J jeaneMember
Hi everyone,

For anyone on long term metamucil,has anyone seen the warning below?

Long-term abuse of laxatives can damage the nerves, tissues, and muscles of the bowel and intestines.

Can anyone comment on this and if they have been taking metamucil for a long period of time? I just recently started taking this twice a day and it has been a Godsend. I can empty my pouch without straining (I have a stricture at my anastomosis) and the wretched burning and anal pain/ulcers have subsided.

I am managing on 500mg of Cipro daily with metamucil and feel pretty good. I do have a message into my GI on this question.

I am scheduled for a balloon dilation next week and have told my GI about this treatment helping me (have not heard from him yet). I am going forward with the pouchoscopy/dilation but I am very nervous about having a balloon dilation as I do have a small ulcer on my anastomosis that has been there forever. I trust my GI will make the right choice based upon the state of my stricture, connection and how my anal canal looks at exam time, but I am still VERY nervous about this! I worry about perforation as the stricture is very tight, but with the metamucil add on I am passing stool much more easily now with no straining and this has helped all my anal issues in general. I am confused as to how to proceed at this time.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
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L liz11Member
jeane, relax.. you have to weight pros vs cons. If you are feeling better right now from your metamucial.. then that's a huge pro for you. So don't worry about what can happen 20years down the road. I have learned to stop reading all the drug pamphlets and just deal with "today". Accept that things will never be perfect. But if you can feel better for today.. then do what it is that will get you to that point.

I suspect your dilation will give you huge improvements. I had several in the past (prior to jpouch excision), in fact I had one after my jpouch was created and I still had a loop ileo. I had fabulous results. Just a day of feeling a bit poorly, but even with that, I went back to work the day after the outpatient surgery. So think positive. Mind over matter.
best wishes.
Jan DollarJan DollarModerator, RN, retired
quote:
Long-term abuse of laxatives can damage the nerves, tissues, and muscles of the bowel and intestines.


Jeane, that warning is for people with colons who are basically so dependent on laxatives that they are unable to have a bowel movement without them. It is NOT a warning for people like us with no colon to damage. What happens when the colon is exposed to stimulant laxatives over a long period of time is that the nerves that normally respond to stimulate the rectum to contract lose that ability. We have already lost that ability, because we have no rectum!

We use fiber supplements not to soften the stool, but to add substance.

So, try not to worry about that sort of stuff.

Jan Smiler
J jeaneMember
THANK YOU Jan!!!!! I can always count on you for a sound explanation and reassurance. It makes more sense now that you explained it! I am very happy about this as the metamucil is really helping me. I wish I tried this months ago (although the taste is repulsive).

I tried metamucil wafers awhile back but they are high in calories and not so great tasting.
Would benefiber do the same thing as that is tasteless and I did try it for awhile, but probably not long enough.

Thank you too Liz for your reassuring words. I hope next Wednesday goes ok. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Jan DollarJan DollarModerator, RN, retired
It might, but Benefiber is a different type of fiber supplement. It is wheat dextrin, so if you are wheat sensitive, it might be an issue, not sure though since it is very low in gluten. There is also Citrucel, Fibercon, and others, which are not psyllium. Even chia seeds are used by some with good results.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibre_supplements

Mainly, if you find something repulsive, you probably are less likely to stick with it.

Jan Smiler
J jeaneMember
Thanks for this Jan. It's interesting to see that fibre can interfere with penicillin. I wonder if other antibiotics are impacted as well.

Even though the taste of metamucil undesirable, if it helps alleviate even some of the anal discomfort I get from non formed, acidic stools it is well worth it. Also, it may allow me to keep my cipro at 500 mg a day which is a benefit. Finally, I do think the more bulk in the stool helps keep that stricture open and causes way less straining which as we know just repeats the whole cycle of pain, spasms, anal ulceration and pure misery.
TE MarieTE MarieMember
jeane, FYI try swallowing metamucil capsules (not the hard pills) instead of drinking the mixture. 5 capsules = one serving. I did 3 capsules 3 times a day for a long time. It is supposed to work better if we take in less fluid than instructed for coloned people. It soaks up more fluid in our j-pouches. I'm glad this is working out so well for you.

Both my husband and daughter are to use metamucil daily as they've had polyps in their colons so I don't think it is a danger to use unless it is abused. For example abuse would be when people take excessive daily laxatives to keep their weight too low.
Scott FScott FMember
For some folks the capsules don't mix well with the poop (depending on things like transit time and consistency). Pay attention to whether you see little pockets of former capsules - that's why I abandoned them.

Also: I believe you can get unflavored psyllium husk (maybe Konsyl rather than Metamucil). You could then make it palatable in whatever way works best for you, though it might take a little fussing.
TE MarieTE MarieMember
I use the clear capsules not the hard pill type ones. Like the prescription Imodium, Loperamide 2MG capsules, work better than the OTC Imodium. They get into my system quicker.

If it causes a problem then you are right, don't use them. I'm suggesting an alternative to drinking it. I found myself not taking it as often as I should and these were the answer for me.

Side note, I love the prescription Loperamide because it allows me to tell how much I need to take because it gets into my system faster. The OTC Imodium takes longer to take effect and there were many times I would get too much in my system without realizing it. I would end up with difficult stools too to pass. If any of you have a problem like this you might want ask for a Loperamide prescription.

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