Psyllium Husks

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DustyKat

DustyKat

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Well Roo is home for a few days and for the first time since her operation she had lunch with me while we were out. I thought okay what's changed (Roo has Short Bowel Syndrome), well she has been using natural psyllium husks as a way of bulking up her stool. She did try Metamucil a couple of years ago as suggested by her GI but it did not agree with her. Seems just the raw psyllium husks you buy in the health food section at the supermarket are just the ticket for her.

She just adds a pinch to coffee or if she is eating out ensures she has something with a sauce or gravy and sprinkles it on top. :thumleft:

Dusty. :)
 
saw them at the grocery store today...maybe I only noticed them b/c I read your post. How do they work?
 
Since Roo has chronic diarrhoea from not being able to absorb bile salts and reabsorb some water back into her body, the psyllium husks take that fluid up making her stools more bulky.

When she tried Metamucil, primarily psyllium husk, a couple of years ago it caused her pain and cramping so I wonder if it had something to do with the additives that they use in the commercial product........(((shrug))).

I always find it a bit ironic that Metamucil is marketed at the eldery to keep them regular but unless you drink a lot a water it sets like cement your gut! Well not really that bad but you get the picture, it tends to constipate.

Dusty. :)
 
DustyKat said:
Since Roo has chronic diarrhoea from not being able to absorb bile salts and reabsorb some water back into her body, the psyllium husks take that fluid up making her stools more bulky.

When she tried Metamucil, primarily psyllium husk, a couple of years ago it caused her pain and cramping so I wonder if it had something to do with the additives that they use in the commercial product........(((shrug))).

I always find it a bit ironic that Metamucil is marketed at the eldery to keep them regular but unless you drink a lot a water it sets like cement your gut! Well not really that bad but you get the picture, it tends to constipate.

Dusty. :)
Click to expand...

That's really interesting.. I also had pains/cramping from Metamucil and never considered trying psyllium husks because of that.

Will definitely try psyllium husks now,

Thanks Dusty
 
I see what your getting at but I guess any absorption issues would depend on the amount of inflammation or scarring you have. Whether slowing the elimination process down has a significant effect well I don't know. Certainly in Roo's case it would have no effect because she has had her terminal ileum removed.

Dusty. :)
 
@ winemaker. Keep us posted, I would be interested to know how it goes for you. Good luck!!!

Dusty. :)
 
I have the same problem as Roo, having had 11 feet of colon/lower intestine removed many years ago. I am trying to bulk up my stool using Psyllium. Living in the Philippines, I cannot buy the husks, only the commercial product (which says no sweeteners or additives). Following their directions, I have been taking it with water soon after I get up in the morning. Horrible taste/texture. This is the 3rd day and though there has been a very minimal improvement in the bulk to date, (I know, it's still early), I had to sit up most of last night, not daring to go to sleep. This happens only very rarely with me.

I am also somewhat confused (at age 71, that's nothing new, lol), because the write-ups for psyllium on the various med sites, tout it as an aid to cure both diarrhea and constipation. I havn't had constipation this century, so thats the last thing I need.

Very interested in Roo's method of intake. From what you posted, she does not take it all in one daily dose but spreads it throughout the day by taking a "pinch' with various foods or drinks. Is this correct and does that work?

I'll push on with psyllium for at least a few more days and let you know the outcome.
 
Hey Philfun,

I read in one of your other posts that you are unable to obtain Questran in the Philippines, that is a shame because it may well be the drug of choice for you. I know it worked for Sarah but she found it too unpalatable and so refused to take it.

Sarah's resection isn't anywhere near as extensive as yours so I'm not sure what sort of results you will get. She doesn't just take it in the morning and the amount she takes has been a fair bit of trial and error but it is two pinches each time. My son has recently had surgery and his resection was quite conservative but I note he also is using psyllium...two pinches in a glass of orange juice. He seems to take it on a needs be basis. He may have one lot prior to going to school and then another lot if he is going out in the evening.

I must also mention that Sarah has moved to a Vegan diet and I think this may also be benefiting her. She also avoids all oils, whether they be used for cooking or on salads.

Experiment a little as I think the results wouldn't be a matter of time but rather hitting on the right amount if it is going to work.

Good luck!

Dusty. xxx
 
Just taken my psyllium on the 4th day. Only went to the bathroom three times yesterday. Slept all through last night and had no problems. Very promising. About to go on my daily walk, which I missed yesterday. (Keep to the same route which passes the houses of a couple of friends in case of an 'emergency'. lol). Will keep you updated.
 
Hi Janny. Why should I go to a doctor? On this IBD matter I have done okay without going to a doctor for the last 20 years, just using common sense and the knowledge/experience of my own body. My experience with doctors in America has all been bad and all they have ever managed to do is to send me for tests and lighten my wallet. Most of the advice they gave me was bad, and based on the experience of other people, I am thankful I ignored most of it.
 
Hey Philfun,

Janny was a spammer so I have deleted the post.

Fab to hear that you had some positive results with the psyllium! I will be interested to see if it gives you some lasting results. :)

@lifesover - Did I read somewhere that you were using psyllium in capsule/tablet form? If so I don't have any experience or knowledge with how that goes absorbing bile salts. The psyllium husks my daughter uses are the natural type, they look a bit like a powdery substance.

Dusty. xxx
 
Hi Dusty,

Day 4 was good - only 3 trips to the bathroom (noon, 6pm & immediately prior to bed), and slept through the night again. Stool is firmer but still soft so at the moment it's very promising. (The main reason I want to firm up my stool, is so that I can sleep through the night without fear of leakage while I am totally relaxed. Since starting the psyllium 4 days ago, I have managed that for the last 2 consecutive nights, after one initial bad night.)

The psyllium I am taking is not in capsule form - it is a 5 gm packet of powder mixed into a cup of warm water. Today I started to mix in a little cranberry juice to improve the taste, but the texture is still horrible. It is sold here (Philippines) as "Fibro-Lium Psyllium Fiber" at about 20 cents (U.S.) per 5gm pack. It says on the pack that it is 100% Psyllium Husk imported from India, so maybe it is virtually the same husk that Roo buys. I take the full dose first thing in the morning. Later, I may experiment taking a "pinch" with food during the day, like Roo, but I want to see how this works for a month or so first.

Never thought, in my younger days, I'd be excited about having thicker sh-t. Lol.
 
Ahahahaha, I bet you didn't!

It's so good to hear that things are well and truly in positive territory, long may it continue!

Dusty. xxx
 
Just posted more on my Psyllium experience in a post entitled 'Surprise Healing'. I even had a new experience after using it for 3 months - constipation. Have experimented for the last 7 days by not taking it, and have had no detrimental effects. I will have no problems going back on it, if I need to - it has definitely improved my quality of life.
 
Thanks for the update Phil! :)

So fab to hear that they have worked so well for you! YAY!

Dusty. :)
 
I decided to try psyllium husk after seeing this and wanted to share my experience. I didn't want to deal with powders/drinks, so I got the pill form. Each pill is 500mg. They recommend 1-3 pills/day. I started taking 1 and within 2-3 days, I went from 7-8 BMs/day down to 3. It doesn't help firm things up, though. I did this for a week, then decided to up it to 2/day. This ended very badly for me. BMs increased to 8-10/day and I was bleeding heavily (a symptom that had gone away months ago).

I stopped taking it completely after making the connection to my increase and within 1-2 days was back to 7-8 BMs and no blood. I added it back a few days ago at 1/day and I'm down to 6 BMs/day. I'm starting Remicade tomorrow, so I won't really know if the psyllium husk helps any further.
 
Hi Chrisnsteph. Sorry Psyllium didn't appear to work for you. I would have used the powder rather than the pills as I think the powder is absorbed into the body more easilly and pills may cause irritation. Good luck with the Remicade.
 
Update:

Sarah is home at present so I asked how many times a day she was pooping and the consistency, nice ay? :lol:

Anyway, she usually only goes once a day, in the morning, and it is solid. If she has a big eating day she will go in the evening as well, and again it is solid.

Sounds good to me! :)

Dusty. xxx
 
Hello, I started taking Psyllium Husk capsules a few months back but had the problem that I regurgitated them a few hours afterward.... very weird because it could happen up to 10 hours after I took them and they came up from the stomach to my mouth effortless and were covered in some weird slimy texture.

I suspected that my body was afraid or allergic to the husk or even the capsules themselves. I've tried searching for information on this and can't find a thing and the doctors here in Iceland are calling me an alien ....

I don't suspect that anyone here has ever heard a similar story?

Thanks :)
Huni
 
Hi Huni,

Welcome to the forum. Have you ever tried psyllium in non-capsule form? I don't know what's available where you are, but in the U.S. you can buy it where bulk foods and health foods are sold. It might be worth a try.

I find I have trouble digesting the Welchol my doctor prescribed me. It works best if I take it at the beginning of a meal. Digesting the other food helps move it along I think. But it still sometimes gives me reflux.
 
I decided to try psyllium husks (not capsules, the kind you mix into a glass of water) today. I was at the health food store to get some almond butter and I always go down the vitamin aisle in case there's anything I need. I saw psyllium in that aisle and remembered that Dusty is always saying how well her daughter is doing on it, so I decided to give it a try. I'm just going to start with one tablespoon in a glass of water once a day and see how that goes, maybe increase my psyllium intake if need be. Although I'm in remission, and not having d any longer, I'm still having some issues with frequency (I still go anywhere from 4 to 10+ times per day). I'm hoping psyllium can help in that regard. I'll post my progress. So far so good, I drank my first glass a few hours ago and no cramping or issues yet. The psyllium made my glass of water look like pond water, but it didn't really taste like anything so it's certainly something I can drink daily.
 
Psyllium powder achieved exactly that for me, within a few days. I started about 6 months ago and my daily visits to the bathroom went down to 1 and sometimes 0. I have found a good balance if I take a 5gm packet of the powder every third day, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I hate the texture but I flavor it with a bit of cranberry juice to mask the taste. Psyllium has certainly made my daily life easier.
 
Philfun, that's great that it worked so quickly for you! I'm on day 2, just drank my glass of water with psyllium. I can't tell yet if it's working but I hope so. I do find that it helps me mentally to put it in an opaque glass, so that I can't easily see what I'm drinking. I had it in a clear glass yesterday and the look of my drink was just gross! I had it in an opaque glass today and I found myself drinking it quicker and easier with less "yuck" factor. A straw helps too. I might try adding a packet of Crystal Light to it next time to see if that makes it better too.
 
Hi Cat-a-Tonic. Surprised you could drink your Psyllium through a straw. After mixing the 5 gm dosage that I take in a cup (5gm psyllium powder plus a small amount of warm water plus a roughly equal amount of Cranberry juice and stirring vigorously), the mixture is a little thick to drink thru a straw. I just open my throat and gulp it down, followed by a biscuit (just like a child taking medicine, lol). I hate the texture, especially if it clogs together a bit, but it is sure worth it. There are two brands sold here - C-Lium Fibre & Fibroleum - in 5gm sachets costing about 22 US cents per sachet. I much prefer the Fibroleum as it mixes better. Good luck for quick results.
 
Okay, I'm learning quickly here. Today I learned that you can NOT mix psyllium into tea (or probably any hot beverage). The past two days I mixed the psyllium into a glass of water and drank it with a straw. The psyllium seems to settle to the bottom of the glass really fast so I continually stirred it with the straw. Today, I thought I'd try mixing it in to my chamomile tea. Bad idea! I had no straw to mix it with, so it all settled to the bottom of the mug and stayed there, and formed into this mass. I couldn't break it up! I ended up picking it out of my mug and throwing it away. From now on I'll just mix it into water with a straw as that seems to work best!

Oh, and I think it's definitely helping with my frequency issues. Yesterday I only poo'ed twice - today, so far, I haven't gone at all. That's a major difference! As long as it doesn't constipate me I'll be totally happy to continue on with psyllium (just not in tea).
 
Philfun, I can easily drink it through a straw. I wonder if there's different types of psyllium? The kind I got is the Whole Foods store brand (I don't have the container in front of me but it seemed pretty generic). I just mix one teaspoon into a glass of water, stir it well (and keep stirring as I drink it) and it's got the consistency of water. As I said in my other post, it did thicken up into a globby mass when I mixed it into hot tea, so maybe temperature matters?
 
Sounds promising Cat!

I know Sarah mixes it in her coffee in the mornings but I think she has a swizzle stick, like the plastic stirring sticks you get at take away places, that she uses. Some does settle at the bottom but I guess she has the amount she uses down pat so that what does settle at the bottom doesn't matter. :)

Dusty. xxx
 
Thanks Dusty, I think I have some swizzle sticks somewhere, I'll have to search for them. I probably won't try psyllium in a hot beverage again (don't drink coffee anyway) as it was really quite gross to see that goopy mass in the bottom of my tea. It doesn't appear to congeal like that in cool water so I'll stick with water for my psyllium for now.

Oh, I forgot to say earlier - this morning I showed hubby my container of psyllium and told him it's a new thing I'm trying (he works weekends so he wasn't home the first couple times I had psyllium). He was impressed and he said that psyllium can lower cholesterol as well, which I did not know. It seemed like hubby is interested in trying psyllium as well! 3 days in and I've already created a convert, ha ha. :)
 
Hi Cat. I add a small amount of hot water to the Psyllium without stirring, then immediately about the same amount of 'room temperature' water, then immediately the same amount of cranberry juice mix containing "15% juice" according to the container. Then I stir it with a teaspoon. It gets to a liquid that is thickish but just short of congealing. Then I just open my throat and drink it down in as few gulps as I can. Hardly any settles & sticks to the bottom of the cup. If it totally congeals into a solid mass, as it has done a couple of times, I throw it away and start again. Anyway, however you take it, as long as it works is good. I would rather get it over with, first thing in the morning just before coffee, than mix the Psyllium with food or drinks throughout the day. When I started, I was taking 1 5gm powder a day. After a couple of months it did cause constipation - only 1 trip to the bathroom every 2 days or so, but still with soft (not watery) stool. I currently have adjusted to 1 powder every 3 days, which seems to work for me. Good luck.
 
O.K. I'm getting in on the Psyllium craze (lol). I've been doing questran for a year and a half now . Had to experiment a bit to find the right dosage, and following each dose with 4 or 5 Tums seems to work well. But I'm going to try the psyllium husks, as an addition. Had my first spoonful with some icedtea. Went down pretty smooth actually. I'll keep posting my results... hope I don't come off looking ...Psilly !!
 
I wouldn't have it in a hot beverage either Cat! Ewwwwww. :lol:

Good to see things things have continued to work well for you Phil! :)

Good luck Simon and welcome to the club! :ybiggrin:

I should have mentioned Cat, since I didn't state it elsewhere in the thread, not to take any medication/supplements 1 hour before or two hours after taking the psyllium.

Dusty. xxx
 
Hi Dusty. When taking Psyllium powder, what are the reasons for not taking any supplements 1 hour before or 2 hours after?
 
Yes, it actually specifies that on the bag of husks that i bought, and of course its on the literature that comes with the questran. time management becomes somewhat of a logistical nightmare sometimes with all the meds...now I take this now, and then i have to take 4 of those in....! aaarrrgh! LOL
 
Oh! Thanks Dusty and David for that info! Fortunately it's only day 4 of my psyllium experiment but I'm sure the first 3 days I probably did take it within an hour or two of taking my meds. One of the downsides of Asacol is that I have to take it 3x per day so this will be interesting! I think I have it figured out though. Glad I learned this info early on and didn't screw up my meds too badly! Now that I think about it, I wonder if Asacol would be screwed up? It's got that special coating where it doesn't release until after it gets to the TI/colon. I also take Nexium which is extended-release and works for 24 hours, I wonder if it was affected by the psyllium or if the coating somewhat protected it? At any rate, better safe than sorry and I will make sure no meds 1 hour before or 2 hours after the psyllium! Thanks again for the info!
 
I think you will be fine Cat. :) I have looked at many articles regarding Questran and the medications that are affected when used in conjunction with it and the list isn't very long and it doesn't contain IBD meds but that could just be that no research has been done on them. Since psyllium has the same effect as Questran it is just safer to make the assumption that any medication/supplement has the ability to be affected and so avoid consuming them with or close to the time psyllium is taken.

Dusty. :)
 
Thanks Dusty! I appreciate all your knowledge and info. :)

I'm just about to drink my psyllium and it's day 4. I am not constipated but I'm also not going as much. I think I've gone twice so far today and 3 or 4 times yesterday. I'm used to going 4-10+ times per day and averaging about 7x daily so this is a welcome change! In the future I might increase the psyllium a bit to try to bring my average down even more but for now I'll stick with 1 teaspoon per day until I know what I'm doing and have established a pattern.
 
Oh dear. I have been pooing more than I would have liked the past couple days, as some stressful situations have been getting to me and making my guts upset. Today I figured, what the heck, I'll increase my psyllium dose to try to cut down on the # of BMs. Mistake! I took 2 teaspoons instead of 1. I've been crampy and bloated and a bit nauseous ever since. I just feel blah and no appetite either, and even drinking water is sending the cramps into overdrive. Duly noted, I will stick with 1 teaspoon and continue trying to deal with the stress through rest and exercise!
 
Thanks for the update Cat. I know you have had some awful things going on...:hug:...I hope they settle soon as does your gut.

Thinking of you, :heart:
Dusty. xxxxxxxx
 
Thank you Dusty. I did get some good news recently too so things are starting to look up (my brother found an apartment and he is finally moving out of my house - he's leaving this weekend!). I think I might skip psyllium altogether tomorrow to let myself get back to normal as I'm still really bloated and crampy, although fortunately the nausea is gone.
 
That is good news about your brother!!!

Sounds like a good plan to me Cat. :)

Dusty. xxx
 
Just over a week now on psyllium and doing well! I skipped taking psyllium the day after I did the double dose, to get things back to normal. That worked well and since then I've been back to 1 teaspoon a day and I'm doing great. Still not sleeping all that well but otherwise feeling fine, my appetite is good and I'm not pooing as often as I was. My brother just moved out yesterday and my auntie is on the mend so my stress level should settle down significantly now and I think that'll help with my lack of sleep. The other factor in my lack of sleep is the hydrocortisone suppositories I've been taking. I take them just before bed and then have a hard time falling asleep, and I think the steroids are at least partly to blame for that. But I was on the suppositories for hemorrhoids, which have healed considerably since I've been taking psyllium, so hopefully I can stop the suppositories soon.
 
Wow! Fab update Cat! :)

It's so good to hear your stress levels are decreasing and I so hope you continue to have positive results from the psyllium. :thumright:

:mademyday:
Dusty. xxx
 
I think I'll have a go at the psyllium before I call my GI about Questran....I'm not having any pain, but lots of spasms with urgency. I'm back to going 10-15+ times a day, and it's yellow and watery, with long bits of stringy mucus.

I really hope it helps, I'm so tired of being chained to the bathroom.
 
SarahAnne, with your current symptoms, you may want to call your GI and clear taking psyllium with him. Just a thought of course. :)
 
Yep, David, I need to call anyway. I hated taking the cipro and flagyl, but I seem to be getting worse since I finished them. GI suspected SIBO which is why he put me on them. He said to call if they didn't help and he would prescribe something to help with bile salt binding or absorption. I'm getting more distended daily. I fear I am going to have to make some severe diet changes, like paleo or scd, but that is for another thread.....

*sigh*
 
SarahAnne, if you do get your doctor's OK to try psyllium, start with a small dose, like half a teaspoon once per day. I have been doing one teaspoon once a day with good results - but when I tried 2 teaspoons one day, I got horribly bloated and crampy. It sounds like you're already dealing with some bloat and distention, so I wanted to let you know about my experience so that you don't get even worse! The instructions on my container of psyllium says to take 2 tablespoons of psyllium per day - eek!! I think I'd explode from bloat, 2 teaspoons was horrible enough! So don't necessarily follow the dosage instructions on the packaging, start small.

As for the frequency issues, hopefully psyllium will help with that. So far it's helping me quite a bit! I was averaging about 7 BMs daily before psyllium and now it's more like 2 or 3 times per day. I went only twice yesterday and I'm on my period, which usually makes me go more often. So that's excellent! I am having hardly any menstrual cramps too, not sure if that's due to the psyllium or something else (in another thread, someone recommended I drink more chamomile tea as it can change the hormonal balance somewhat and ease menstrual woes - so I've been drinking more chamomile lately). But at any rate, I have noticed a change for the better since I've been on 1 teaspoon daily of psyllium.
 
I just wanted to post another quick update - I am loving psyllium! I had one, yes only one, BM yesterday. And only one so far today too! My frequency issues are gone, my hemorrhoids are gone, I haven't had cramps in over a week, and I feel good! I still carry a tube of hemmie cream in my pocket "just in case" but I haven't had to use it in awhile now. I had two hemmies before starting the psyllium and there's just a tiny little skin tag left where they used to be. It is so nice not going to the bathroom all the time! :D
 
Thanks T! :)

On the subject of psyllium, does anyone know if there's a big difference between organic psyllium and regular psyllium? There was a big price difference (it was something like $16 for the organic and $7 for the regular). Is it worth the extra cost for organic? I currently am just taking the regular non-organic psyllium.
 
I did a little research and psyllium is a poor competitor with various weeds so they probably spray herbicide quite a bit. How much pesticide do they use? No idea. Is non-organic psyllium very "dirty" with those residues? No idea. I personally go 100% organic as I'm not interested in even a little bit of those chemicals in my body. Yes, it's more expensive short term but my long term health is invaluable to me.
 
Thanks David, I was guessing it was something like that to account for the drastic upswing in cost of regular vs. organic. I'll probably finish up my container of regular and then try the organic. $16 won't break the bank and one container seems to last quite awhile as I'm only doing one teaspoon per day (the container says to do 2 tablespoons per day so I'm not doing nearly as much as they recommend!). I'm kind of poor lately, especially now that my brother moved out and I'm not collecting rent from him anymore, so I have to pick and choose carefully where I can go organic or spend a little bit more on higher quality, but it sounds like this one is probably worth the extra cost.
 
Woohoo, I am happy dancing big time Cat! I am so happy for you! SQUEAL!!!!

Sarah uses organic psyllium. To me the price difference is worth it and 500 grams does last a looooooong time. :)

:mademyday:
Dusty. xxx
 
Hi all,

I have just a little info on psyillium husks that might be useful. I used to sprinkle them on all my food when I first went GF as they say most GF foods are low in fiber. Actually that is somewhat true, as long as you are talking about processed GF foods like breads or cookies etc. Otherwise though the bulk of naturally GF foods, veggies, fruits, and nuts etc have plenty of fiber.

One way I use psyillium husks is to add it to salad dressing. I make my own salad dressing by shaking up olive oil and vinegar in a plastic jar. I add spices like garlic, herbs etc or sometimes some lemon juice. Then I let it sit in the refrigerator over night. The psyillium husks absorb the vinegar and expand and helps to keep the water and oil from separating. I just shake it up when I want to use some. Psyillium also thickens the salad dressing quite a bit. I use it on GF bread sometimes instead of mayo, and also for any other dish that I want to add some flavor to, not just salad. I save old plastic peanut butter jars and wash them out for the salad dressing. Psyillium can also be added to soups to help thicken them, just don't add too much or it will become a solid mass! A teaspoon or two is fine. It is important to always drink plenty of water when taking psyillium by itself, because it does have that tendency to form a glumpy mass. That's one reason I like to spread it out by putting it in other foods to avoid that issue.

Anyway, that's one celiac's way of using psyillium. I hope that is of some use to you in your experiments.
 
Hey GF,

Thanks for your input! It is always fab to read of other people's experiences. :)

I wonder if those that have had ileal resections also have the same issues my daughter does with oil. She can eat salad but not the oil based dressings. :( Unfortunately oil is the enemy for her.

Dusty. xxx
 
Bummer Dusty, sorry to hear that. The psyllium might work for soups then? It is really good for any kind of thickening needed, as long as there is some water for it to absorb. Maybe gravy or sauce even. I used to make microwave GF buns and would put some in them. It really doesn't matter a whole lot what you put it in, it is pretty tasteless stuff, but just kinda gritty by itself. So I always like to put it in some food.
 
I don't think putting it in food will work for me. I take Asacol 3x per day with meals, and as I've learned from this thread, you can't take psyllium around the same time that you take meds or supplements. So since I take my meds with all my meals, I don't think it'd be a good idea to add psyllium to my meals or my meds might not absorb properly.

I can do some oils, in moderation. I can always do olive oil, that one is never hard on my tummy. I can do some salad dressings infrequently. My situation with salad in general is, I can have a small salad with a little dressing and then I can't have any salad or salad dressing for at least 3 or 4 days. If I have salad two days in a row, my body gets pretty unhappy with me. Even if I have pasta salad with no roughage 2 days in a row, things get a bit upset, so it seems it's not just the veggies doing me in but the dressing too.
 
GFinDC said:
Bummer Dusty, sorry to hear that. The psyllium might work for soups then? It is really good for any kind of thickening needed, as long as there is some water for it to absorb. Maybe gravy or sauce even. I used to make microwave GF buns and would put some in them. It really doesn't matter a whole lot what you put it in, it is pretty tasteless stuff, but just kinda gritty by itself. So I always like to put it in some food.
Click to expand...

She only needs one dose a day now so if it isn't into her morning coffee :)puke_r::lol:) she adds it into her cereal.

Dusty. :)
 
Hi everyone, wanted to give an update on the psyllium husks debate. been doing about a teaspoon a day for almost a month now. I have no trouble getting it down..just dont drink it down too soon, let it sit in the drink for a few minutes . Been able to substitute it for one of my two daily doses of questran. 30 years of being able to s@%t through a screen door, now could almost hit a home run with it !!LOL .And..thats my story. cheers Simon
 
Kwalker, yes, I put my psyllium in a big glass of water. Don't chug it right away though - as Simon said, it's best to let the psyllium soak up a bit of the water first. Wait 5 or 10 minutes, stir well, then drink the water with psyllium. If you drink it right away, the psyllium is still kind of hard and pokey and can stick in the back of your throat. Best to let it soften up a bit which doesn't take too long.

Simon, I laughed at the bit about the screen door and the home run! Ha ha. Glad to hear it's working well for you, I've also had a positive experience so far with psyllium.
 
OKay, that makes sense. Thanks!

Simon, I'm the exact same way with the screen door part! Next time I go to Walmart I need to pick this up so I can start playing baseball as well haha
 
That is fab that it is working so well for you Simon! :panda::panda::panda:

Good luck K! Let us know how you get on!

Dusty. :)
 
Me again (Simon) , just updating on the husks. Still doing about a teaspoon a day, split into to servings many hours apart. Seem to be working pretty well, although please dont think if 1 tsp is good then 2tsp is better. It will probably be quite nasty one way or the other. having said that each of you should experiment for yourselves. Also keep in mind I'm currently in remission after three decades of D. Still on humira and azathioprine, but feeling better at 48 (birthday two days ago) than I did at 38 , 28 or even 18. If there is a God of poo, he's currently on my side !! cheers all
 
That's great, Simon! I'm still doing well too (and also am sticking to 1 teaspoon per day). I did a 5 mile bike ride today and didn't even think about needing to look for a bathroom during my ride. :) No cramping or anything, it was lovely. Psyllium is being very good to me.
 
Simon, our usual March weather would be cold, with temps in the 30s and 40s (fahrenheit), but it's been a much warmer winter and spring than usual this year. It was 65 degrees and sunny yesterday! It's odd because the weekend before, it was snowy and cold. But this weekend it was sunny and warm, all the snow melted. It's supposed to be possibly in the upper 70s this week! That's ridiculous, it's normally pretty cold and 70 is positively unheard of for March in WI!

I just googled a fahrenheit to celsius converter - here's what I came up with in case anyone is confused by my fahrenheit temperatures:
30 F is -1 C
40 F is 4 C
65 F is 18 C
70 F is 21 C

So yeah, on my bike ride I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans and was a bit warm, kind of wish I would have worn shorts instead! I stopped to chat with a friend who was walking her dogs as I was on my bike, and she was wearing a long-sleeve flannel shirt and she said she was warm in that too.

How's everybody else doing on psyllium? Kwalker, have you tried it yet?
 
Another update: It's been something like 2 months now and I am still loving psyllium! I'm on my period right now, the second one since I've started psyllium, and just like last month, I've had no cramping during my "time of the month." I'm a little bloated but that's it. I thought the no cramping thing might be attributed to me drinking more chamomile tea, as someone in another thread said that chamomile can lessen menstrual cramps, so a little while ago I switched to drinking herbal peach tea instead so that chamomile wouldn't influence my monthly cycle this time. Still no cramping even without chamomile, so it seems to me that psyllium is helping in that regard as well as keeping my bowels in check! I can't say enough good stuff about psyllium, it's been like a miracle for me. :) Thank you so much Dusty for starting this thread, I don't think I would have tried psyllium if not for you posting about it. Dusty rocks! :D
 
Wow! That is fabulous Cat. :panda::panda::panda:

Long live the psyllium! :worthy: :lol:

:mademyday:
Dusty. xxx
 
I long for the days when I only had "IBS" or that's what they thought I had and Metamucil actually WORKED! Then it got to a point where it made every symptom much much worse then I was sick for a very long time, still am a little bit. I had to quit Metamucil at the beginning of last year. I have Crohns now ;( Nothing bulks it up.........
 
Hi there to all my fellow 'silly huskies' . Updating , still doing about half to three quarters of a teaspoon a day. Put it in my oatmeal in the morning and the hot water softens it up nicely. I,ve been able to still cut down on the questran by almost half the dosage, unless im a tool and have a couple of vodkas ,which is definitely a trigger for me, then i need the questran to stop the D. cheers and hugs to all.
 
Crohnsnewbie said:
I long for the days when I only had "IBS" or that's what they thought I had and Metamucil actually WORKED! Then it got to a point where it made every symptom much much worse then I was sick for a very long time, still am a little bit. I had to quit Metamucil at the beginning of last year. I have Crohns now ;( Nothing bulks it up.........
Click to expand...

I am so sorry to hear that. :( I sure hope you are able to find something that will give you relief. Fingers crossed!

Dusty. xxx
 
simon47 said:
Hi there to all my fellow 'silly huskies' . Updating , still doing about half to three quarters of a teaspoon a day. Put it in my oatmeal in the morning and the hot water softens it up nicely. I,ve been able to still cut down on the questran by almost half the dosage, unless im a tool and have a couple of vodkas ,which is definitely a trigger for me, then i need the questran to stop the D. cheers and hugs to all.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update Simon! :)

Good to hear that all is continuing to go well. May it keep on keeping on mate!

Onwards and Upwards...
Dusty. xxx
 
I let myself slip up during the holiday weekend, and I neglected to take my psyllium for not one but TWO days! By the 3rd day I remembered to take it, but the damage was done and I went to the bathroom probably 10 times that day. I'm back to taking a teaspoon of psyllium daily and I now know I must take it EVERY day or else! My bottom is still a little sore but I'm getting back to normal pretty quickly and I think I only went about 4 times yesterday. I definitely will not forget to take it in the future, lesson learned!
 
Whoa, that didn't leave you guessing then Cat! :eek2:

Sorry to hear you had to go through that :( but good to know that things are quickly getting back on track. :)

I'm still tickled pink that the psyllium has been so successful for you and hang out for your updates! :ybiggrin:

Dusty. xxx
 
Thanks Dusty! I can't believe I let myself forget about psyllium for two days, ha ha. I took the day off work on Friday and hubby & I went down to the Chicago area to do some shopping. I usually go to the gym on Fridays but gave myself a "pass" since it was a holiday weekend - big mistake since my brain apparently decided to pass on other things as well! I actually did bring psyllium with me, I found my little travel container of it in my purse on Sunday evening as we were heading home from Easter dinner, and that's when I realized I hadn't taken it in 2 days. Sheesh! I did remember to take my Asacol the whole weekend, I've pretty much got it tattooed on my brain that I need to take Asacol 3x daily, but I apparently haven't programmed myself to take my psyllium. I will make more of an effort from now on to remember to take my psyllium!
 
i can remember my mum taking me to a herbalist, she gave me psyllium husks, but hell, i had the stricture from hell, half bowel and most ilium! needless to say i needed surgery. the psyllium husks did nothing. was on questran post a few ops and worked well, but was quite dodgy on quite what quantity to take. so was very up and down with how much to take. after years on this, i got crampy and in pain when taking it.

think i might just retry those psyllium husks again. was told last week i have a severe stricture with ulcerations and bleeding. should i start it yet or try and get this under control? not sure. but loving the responses on this thread so far. am hopeful cos questran became a no no after so many years on it.
 
Hey spooky,

I agree with David, a stricture may well contraindicate the use of psyllium. It would very much be trial and error as to the dose you require and it can be a fine line between controlling diarrhoea and causing constipation.

Dusty. xxx
 
Well I just joined the party for this... Kind of. I'm a little disappointed in myself for not reading this thread again before going but while I was at walmart I went to the pharmacy area and found psyllium. I talked to the pharmacist about it for awhile and she said the metamucil was the way to go. I just got the plain jane, no flavour/sugar added. That was the only thing I could find with psyllium in it and the psyllium per serving was the highest.

Then of course I came on here all excited, only to see people have had problems with metamucil and found psyllium in the health food section. Damn! I guess I'm going to use it anyways to see how it goes then I'll have to have another look.

Is it different that I got the metamucil with psyllium or is that the only kind there is?
 
Not everyone has problems with Metamucil or similar products so it may well be the product for you. As far as I know Metamucil is psyllium and that is the only kind there is, except for different flavourings etc and I see they advertise one here that dissolves completely in water, don't know how that would go with what we are using it for???

Sarah is vegan and goes organic wherever possible so we buy the organic psyllium from the supermarket. It costs more, not excessively so, but lasts ages so to me the extra cost is negligible.

Good luck!

Dusty. xxx
 
well this could be totally placebo and all in my head, but I haven't went to the bathroom since 8:30 this morning (it's now 3:30pm) AND I've since had a tim hortons coffee and also Mc Donalds for lunch. Both usually make me go to the bathroom, and if not I would have definitely went atleast once, maybe twice by now.

There is psyllium and actually a good amount in the Metamucil I got. Like I said (I think) I did get the one without sugar of additives so there was more psyllium per spoon full. I wish I would have looked back in here before going to the store today but I wasn't even thinking.
 
WOW!

Don't go kicking yourself for not popping by here first. What you are taking is still psyllium and for many people it works. It's like everything with this disease, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.

When Sarah tried it it was years ago and IIRC there was very little choice in the varieties of Metamucil that were available.

Dusty. xxx
 
Last edited:
Yeah, it was just a simple mistake. It very well could be working and actually my fiancee has been having some problems lately with loose BM's (she doesn't have ibs/ibd) so she's going to use it too. After this is done I'm going to look in the food section for the husks.

The only thing I noticed with the metamucil is that even if stirred well it tends to stick to the side of the cup so I ended up having to drink it, and then fill it up and drink again so I could get the leftovers. Its not gritty at all though. Its like a powder and doesn't have a taste either.

We were dumbfounded by all the different kinds too. "Oh you have this? Take this one" "you have that? You'll want this". I'm surprised they don't have different ones for boys and girls! Lol
 
Small update. I have now taken 3 "servings" of this. (Morning/night yesterday, morning today). I usually wake up around 6am every morning to go to the bathroom and did not this morning. For the first time too, when I go to the bathroom the water is still clear and the stool sits at the bottom (starting to form). There's definitely still time before I can say its formed conpletely but this is a huge change for me, and I'm only on my second day!

This is either all in my head or its working fast. I wasn't expecting any change to be honest. I'm shocked. No signs of bloating or abdominal pain yet either.

Oh, and my BM's have changed from a brownish yellow to a nice "healthy" brown. There is much less toilet paper needed as well!
 
Sounding very promising! Hmmmm, somehow I don't think it's all in your head! :)

Dusty. xxx
 
am def gonna ask gastro bloke about this with my stricture. today i'm in agonies and really got bog issues lol. Loads a loo roll and moist loo tissue. Glad its working so quick, K.
 
Very interesting thread :)

I've been on 1 sachet of questran a day for years but am tempted to ask my doc about this instead?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk please excuse any gibberish :)
 
As long as you don't have any sort of blockage or anything I don't think you need to ask your doctor. I didn't. You can just buy this stuff at the grocery store or health food store and I got mine for around $7. Once I'm done with the bottle of metamucil I am foinf to try and find the psyllium husks themselves but even already I'm having promising results with the metamucil
 
It took about a full week to get back to normal, but I haven't skipped any further doses of psyllium and am now back to just a few BMs per day. I think I went twice yesterday and just once so far today, and am feeling good. :)

KWalker, if you have a Whole Foods store near you, that's where I found my psyllium. They carry both regular and organic psyllium. I believe it was about $7 or $8 for the regular and about $14 for the organic. I bought the regular as I wasn't sure if it'd work for me, and I plan to buy the organic when I run out (as Dusty said, it does last a long time!). I'm so glad to hear that even Metamucil is working well for you - after reading this thread I didn't bother trying Metamucil, I just went for straight-up psyllium.

A psyllium-related question (Dusty, I'm guessing you might know the answer to this!): Can psyllium intake help me lower my cholesterol? I was tested at my GP's office a little while back, and my cholesterol is borderline-high. I am trying to get my cholesterol down naturally as I wish to avoid taking even more medications if possible. My hubby said that psyllium should help get my cholesterol down - anybody know if that's true? I know stuff like oatmeal can help with cholesterol, but I hadn't heard anything about psyllium in this regard.
 
I'm sure Dusty can verify but from what I've read one of the reasons people take psyllium is to lower cholesterol. Also, yeah like I said I wish I would have read this thread right before going to the store but I was there anyways and thought I would have a look. I will be buying the regular psyllium once this stuff runs out.

How much psyllium per serving is in yours Dusty? I wonder how much more you guys are getting. I'll have a look at mine as well.
 
Re the cholesterol - if this has the same qualities as questran then very possibly.

Questran was created for cholesterol lowering

please excuse any gibberish :)
 
Thanks KW and LSF! Good to know, another good reason to make sure I take my psyllium every day. Apparently my high cholesterol may be a family/genetic thing, as my mother has high cholesterol too in spite of the fact that she runs marathons & eats a very healthy diet. My mom's sister (my aunt) also has high cholesterol, although she doesn't really exercise nor eat a healthy diet. I do exercise regularly and I eat what healthy foods I can handle and I'm only 32, so it was a bit of a shock when my GP said I've got borderline-high cholesterol.

Anyway, I'm rambling again! Yay psyllium! :) Kwalker, I don't have my container of psyllium in front of me, but I'll look at the amount per serving when I get home. I do recall that the packaging states that one serving is 2 tablespoons, although I can only handle one teaspoon per day (any more than that and I start getting crampy pains).
 

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