# Psyllium Husks



## DustyKat

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.


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## Domsmom

saw them at the grocery store today...maybe I only noticed them b/c I read your post.  How do they work?


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## DustyKat

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.


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## winemaker

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.


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


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## Domsmom

Will it help the body absorb nutrients better?


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## DustyKat

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.


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## DustyKat

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

Dusty.


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## Philfun

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.


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## DustyKat

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


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## lifesover

I have been trying psyllium husks for about two weeks now, only one a day, I don't think it helps.

How many should we take a day?


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## Philfun

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.


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## Philfun

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.


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## DustyKat

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


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## Philfun

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.


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## DustyKat

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


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## Philfun

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.


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## DustyKat

Thanks for the update Phil!  

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

Dusty.


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## chrisnsteph1022

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.


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## Philfun

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.


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## DustyKat

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


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## HuniIceland

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


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## tiloah

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## DustyKat

I'll be interested to see how you get on Cat. Good luck! 

Dusty. xxx


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## Philfun

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## Philfun

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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).


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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?


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## DustyKat

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


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## Philfun

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.


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## simon47

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 !!


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## DustyKat

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


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## Philfun

Hi Dusty. When taking Psyllium powder, what are the reasons for not taking any supplements 1 hour before or 2 hours after?


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## David

Philfun said:


> Hi Dusty. When taking Psyllium powder, what are the reasons for not taking any supplements 1 hour before or 2 hours after?


Or medication   And because it can negatively affect their absorption.  Same with your Questran.


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## simon47

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


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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!


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## DustyKat

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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!


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## DustyKat

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


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## DustyKat

That is good news about your brother!!! 

Sounds like a good plan to me Cat.  

Dusty. xxx


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## DustyKat

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


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## SarahAnne

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.


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## David

SarahAnne, with your current symptoms, you may want to call your GI and clear taking psyllium with him.  Just a thought of course.


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## SarahAnne

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*


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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!


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## Crohn's Mom

So happy for you Cat !!


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## David

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## DustyKat

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


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## GFinDC

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.


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## DustyKat

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


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## KWalker

I'm so excited to try it!


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## GFinDC

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.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


----------



## DustyKat

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.


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.


----------



## KWalker

Couldn't you just mix it in water and chug it back quickly? Would that work?


----------



## simon47

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


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


----------



## KWalker

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


----------



## DustyKat

That is fab that it is working so well for you Simon! anda:anda:anda: 

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

Dusty.


----------



## simon47

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


----------



## DustyKat

May it keep on keeping on Simon.  

Onwards and Upwards!
Dusty. xxx


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


----------



## DustyKat

So, so happy for you Cat. 

:mademyday:
Dusty. xxx


----------



## simon47

Good for you cat, thats always a plus when you dont have to worry about ducking into a bush and can enjoy the ride. Whats Wisconsin weather like this time of year for biking?


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

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?


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

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!


----------



## DustyKat

Wow! That is fabulous Cat. anda:anda:anda: 

Long live the psyllium! :worthy: :lol: 

:mademyday:
Dusty. xxx


----------



## Crohnsnewbie

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.........


----------



## simon47

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.


----------



## DustyKat

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.........


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


----------



## DustyKat

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.


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


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

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!


----------



## DustyKat

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


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

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!


----------



## Spooky1

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.


----------



## David

Spooky,

With presence of a stricture, I would definitely discuss the idea with your doctor first.


----------



## DustyKat

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


----------



## KWalker

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?


----------



## DustyKat

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


----------



## KWalker

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.


----------



## DustyKat

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


----------



## KWalker

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


----------



## DustyKat

Ooooooh yeah, they are making sure they capture every corner of the market! :lol:


----------



## KWalker

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!


----------



## DustyKat

Sounding very promising! Hmmmm, somehow I don't think it's all in your head!  

Dusty. xxx


----------



## Spooky1

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.


----------



## LSF666

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


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## KWalker

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


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

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.


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## KWalker

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.


----------



## LSF666

Re the cholesterol - if this has the same qualities as questran then very possibly. 

Questran was created for cholesterol lowering 

 please excuse any gibberish


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## Cat-a-Tonic

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).


----------



## KWalker

Wow! I'm not used to this! lol I haven't gone to the bathroom at all today and it's 4 in the afternoon! I can't believe the difference this has caused already. I feel great, I'm eating more and it's staying in. I think I'll finally be able to gain a little weight too because I can now eat and it doesn't just come out.   Cat-a-Tonic, with the metamucil I'm using, each spoon full contains 3.4g of psyllium.   I wonder how much more the "pure" psyllium husks are giving per spoon full.

I think everybody needs to see this thread!


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## DustyKat

Yes, it does lower cholesterol...



> High Cholesterol
> 
> Soluble fibers -- such as those in psyllium husk, guar gum, flax seed, and oat bran -- can help lower cholesterol when added to a low fat, low cholesterol diet. Studies have shown psyllium can lower total as well as LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease. In combination with cholesterol lowering drugs, such as statins, psyllium provides an added benefit to reducing cholesterol levels.
> 
> http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/psyllium-000321.htm


Sarah is down to using it once a day and she would use the equivalent of about a decent sized teaspoon I think. She says two big pinches! She was using it more frequently at the outset though, at least twice daily. 

Dusty. 

EDIT: Oh, I see what you mean KW, I don't know. I don't have a packet on hand as I have decanted it into a container.


----------



## KWalker

Ah, no problem. I'll have a look next time I'm at the store. I'm sure the psyllium husks would have more/spoon full just because that's all it is but I was just wondering how much difference there is.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Dusty, sounds like I'm on the same dose that Roo is on, I do a teaspoon once daily but admittedly it is kind of a heaping teaspoon.  As KWalker said in an earlier post, it does tend to stick to the sides of the glass, so I make sure I get a teaspoon plus a little extra because I know I'll be losing a bit that gets stuck to the cup.  I don't usually scrape and refill, I tried that but it's easier & quicker for me to just wash my glass and then drink plain water after I've finished my psyllium.  It still is a little disconcerting for me to drink water with "stuff" floating in it so I drink it and get it done with and then drink plain water without "stuff", ha ha.  I guess I'm just quirky that way.  

Thanks Dusty!  I knew you'd know the answer, as Mark says, just ask you!    I recently discovered I can eat oatmeal again too (oats do bad things to me when my illness is active, but in remission I don't seem to have any problem with oatmeal) so hopefully with the oatmeal and the psyllium I'll be able to impact my cholesterol levels.


----------



## KWalker

Oh yeah, I tried drinking it in just plain water yesterday and wow! What a mistake!  The taste and texture is awful!  I just mix it with whatever juice I have now. I can deal with the texture but the taste was terrible!


----------



## DustyKat

I had a bit of google of the psyllium that Sarah and Matt are using at present and I think, from what I can decipher :lol:, there is 4 grams per serving (1 teaspoon). Don't quote me on that though! 

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

Oh that's not bad then if I'm only .6grams off.  It can never hurt to get more though, especially for around the same price.


----------



## KWalker

Ohh...something else I've been thinking about but this could just be coincidence. I've noticed that yesterday and today I haven't been getting nearly as much drainage from where my abscess is still healing.. It's to the point where I haven't even needed to wear a pad with no problems at all today.  Do you think there's any sort of link with that?  I was wondering if it could have been feces coming out of the abscess and after taking the psyllium it's slowing that down but there's definitely none of that.


----------



## DustyKat

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a direct correlation. Reducing the amount of faecal movement around that area is bound to reduce the pressure and therefore aid healing. If you only have an abscess I don't know that you would have faecal matter passing through it, if there is also a fistula though then reducing the amount faeces and also bulking up what does pass over the fistula would certainly have an effect. 

Dusty.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Kwalker, I haven't had an abscess (yet, knock on wood) so I can't speak to that specifically, but honestly it wouldn't surprise me at all if psyllium is helping you in that regard.  Psyllium seems to help in ways I didn't think it could.  Specifically, I've noticed that since I've been taking psyllium, I have had zero menstrual cramps.  None!  Having my period was pretty awful before I hit remission, and even in remission it wasn't exactly a picnic and I'd have looser stools and lots of cramps.  Since I started psyllium, though, my periods are so easy and cramp-free which is amazing.  I know you're a guy so you can't relate to that specifically (although I believe you mentioned your fiancee is trying psyllium so she might enjoy that aspect!) but my point is, yes, I believe psyllium can definitely help in unexpected and surprising ways besides just firming up stool/ less bowel movements per day.  I haven't found any drawbacks to psyllium except for the cramps caused by taking too much at once (when I took 2 teaspoons instead of 1, I cramped up horribly and had what felt like bad gas pains too).  That's it though, and the positives far outweigh that one negative!


----------



## KWalker

There is no fistula (says the doctor after my scope) so in that case it's good, but I was thinking maybe from the constant going to the bathroom with loose stools getting around down there that it was maybe forcing pus out of the wound.  Whatever it is, I like it!  

Cat- I actually had a little bit of cramping while chugging down the drink but it went away within a few seconds. I just thought it was weird because I didn't have it before. Like you said though, that little time of cramp is totally worth the results.  

It's now 5:30pm and I haven't went today, and feel no need to go anytime soon. I have so much extra time in my day now haha


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Ha ha, KW, I know the feeling!  I keep a Sudoku book in my bathroom for those longer potty trips but I haven't used it in quite awhile now.  I used to use it all the time.  I agree, it's nice not being chained to the bathroom!  I have even gone on long bike rides recently and not even thought about needing to look for a bathroom.  When I first hit remission, I would sometimes "go" 10+ times a day, I figured that was just my normal.  Well, I've gone 2 times today (and both were lovely solid BMs and very quick too, no sudoku puzzles needed!).  So I don't know, I guess my remission just needed a little helping hand or something, but I feel about 99% normal now which is probably as close as I'm ever going to get to being completely healthy.  I'm really hoping that if/when I flare again, that psyllium will still help and I'll still be able to tolerate it.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Okay, I'm home now and just looked at my container of psyllium.  It does say that one serving is 2 tablespoons, and that 2 tablespoons contains 12 g of psyllium.  So 6 g per one tablespoon, although I don't know how that converts to teaspoons.  I hope that helps anyway!


----------



## KWalker

Wow that's a significant difference! What brand do you use?  Is it the bag that Dusty posted?


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

No, I use "365 Everyday Value" brand, which appears to be Whole Foods' generic store brand.  It comes in a cardboard canister kind of like what oatmeal comes in.  The packaging looks like this (I didn't take this photo, I found it in a google search, but this is what I have in front of me):
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X3ghsv5RA...H6JN-r6nlQ/s1600/psyllium+container+front.jpg
The front says 8 g of soluble fiber, the back says 8 g soluble and 2 g insoluble, 12 g total psyllium (I'm not sure how the math works there, that's just what it says!).  And under ingredients, it just says "Psyllium Seed Husks (whole flakes)", that's the only ingredient.


----------



## DustyKat

In Australia 4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. 1 teaspoon = 5ml.

In the US 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. 

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

I just scoop a bunch with a normal spoon lol


----------



## lizzy16

I've started on the psyllium again tonight, I tried taking it for a week or so a couple of months ago but things got a bit crazy with a new job doing shift work, it was bad enough trying to coordinate my Asacol 3 times a day without adding the psyllium on top! But I'm in a different role now that is office hours Monday-Friday so I'm trying to get my routine back! I think with the not being able to take meds 2 hours before or after psyllium that the best time for me to take it is in the evening, hopefully it doesn't affect my sleep (drinking lots of water to go with it so hopefully I'm not up peeing all night!!)

Just tried it in a cup of hot fruit tea before reading this thread and yes, it did kind of start to congeal, it was still a thick liquid so I just downed it but I think colder drinks are the way to go. Pity, it would fit my evening tea routine perfectly! I would prefer to have it on my cereal in the morning but then that would throw off my Asacol, hmm I'm sure I'll work it out. The first time I started taking psyllium I did notice a slight difference in frequency. Also, the iron supplements I've been taking have helped in bulking up the stool (and turned it a lovely shade of black lol), but I've been a bit "off" this week with more D usual so hopefully the psyllium can get me back on track!


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## DustyKat

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

Dusty. xxx


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Lizzy, you sound a lot like me!  I work a Mon-Fri desk job too and I'm also on Asacol 3x per day.    Here's my Mon-Fri meds & psyllium schedule, hopefully this will help you out a bit:

6:30 AM wake up, take some supplements & Nexium

8:30 AM arrive at work, drink supplement drink (Ensure or generic Slim Fast) and take Asacol (I do a supplement drink in the mornings instead of a typical breakfast as I cannot handle solid foods first thing in the morning!  Even in remission, food that early in the morning makes me nauseous but I can handle a drink.)

10:30 AM drink psyllium

11 AM break, have a snack (no meds or supps at this time since it's so close to my psyllium)

1:30 PM lunch, take Asacol (most days I hit the gym for an hour and then eat lunch at my desk afterwards so really I'm usually eating lunch at 2:30 instead of 1:30)

5:30 PM get home from work, around 6 PM is dinner, take Asacol

10 PM bedtime, take Zantac, Amitriptyline & more supplements (I like to break it up so that I'm not taking a zillion supps all at once!)

Weekends or days off is when I get into trouble, I remember to take my Asacol but sometimes I forget about psyllium and supplements.  I sleep in on weekends and stay up too late, I get caught up in projects or exercise or shopping or whatever and my whole schedule is just thrown out the window.  I don't drink enough water on the weekends, sometimes I forget to eat and then I panic because I have to have food in my stomach to take Asacol, the weekends are just a mess for me!  So if you figure out a good system for remembering to take Asacol and psyllium and supplements on unstructured weekend days, please let me know!


----------



## KWalker

DustyKat, you need a cape or something because you're my hero! It sounds stupid but this stuff has literally changed my life. Before I started I was going 4-7 times a day with the D, and yesterday I didn't even go at all!  I don't want to sound gross but it's still not like a "log" (LOL) but the water is clear and it's like little chunks of solid.    

This thread should be stickied so everybody can have the opportunity to see this and get in on it as well.

Gahh, I'm so happy I tried this!


----------



## DustyKat

Wow KW! anda:anda:anda: 

Just be sure you don't go too far the other way! :eek2: oo:

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

Oh I know. Last night I didn't take any instead of the spoonfull I usually take.  I might just stick to once a day for a little and see how it goes.  If I have days where its not as good I'll just take an extra one.


----------



## Miss Spencer

I don't like psyllium husks, as I find them a bit harsh. Chia seed gel works the same way, but is a lot gentler than psyllium husks. I normally put a tablespoon or two of chia seed into a glass of water and wait ten minutes giving it a couple of stirs whilst waiting. The seeds absorb much of the water. They expand and go soft. You can eat the gel directly or drink it down with water. The other health benefits of the seed are: high in omega3, loads of antioxidants, protein, magnesium, iron, zinc, and so on. They are also gluten free and have a low GI. They help stop both constipation and diarrhea, so I find them especially beneficial. Apparently some of the other fibers marketed for the same purpose have minimal nutrition and can interfere with mineral absorption in the gut. This does not sound very good. It can't be a good thing, especially for UC & C sufferers. You can get black seeds and white seeds and I use a mixture of both. Most health food stores stock it. It use to be hard to source but it seems to have gone mainstream because last time I visited my sister in Australia I found a major supermarket called Coles was stocking certified organic chia seeds in their health food isle.

You can also cook with the seeds:

http://www.chiaseedrecipes.com/40-ways-to-use-chia-seeds.php

Hard to describe the taste, they have sort of a very mild nutty taste. I think.


----------



## LSF666

What are the pro's of using psyllium instead of questran? I've been on questran for years and have normal bm's (95% of the time and only 1 a day) so I'm loathed to change unless there's a good reason. 

The only reason I can think of is it's natural?


----------



## KWalker

Although I've never tried Questran, from what I understand Psyllium is more readily available because you don't need a prescription and some people have either no benefits from Questran (it doesn't work) or they get pain/bloating.   I could be wrong but if its working for you I would just stick with it.


----------



## DustyKat

If it ain't broke don't fix it! 

I agree with K as to why some people may prefer psyllium over Questran but since Questran is working so well for you I wouldn't change a thing! 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## lizzy16

I'm so glad it seems to be working for everyone! I am still trying to incorporate taking the psyllium into a regular routine and have missed a few days so I haven't noticed the benefits as of yet - but hopefully I can stick with it from now!

Cat, thanks for the tips with your routine, I also find the weekends hard with remembering to take my meds and also drinking enough water (this is my biggest challenge I think, I'm _always_ needing to drink more water. I'm trying!). I can't really snack at work so I do have long periods in between meals but I think this will work for me during the week:

8.00am (yes, I get up late!): Breakfast, take Asacol, Pred, iron supplement, multivitamin and probiotic 
12.00: Lunch, take Asacol
6.00pm: Dinner, take Asacol, and iron supplement
8-9pm: Snack, take psyllium

As for the weekend, I guess we just have to be vigilant and remember that it's a day off work, not off our meds!


----------



## x_jj_x

I used to have psyllium every day & it made my gut worse after a while,i read you get get allergy-like symptoms after longterm use...so I agree with going with chia seeds,they're great as an egg substitute in many recipes


----------



## DustyKat

Good luck lizzy! :thumleft: 



> i read you get get allergy-like symptoms after longterm use


Sarah has been using psyllium for some time with no issues, touch wood! Would you be able to provide a source for this as I would like to read more about it. Thanks!  

Dusty. xxx


----------



## LSF666

If it ain't broke don't fix it! 

I agree with K as to why some people may prefer psyllium over Questran but since Questran is working so well for you I wouldn't change a thing! 

Sorry - I haven't worked out how to multi quote on my phone but wanted to say thanks for the posts above x


----------



## x_jj_x

sorry for late reply,i remember reading in a wellbeing magazie & read on the back of a packet of psyllium husk that if you experience ab pains / spasms to discontinue...google long term psyllium use,i think 'livestrong.com' have some info..
btw if she's feeling good,then that's brilliant...just something to watch out for xx
cheers xx


----------



## lizzy16

So far it's going okay, I would say there has been a decrease in frequency which is good but the stools are still quite loose.. But will keep with it and see how it goes!


----------



## DustyKat

Thanks for the update lizzy16! 

I hope at some point in the future you hear a plop! :ylol:

Dusty.


----------



## lizzy16

Hahahaha me too!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I had a hectic few days, I was in a training class for work which threw my whole schedule out the window and then I traveled to my parents' house over the weekend.  But, I made psyllium a priority and I remembered to take it every day.  It was interesting trying to fit it in some days with my Asacol and other meds, but I did it!  My schedule is going back to normal starting tomorrow which is a relief (I'm a creature of habit and neither my brain nor my guts like it when things don't go according to plan or schedule).  Although I'm a bit nervous, I went to the health food store as my container of psyllium is nearly gone, but they didn't have the kind I got before!  They were all out.    So I had to get a different brand, I hope it works the same.  I still have a little bit left of my current container but will be trying the new kind soon, wish me luck!


----------



## DustyKat

Holy habersdasherty Catwoman! I was just about to ask how you and K were getting on! Spooky! :lol: 

It is soooooooooo fab to hear that all continues to go well. Good luck with the change of brand...FWIW I don't think it will be an issue.  

Dusty. xxx


----------



## KWalker

I missed a few days because I ran out of juice and was so busy I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store for more so the BM's were starting to go back to before but I started it up again and immediately it turned around again and is much better.


----------



## DustyKat

Woohoo for you K! anda:anda:anda: 

Dusty. :ybiggrin:


----------



## KWalker

Thanks!!  You don't really realize how much of an improvement it makes until you go a few days without it and see how much going to the bathroom the old way sucks!  I have yet to have a 1 or a 2 on the BM chart but its still SO much better than what I'm used too (which was the highest number on the chart). 

I actually had a question for you too. As you know I'm currently taking Metamucil (almost gone) and its known to help people who are constipated as well, yet it has psyllium in it to help people like me who are the complete opposite. Now that school is done for the summer and her stress related diarrhea is gone she usually gets constipated. Taking the metamucil helps keep her regular as well so do you think the psyllium would do the same or back her up even more? 

Does that make sense? Lol sorry it's like 7:30am here.  The second my dog sees sunlight he wakes everyone up for playtime. Grr


----------



## DustyKat

The psyllium should act as a laxative for a person without the bowel issues you have, the same as metamucil does. 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## KWalker

Okay, perfect thanks. We weren't sure if it was something else in the metamucil that was helping her stay regular so we were afraid if we eliminate that and go right on psyllium itself if it would cause her more harm. 

I'm really excited to try that with even more psyllium than I'm getting now and see what that does for me.


----------



## DustyKat

I did look at the psyllium packet when I went shopping the other day and it has 4.1 grams per serving (teaspoon). 

Good luck!

Dusty.


----------



## JDTM

Okay everyone, you almost have me convinced.  I picked up some psyllium husks after a few difficult days.  Things are better now, but not completely back to normal.

I've now been on a full dose of budesonide for a week, and I'd really like to see if it works.  So, my question is this: Should I give the psyillium husks a shot, starting today, or should I perhaps wait a little while to see if the budesonide does in fact "kick in" sometime soon?

I realize that this sounds kind of odd, as I'd certainly like some relief... but I'd also like to know WHAT it is that's actually working for me if I do start to feel better!  Feel free to weigh in and let me know what you think.  Thanks!


----------



## David

I'd probably wait and see if the Budesonide is doing anything.


----------



## DustyKat

I agree with David. Best to separate the two so you have a clear idea of which is working, which hopefully one will! 

Good luck!

Dusty. xxx


----------



## lizzy16

Has the psyllium given anyone else the toots? I seem to have more gas than usual, or rather I will go to the loo thinking I have to poop but it turns out to be gas.. hoping this will subside!

Well, I took a little tumble on my rollerblades yesterday (fell right on my bum, how embarrassing!) and I'm nursing a couple of sore arms - no breaks or sprains thank god, just a good jarring! Anyway, the doctor gave me some codeine and between that and the psyllium, I slept the whole night through without getting up once! And only 2 BMs so far today.. I hate taking codeine for more than a day or two cos it makes me so sleepy, but I love the effect it has on my tummy!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

JDTM, I agree with David and Dusty.  Give the Budesonide time to work and see how it affects you once it kicks in.  It can take up to a month to kick in.  When I was on it, it took exactly 9 days for me to notice a difference.  I never try two new things at once so definitely wait at least a month to try psyllium.  Or you may even want to wait until you're completely off the budesonide as you'll have to taper down from it and you'll want a clear idea of how tapering is affecting you too.

KW, I hear you on the dog thing, my dog sleeps in a crate, but if I'm not up by a certain time then she just starts barking until I get up and let her out.  She never lets me sleep in!

Lizzy, glad to hear nothing's broken!  Be careful not to slow things down too much, you don't want a blockage.  If the codeine is stopping the flow of things you might want to consider skipping psyllium for a little bit.

I'm still doing fine, I think I forgot to mention in my previous post but I actually had d the other day for the first time in a long time.  I had a salad a few days ago that did NOT sit well - sometimes I can get away with salad, but this one was clearly not my friend and it caused a lot of LRQ pain and some d.  I'm mostly recovered although I had a little bit of LRQ pain earlier today so I made sure to eat very safe foods today (pudding for snack and french fries for lunch - not very healthy but obviously if my body can't handle salad then healthy foods aren't doing me any favors anyway!).  I'm back to having normal solid BMs so I'm mostly fine, just that bit of lingering LRQ pain.  It was kind of funny having d, it was like, "Oh, I remember this!"    Ha ha.  It'd been awhile and frankly I'd be fine with not having d again for another long while!  I think psyllium helped firm up my stools quickly again after the salad incident as I only really suffered and had d for about a day or so and then went back to normal pretty quickly.


----------



## bangarang

lizzy16 said:


> Has the psyllium given anyone else the toots? I seem to have more gas than usual, or rather I will go to the loo thinking I have to poop but it turns out to be gas.. hoping this will subside!
> 
> Well, I took a little tumble on my rollerblades yesterday (fell right on my bum, how embarrassing!) and I'm nursing a couple of sore arms - no breaks or sprains thank god, just a good jarring! Anyway, the doctor gave me some codeine and between that and the psyllium, I slept the whole night through without getting up once! And only 2 BMs so far today.. I hate taking codeine for more than a day or two cos it makes me so sleepy, but I love the effect it has on my tummy!


Yes whenever someone on a low fiber diet starts adding more fiber to their diet they'll get good amount of gas in the beginning. Just start slowly then move your way up. Took my system acouple months to adjust to all the fiber I was taking. Its normal your body will get used to it.


----------



## KWalker

I recently had a bad experience with the metamucil.   If anyone has seen, I recently started work last week.   Well, the night before I wanted to make sure I didn't go to the bathroom at work before I knew where they were, etc so stupid me thought it would be wise to take DOUBLE the amount I usually take on the night before and AGAIN in the morning.   Biggest mistake ever!  My first day of work was hell!  Thank god i know my boss pretty well and he is really easy going because I was in so much pain it was insane.  I was honestly ready to go to the hospital.  The pain lasted a few days and then it finally went away because I stopped taking it but I never want to go through that again! It felt like a I had some sort of blockage. 

I stopped taking it for a few days and have since started back up (taking normal doses LOL) and everything is back to normal


----------



## DustyKat

Whoa KW! It sounds like you dodged a bullet there! 



> Just be sure you don't go too far the other way!


Now why didn't you listen!!! :lol: 

Seriously though, it's so good to hear you managed to get through it unscathed and are now back on track! :thumleft: 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## KWalker

I didn't really go the other way though, that's the weird part. The BM's didn't change or anything, I was just having this crazy pain like I was full of gas.  I had to stop and take breaks to let it settle down a few times.


----------



## DustyKat

Oh, I thought you mean't you were constipated! Just too much of a good thing then!


----------



## KWalker

Oh it definitely wasn't a good thing at all!  I wasn't having bowel problems but I had the worst pain I've ever felt in my stomach.  I don't know how to explain it. I feel like I should have had a blockage or something with the pain I had.   It hurt so much to push when going to the bathroom too. It was horrible


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

KW, when I had doubled my psyllium dose early on, I had a similar experience although not as bad as you describe it.  I didn't feel like I had a blockage, but I was hugely bloated and had very painful cramps.  It was not fun in the least and I won't be doubling my dose again!  Glad to hear you made it through okay in the end but I'm sure it was a miserable time for awhile!

Well, I got food poisoning last week and purposely skipped psyllium for a couple of days to let my insides heal and recover.  Adding fiber to an already upset stomach and guts didn't seem like a bright idea!  Fortunately it wasn't too terribly bad and the worst was over with in a couple of days.  I added psyllium back over the weekend and am feeling mostly normal again.  The guts are still a little bit grumbly but much better than they were a few days ago.  I'm hoping to be feeling back to normal again soon.


----------



## DustyKat

Hey Cat,

So sorry to hear about the food poisoning...

How are you feeling now, are things back to normal? 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## carol ann

After reading all your posts on psyllium husks and the benefits -i,m off to  the health food shop tomorrow to find it. Can it also be bought online? Health food shops are small in scotland :smile:


----------



## DustyKat

Good luck carol ann! 

You can buy them online here so I don't imagine it would be any different there???

Dusty. xxx


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Dusty, I'm about 95% back to normal now.  I've been having some GERD issues the past couple days but that's it, everything else is fine.  I've been back on psyllium for 5 or 6 days now and everything is smooth sailing there, solid poos and no nausea, etc.  I had oatmeal today too and that also went fine, so my body is accepting soluble fiber with no problem.  Not sure why my GERD has been acting up the past few days, but it's a fair bit better today than it was yesterday so I'm going in the right direction at least.

Carol Ann, I would imagine you should be able to find them online pretty easily.  I just did a quick search of amazon.com and found a whole bunch of psyllium products so I would imagine you wouldn't have too much trouble finding it online too.  Good luck, I hope it works as well for you as it has been for me!


----------



## DustyKat

So good to hear Cat. :thumleft: May it keep on keeping on! 

Onwards and Upwards!
Dusty. xxx


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Okay, this is probably a question for you, Dusty.  Do you (or does anyone) know if there's a big difference between "psyllium whole husks" and "psyllium flakes"?  Are they one and the same thing or are they very similar at least?  I just finished off my old container of psyllium, and upon looking at the label more carefully, it says it's psyllium flakes.  The new container (different brand since the health food store was out of the kind I had previously bought) says it contains "psyllium whole husks".  I don't see any difference visually, they look pretty much the same.  I did notice however that the "husks" don't stick to my glass nearly as much as the "flakes" did.  They stick a little bit but there's not nearly as much goopy mess to clean up afterwards.  So it seems there is at least some minor difference between the two.  I just hope these husks are as nice to my guts as the flakes were.  I'm sticking with one teaspoon and so far so good although I've only been on the husks kind for one day.  I guess it's good to try different types and brands and see which one I like best, although I'm also a creature of habit and am very wary of change!    I'll update later as to how the husks are treating me as compared to the flakes.


----------



## ravensfan88

I'm currently taking Colestipol (1gm tablet, twice a day)... would asking my GI about psyllium (possibly metamucil) be a good idea? or would combining the two cause some sort of issue? Also I read online that you should take other meds 1 hour before or 4 hours after as opposed to the 2 hours after that you guys mention, am I safe with 2 hours or should I ask about that too?

I'm having D anywhere from 3-8 times a day but just started taking the colestipol about a week ago with my 3rd remicade infusion and the BM's have reduced so I'm hoping that continues. The only thing that's super annoying is I can feel everything my guts are doing when gas or something is moving through them and I seem to build up a lot more gas recently. Is that a good thing? I mean, I figure better gas than D... but sometimes I can't tell the difference and have to run to the bathroom anyway lol.


----------



## DustyKat

Sorry Cat and ravensfan88! 

I don't know if there is a difference but I don't imagine there would be, well not an appreciable one??? 

Have you changed over yet? How are things going? 

@ravensfan88. If the tablets are working then I would stick with that. Perhaps further down the track you may want to look into it. I would not take both though as they are both actioned in the same way in the bowel so you run the risk of substantially increasing the effect of the Cholestid which could lead to constipation or blockage. 

The time factor with your other meds is a little less with psyllium but you need to stay with the restrictions that exist with the Colestipol. 

When starting Colestipol/psyllium there is often an adjustment period for the gut of a few weeks and during that time many people do experience increased bloating and gas. 

Good luck! I hope the Colestipol and Remi do the trick for you. 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Thanks Dusty!  I made the change-over a few days ago.  From what I can tell, it's been going fine.  (I know you saw my other thread about coconut, yesterday was a pretty bad day with lots of nausea and extra bathroom trips due to the coconut incident).


----------



## DustyKat

So good to hear that all continues to go well Cat!  Well minus the coconut incident...

	
	
		
		
	


	





Onwards and Upwards!
Dusty. xxx


----------



## LSF666

Finally found this stuff and just had my first dose ... Will report back later


----------



## DustyKat

Good luck LSF666! 

Dusty.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Hey Dusty, it's been a few weeks now and I wanted to give you another update.  Since the coconut incident passed, I've been doing fine again.  Switching psyllium varieties/brands didn't seem to have any effect, I'm still having solid BMs about 2-4 times per day.  I'm trying to eat oatmeal about 3x per week in addition to the psyllium (the soluble fiber aspect alone is great, and I also need to get my cholesterol down) and that's going really well too.  As long as I avoid coconut and my other trigger foods, I am good!  

How is Sarah doing, is she still on the psyllium?  Did your son ever try psyllium?


----------



## DustyKat

Woohoo! Fab update Cat! :luigi::luigi::luigi: May it keep on keeping on! 

Yep, Sarah still uses psyllium and Matt is also using it most mornings that he out for the day. All is good thanks hun.  

Dusty. xxx


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Thanks Dusty, glad to hear your kids are doing well.  I hope they continue to do well for a very long time!    I'm sure it's much easier on you too when they're both doing well.

I had a little extra psyllium yesterday and did okay with it.  My hubby is the cook in our family and yesterday he made some mini blueberry pies.  When he was making the pie filling, it was a bit watery so he wanted to thicken it.  He was going to use corn starch, but he saw my container of psyllium and he decided to try that instead.  It worked great and neither of us could taste it - I didn't even know the pie contained psyllium until he told me, it was not noticeable at all.  I had already had my teaspoon of psyllium for that day, so I was a bit worried that I'd bloat & cramp up like I did when I took 2 teaspoons instead of one, but I was just fine this time.  So that's good to know, I can have a bit of psyllium in food and that won't be detrimental if I have that on top of my daily teaspoon of psyllium.  I still won't overdo it of course, but it's nice to know.


----------



## karen_hastings

I just wanted to add that prune juice seems to help break up my daughters stool. Maybe another option. Helps her go before they get hard.


----------



## DustyKat

Well hush my puppies and prune my magnolia's!

Sarah has just arrived home for a visit and we have been discussing her raw vegan, limited sugar and no caffeine diet. She said she is going to the toilet no more than twice a day and her BM's are 100% normal! Yes folks there is a plop! BUT and this is the biggie...she is no longer using psyllium!!!  

Dusty is shocked! :yfaint:


----------



## David

Wow!  So she's getting the fiber from all the raw veggies, eh?  Or does she think it's something different?


----------



## DustyKat

As far as I can ascertain she thinks it is raw veggies.


----------



## rollingrfarm

I have mastocytic enterocolits and for several years cholestyramine worked great.  Then it started making me severely sick to my stomach so I had to stop taking it.  I am going to try psyllium husks. My problem is that I live in a very rural area, Walmart is the closest store that may carry it (its 1 hour away).  Can I try metamucil or the equate walmart brand of pysllium or should I try to order some from an online health food store (need recommendations on one)?


----------



## DustyKat

I don't see any reason why you can't try the Walmart brand or Metamucil. 

Good luck! I hope it works as well as the Cholestyramine did.  

Dusty. xxx


----------



## scottsma

carol ann said:


> After reading all your posts on psyllium husks and the benefits -i,m off to  the health food shop tomorrow to find it. Can it also be bought online? Health food shops are small in scotland :smile:


Holland and Barrett sells it in powder and capsule form.Have tried the powder but prefer capsules.


----------



## rollingrfarm

I am amazed and excited!  I took 1 tsp of metamucil today and after 1 episode of a bile-induced trip to the bathroom right after I took it, I have been fine all day so far!  This is a record.  And unlike the cholestryamine, I don't have a horrible sick feeling in my gut.  I am still taking the Gastrocom and my usual assortment of Type 1 and 2 antihistamines.  I am excited that maybe next week I can go back to my morning field work when I need to or drive several hours to meetings.

I read where several posters talked about terrible stomach pains and gut "stop-ages" that weren't really the same as constipation.  I think what is happening is something I have read about with mastocytic enterocolitis called "gut paralysis".  I have been incapacitated by it and also have had severe vomiting.  

I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning to see if the metamucil works its magic again.

Thank you for the wonderful advice!


----------



## David

Yay!  That's fantastic rollingrfarm!  

:dance:


----------



## Spooky1

i had cholestyromine for years too, did me good then, same as you rolling, gave me incredible griping pain.  have just picked up a tablet form of this yesterday, its new and called colesevelam 625mg.  anyone tried this, if no good i'm gonna have to go for the psyllium husks, but congrats to Sarah, a complete plop!  wow, and a much cleaner loo


----------



## rollingrfarm

Spooky1, I tried the pill you are talking about.  I was supposed to take it 4 times a day, 2 pills each time.  I took only one of the two pills the first morning, and it that one pill made me feel as bad as the cholestyramine and I refused to try it again. Thank goodness I didn't take both pills.  This is my second day on psyllium.  I ate a burger with home grown tomato and onion last night, one bm this morning just after I got up and just a few minutes after the psyllium. I feel great right now, my gut feels calm and pain free. My real test will be when I eat a whole home grown tomato. (sorry, the scientist in me cannot help but test where the boundary is and experiment, plus home grown heirloom tomatoes are my all time favorite food).

Does oatmeal function similarly in some way to the psyllium?  If


----------



## Spooky1

i am going to give it a go tomorrow as i have about 100 miles to drive to take my mum to hospital.  very few loos about in rural areas.  I was wondering if it would gripe like the sachets of questran and loperamide.  can't believe ur eating burgers and tomato and onion though, if you don't mind me saying i am surprised that you put this to the test.  these are often no no's for many of us.  good luck with psyllium husks.


----------



## rollingrfarm

I had to put it to the test to know that it did in fact really work and work well; I didn't want to live with a "false hope"  .  And I knew I would be at home all day today so it was a good time to test. I did have one hurried trip to the toilet in late morning but considering the test I gave it, I think it worked pretty darn well.   
Have a safe trip tomorrow.


----------



## DustyKat

I don't think the oats have the same effect, well they didn't with Sarah as she added the psyllium to her porridge. 

Sarah didn't have issues with griping and my son doesn't either. 

Good luck with the trip! 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## David

**** Potentially very important! ****

In doing some research on short-chain fatty acids, I found that psyllium can significantly increase the amount of butyrate produced by colonic bacteria.  Butyrate is likely the most important short-chain fatty acid and has been implicated in various aspects of IBD.  

My point here is, psyllium may be MUCH more than just a bulking agent.  It can help maintain or possibly induce remission, improve blood flow in the colon, increase electrolyte and fluid uptake, reduce chances of colon cancer, and more.  Ceasing its use might not be the best idea if you do well with it.


----------



## David

In addition, there seems to be a difference between psyllium HUSK and psyllium SEED (Plantago ovata seeds = Psyllium seed).  This study found that the SEED is as good as mesalamine for maintaining remission in UC patients.


----------



## DustyKat

Wow! Thanks for posting this David! :worthy: 

I will pass it on to Sarah. 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## ellie

Wow, that's fascinating info! I've been  using "benefibre" regularly (pardon the pun!), but might give the psyllium husks a try.
 I just transiently wondered about mixing it in the morning probiotic drink (my daily "germs"   )
Wonder if it would affect those wonderful little creatures for better/worse, or not at all?



 HD


----------



## scottsma

I'm no expert but I would have psyllium separately from everything else.two hours before or after any meds or supplements if you can.Not sure why,just something at the back of my mind.Googling will tell you.Or David.I take mine early morn.before breakfast and late evening an hour or two before bed,with lots of water.I've got U.C-Proctitis and it has helped me enormously


----------



## DustyKat

Scottsma is right about psyllium and timing. If you do start to use psyllium you need to take any mediations/supplements at least one hour before or two hours after the psyllium. Because of the way it is actioned in the bowel it can reduce or delay the absorption of other medications/supplements you are taking. 

Dusty.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Thanks David!  That's wonderful information!  One question about the husk vs. seed thing - what I currently take says "Psyllium husks" on the package and then in smaller letters it says "Whole flakes".  I'm assuming then that it's the husks, and not the seeds?  (The part about "flakes" is confusing but it says "husks" too so it must be husks.)  I just bought a new container so I will use that up and then see if I can find the seeds instead.  And I definitely won't stop taking psyllium - I won't stop Asacol either, I'm enjoying remission and don't want to jeopardize it in any way.  If both psyllium and Asacol are helping keep me in remission then that's great!  I'm happy to stick with both.    And once again I'm really thankful for this thread!  Huge thanks to both David and Dusty for all the great info in here.


----------



## KWalker

Wait, so seeds are even better than the husks?


----------



## David

From what I have read (and there's not much information) it's not that seeds are better, they're _different_.  Supposedly, the husk is better for bulking.  So those of you taking psyllium husks to reduce frequency are on the right track.  Seeds are supposedly better for creating butyrate.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

So David, based on what you've read, would it be prudent to try taking both seeds and husks then?  I'm feeling fine with the husks but might be missing out on the benefits of the seeds.  Or might I constipate myself if I took both?


----------



## David

I really don't know and don't feel comfortable making a recommendation, sorry


----------



## KWalker

That's what I was wondering. All I know is its not something to mess with because I once "overdose" (just took too much at the same time) and it was a big mistake!  I was starting a new job so thought if I took extra the first day it would help. It made things so much worse.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

KW, I know what you mean.  I overdid it on the psyllium once too (I took 2 teaspoons at once instead of my usual 1 teaspoon) and was horribly bloated, gassy, crampy, and just painful for several days.  I remember reading about when you overdid it on the psyllium, you said it felt like a blockage - how awful that must have felt!

If I switched to doing both seeds and husks, I would start verrrrry slowly with small amounts (like 1/2 teaspoon) of each, and very gradually increase the dosage over time.  Over the past few months I've slowly increased my dosage of psyllium husks from one regular teaspoon to one heaping teaspoon with no ill effects (probably equivalent about 1 regular tablespoon at this point), so I would do something similar if I switched to both seeds & husks.


----------



## KWalker

I was in a store looking today for some psyllium husks finally because I finally finished off the metamucil and all I could seem to find were the capsules, and it says to take 3 pills 5 times a day! 15 a day?! No way!   I must be looking in the wrong spot for the husks because I can't seem to find them anywhere!


----------



## scottsma

KWalker said:


> I was in a store looking today for some psyllium husks finally because I finally finished off the metamucil and all I could seem to find were the capsules, and it says to take 3 pills 5 times a day! 15 a day?! No way!   I must be looking in the wrong spot for the husks because I can't seem to find them anywhere!


my capsules say to take two, three times a day,but I only take two early morn. and two late afternoon.Works for me but I know some of you have to fit them in 'round your meds.I prefer capsules as they are much easier to take.


----------



## DustyKat

Over here they are in the health/organic/vegetarian shelf products section of the supermarket.

Dusty.


----------



## scottsma

I get them at a health store Holland and Barret.Haven't seen them in the supermarkets.


----------



## kalpana

where I can get organic psyillium. Can someone please let me know.


----------



## KWalker

Do you guys find that you/your children (where applicable) gained weight after taking psyllium?  I could be totally wrong with my thinking but I see it like the less we go to the bathroom, the more we store in our bodies. If psyllium makes us go to the bathroom we could therefore gain weight rather than expelling all that "waste" right after eating. Does that make sense at all? 

Also, Cat-A-Tonic - Have you tried the seeds at all yet?


----------



## DustyKat

I surely see where you are coming from KW. 

In our case the psyllium doesn't appear to influence their ability to gain weight. They both gained weight post surgery and now they have plateaued. I think they would fall into the normal weight range for their height but I imagine it would be at the lower end. If, but I guess I should say when :eek2: they do flare again they won't have many reserves to draw on. 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## KWalker

I guess I'll have to record my weight and then again at a later date to see if I notice a difference. I found a natural health store today that sells raw, organic psyllium husks so I finally got some. I'll be starting in the morning so I can take it in the am because I know I won't remember taking it before bed. 

The metamucil worked well for me so I'm really excited for this


----------



## DustyKat

Good luck KW! :goodluck:


----------



## KWalker

I just took it for the first time.  On the bag it says to take 1-2 tablspoons but after reading one of the prior posts on here I just took one heaping teaspoon so I can gradually work my way up if need be.   Initial thoughts, it looks gross in a glass cup because its all foggy and dirty looking but upon drinking it had no taste and just feels like drinking the pulp in orange juice.  On my bag it says to drink immediately but I read on here to wait 5-10 minutes so I just went in between and stirred it for a good minute or two and drank it.  I was expecting it to feel very grainy and sharp going down (like the metamucil) and it was much better


----------



## DustyKat

Whoa! My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I read the first line, 1-2 tablespoons! :yfaint: :lol: 

Hope it all goes well KW, I look forward to your updates! 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## KWalker

lol yeah I read where you said Sarah uses just a pinch and then I believe it was Cat-A-Tonic who said she only uses 1 teaspoon as well where her instructions say to use a tablespoon.  I will keep you and everyone else updated as to progress and I look forward to the outcome as I know it will be a good one


----------



## KWalker

I feel I should give a small update. I started the actual psyllium yesterday morning. Skip ahead one day, I've now had 2 servings (yesterday/today) and with it now being mid day here (1:19pm) my BM's have gone from being able to go through a strainer, to popcorn-like BM's. 

I've had success with the Metamucil but this is even better!


----------



## DustyKat

Wow! Thanks for the fab update KW!  Fingers, toes and everything else crossed that it keeps on keeping on! 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## karj

hey  my new health food guy in the local health store told me about this today so i searched here and found you are talking about it too   but I am having bloody BMs cos in the middle of a flare of sigmoid colon and rectum.  so going to ask my consultant first at my next appointment but it does sound very very good and i am looking forward to trying it out.. but i am little apprehensive in case it could cause an obstruction, so gonna quiz my consultant just in case!!


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

KWalker, I didn't notice any weight gain from psyllium.  Actually, I lost a few lbs after starting psyllium - I had been taking steroid suppositories for my hemorrhoid and "going too much" issues but they weren't helping.  The steroids did make me gain weight though and I put on about 5 or 6 lbs in a month of being on them.  Then I was at the health food store one day and saw psyllium on the shelf, and I had remembered reading this thread, so I decided to give them a try.  After a short time I noticed a difference, so I stopped the suppositories and just went with psyllium.  After stopping the steroid suppositories I was able to lose the excess weight I had gained, and my weight has been pretty steady since.  No more hemorrhoids either!    So long story short, no weight gain for me from psyllium.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Oh, and yes, I'm still just on one teaspoon daily, although I really do a heaping teaspoon now.  It's probably equivalent to one regular tablespoon.  That amount is still working great for me.


----------



## KWalker

Can i ask how long it took to clear the hemmorhoids? I stopped taking psyllium for a few days because I have something going on down there and I'm afraid that if I have a hard BM, it would just cause more stress on the area.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

My stools never became super hard with psyllium, just regular normal firm but not hard and not loose.  I was having fairly normal formed stools before psyllium, but I was going 4 to 10+ times daily - after psyllium, I was going more like 2 to 4 times daily.  My hemmies cleared up fairly quickly, maybe a few weeks or so after starting psyllium.  It was the constant going and going that aggravated them, and they wouldn't heal in spite of me using all sorts of creams and wipes and the steroid suppositories.  But once I took care of the root cause of the hemmies, going too much, then they went away on their own.


----------



## KWalker

Yes, that's what I should have said. Mine haven't really gotten hard either but rather a normal solid BM.   That long to heal the hemorrhoids eh? I'll hang on then. I'm having insane pain down there before BM's, after BM's, day, night, you name it and I think it's something related to going so often that is not allowing it to heal. I stopped taking the psyllium for a few days because I didn't want to have to push and then in return put pressure on whatever I had going on but today I figured what the hell and took it anyway and had a big difference. It definitely still hurts when going to the bathroom, sitting on the bus/going over bumps, sometimes walking but I just feel like the amount of pain has decreased because I wasn't going/wiping as much.


----------



## KWalker

I have a quick question if anyone is online to help. I've been looking online to see when to take psyllium with other meds (on here says 1 hour before, 2 hours after) but online it says not to take psyllium at all while taking meds. Does anyone know for sure?

I'm on cipro and flagyl right now for two weeks to try and cure another potential abscess and I just paid $104 dollars for them so I would really like to get the full effect of them, rather than them get wasted.

Thanks


----------



## DustyKat

Hey KW, 

It is correct that you shouldn't literally take meds at the same time as your psyllium, do you think this is what they mean't? 

As to not being able to take any medication at all throughout the day when using psyllium is incorrect. It is fine to take your medication if the time frames are followed. 

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

Thank you so much for the fast response.

And okay. It just said online that you shouldn't take psyllium while on medicine as it could affect the ability to absorb the medicine. I was originally just looking online because I wasn't sure if it would be posted in this thread but I didn't see any time frames online. 

I'm glad I can still take it as I think with the psyllium allowing me to "go" less, it gives me relief of the burning feeling I get when I have a loose BM right now because I don't go as much when I take the psyllium


----------



## KWalker

Hey guys, I have another question. It says that psyllium husks are on the illegal list on the SCD diet. Does anybody do both?


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Hm, I don't know, I've never done SCD.  I'm on the highly specialized "If it hurts or causes issues, don't eat it" diet (but admittedly I do cheat on that diet regularly).  I believe a lot of people modify the SCD diet to fit their specific needs, so I would guess there probably wouldn't be a big problem if you did SCD with psyllium.  Sorry I can't be much help on this one!  Good luck with SCD and I hope someone else can answer it for you.  Maybe I'll tag a few folks and see if anyone can offer more insight.  DustyKat?  David?  Gianni?


----------



## DustyKat

Thanks Cat.  

I did see your post KW but didn't answer as neither of my children have been on the SCD diet. :redface: Sorry mate...I am as useful as tits on a boar pig win it comes to this one! :lol: 

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

I understand Dusty, no Robert, no care   LOL just kidding!  I actually think I'll stop the psyllium once I start the diet because the diet is supposed to reduce D as well anyways. I would be interested to see if it actually does.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Dusty, I love your way with words.    Is that a common phrase in Australia or did you just make that up?

I couldn't remember if your daughter had done SCD or not.  I know she's vegetarian or vegan and did an all-raw diet for awhile (if I'm remembering correctly?) so I figured it was worth asking you.  I guess in this case we're both as useful as, ahem, what you said.


----------



## Gianni

> Hey guys, I have another question. It says that psyllium husks are on the illegal list on the SCD diet. Does anybody do both?


Can't say that I've tried either the SCD diet or psyllium :shifty-t:




> I actually think I'll stop the psyllium once I start the diet because the diet is supposed to reduce D as well anyways. I would be interested to see if it actually does.


Yeah I think that would be the best idea. The diet does say grain free so I would try to stick to that and if you feel that you still need the psyllium after a few weeks on the diet, then add it back in 

Gianni


----------



## DustyKat

@KW, 

Since it is illegal on the diet I would probably stop it and see what effect the diet has. After all, you can recommence taking it if things get out of control. 



Cat-a-Tonic said:


> Dusty, I love your way with words.    Is that a common phrase in Australia or did you just make that up?
> 
> I couldn't remember if your daughter had done SCD or not.  I know she's vegetarian or vegan and did an all-raw diet for awhile (if I'm remembering correctly?) so I figured it was worth asking you.  I guess in this case we're both as useful as, ahem, what you said.


:lol: I didn't make it up Cat and it isn't a common saying but we rural folk do use it occasionally. :ybiggrin: 

Sarah is essentially raw vegan but she does stray to some cooked veg when she comes home. :wink: Since going to a vegan diet her need for psyllium has dropped off considerably. 

Yes Cat...we are as useless as a third ball on a greyhound bitch! 

Dusty.


----------



## DustyKat

Hi de ho KWalker and Cat-a-Tonic. :bigwave: 

Who are things going with the psyllium? 

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

I had to stop taking it because of the diet but the diet changes are doing wonders as well with BMs


----------



## DustyKat

I wondered about that. So good to hear that all is going with the diet.  I hope it keeps on keeping on! 

:mademyday: 

Dusty. :heart:


----------



## KWalker

Thanks  me too! Lol. It can be hard sometimes but the benefits so far are worth it


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Hi Dusty!  All is still going pretty well with me and psyllium.  I have been under added stress at work lately and as a result my stools have been looser, so I've been ever so slightly increasing my psyllium dose and that's been going pretty well so far.  I'm drinking a big glass of psyllium & water right now in fact!


----------



## nogutsnoglory

Does anyone with inflammation and stricture take psyllium? I know it's mainly soluble fiber but it worries me.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

NGNG, I have no strictures that I know of, and I'm in remission so I have no inflammation right now either, so I can't be of much help there.  I would probably be pretty leary of anything to do with fiber if I had a stricture though.  If you do try it, I'd say check with your doctor first to get their thoughts, and I would also start with very small amounts to see how it affected me.


----------



## itsme2

xxx


----------



## DustyKat

Hey itsme2, 

The diarrhoea you are experiencing is likely due to bile salt malabsorption. The reason I say likely is that it is a very common side effect of this type of surgery but also so infection or bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel (SIBO) isn't neglected as a possible cause. The presence of large amounts of bile salts in the colon affects the body's ability to reabsorb water back out of the bowel that would normally firm the stool up. 

It is not too soon after surgery to start taking something. Many GI's prescribe a medication called Questran or Colestid to help deal with the problem. It is a medication that binds to the bile salts and helps firm the stool up. Psyllium acts the same way so if you prefer to go the natural route it can be just as effective. Both of my children use psyllium with great effect but be aware that psyllium/questran does need to be taken away from other medication, my children don't take any medication/supplements with psyllium, to be on the safe side, as it has the potential to affect their absorption. My son also finds Imodium Zapid to also be helpful when he needs something quickly but it does sometimes cause him some cramping. 

Please also ensure that you have your blood levels of B12, Iron Stores, Folate, Vit D, Zinc and Magnesium regularly tested and supplement when required. 

Dusty.


----------



## juljul

Hi Duskycat and all, 

There is just one thing I remembered with regards to psyllium husk (Ispaghula husk). It shouldn't be taken near any medicines or vitamins because it can interfere with their absorption. Its best to allow an hour either side. 

juljul xx


----------



## KWalker

Just thought I'd share to you guys that I've joined this club again about a week ago.


----------



## DustyKat

Are you okay KW???

Dusty. xxx


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I'm with Dusty, wondering if you're off the SCD or if everything is okay?


----------



## KWalker

Everything is good, however due to financial and time constraints I am unable to commit 100% to the SCD diet right now. As you'll notice I haven't been on the forum nearly as much lately. I've been so insanely busy with school that I pretty much study and sleep. As bad as it sounds, the last thing I want to do is come home and spend time cooking from scratch and I can't expect Mariah to do it all the time because it's not fair to her either because she is just as busy as myself.

Also, because school is almost done for the year that means finances are running low too. Because we only work in the summer, we try and save as much as possible so we can spread it out throughout the school year and make it last. Not only that, we just got accepted into Spring and Summer classes as well so we've been trying to make that work with money as well.

I haven't completely stopped SCD but as I've said, I am unable to being 100% strict right now. I'm doing it about 80% but I've added a few things that are not allowed. I've decided to go back to the psyllium as well just as a supplement so I can maintain "normal" BM's because I really do notice significant improvements with my abscess as long as I'm not going to the bathroom 5-7 times a day.  Also because of the suggestions that psyllium can even do more than just help with BM's I thought I would use it to offset the benefits of the diet.

I still completely support those doing the diet but as a full time student it's just not completely feasible for me right now. I was doing really well on it and then one day I weighed myself and out of nowhere, I was down 10lbs. Since adding psyllium and other foods I've since gained back 4 in the week.


----------



## DustyKat

It's good to hear that all is well KW.  

I hear you about the difficulties maintaining the diet both from a time management and financial aspect. I know they are issues that Sarah faces, although since going raw vegan food preparation is less of an issue! :lol: The cost of eating well and healthily when you are a uni student and living away from home is a constant challenge. 

Good luck KW and I hope all continues to go well for you. :heart: 

Dusty. xxx


----------



## KWalker

Sorry I haven't replied to this.  You're definitely right about the financial aspect of eating healthy. It's not even that healthy foods like fruit or vegetables are expensive (because they are fairly cheap) but they become expensive when you're constantly buying them, which is what I was doing..and they still don't really give calories.

Since introducing some other foods I've already gained 8-9lbs (depends on time of day lol) and even with only that little weight gain I don't feel as lanky anymore.

So I'm taking the psyllium in the morning and I take 1-1.5 tablespoons and it seems to be really helping me but I'm considering doing it at night as well because it almost seems like it wears off as the day goes.   I went through some troubles when my grandpa died last week so I went a few days without taking anything and with the added stress I got the severe diarrhea again and even had my abscess come back, but I've since got that to pop and it's almost drained and I'm back on the psyllium and doing well.

What do you guys think about taking the psyllium twice a day?


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I think it should be fine as long as you take it slowly and don't take too much at once (I think you and I have both had trouble in the past with taking too much and ending up feeling awful).  Maybe take a regular dose in the morning and 1/2 dose in the evening and see how that goes?


----------



## DustyKat

I am so sorry to hear of your Grandpa's passing KW...:ghug:...my thoughts are with you. I know what a traumatic it has been for you and hope that things will soon settle, both psychologically and physically. 

I don't know the amounts that Sarah used but early in the piece Sarah was using the psyllium twice a day as it allowed her to sleep through the night. As Cat has suggested start of slowly but aside from that I don't see it doing you any harm. 

As a side note: When Sarah was first prescribed Questran, IIRC the suggested dose was one sachet twice a day.

Dusty. xxx


----------



## KWalker

Thanks guys. I'm going to try it tonight. I might try it with water as well because I've been taking it with juice and as a result, going through juice like crazy and not even being able to enjoy it because I just chug it back.  Do you guys mix it and drink it or do you let it sit for awhile? One time I mixed it and then had to go to the bathroom before I drank it but I didn't notice a difference 5 minutes later. 

You're right Cat, I had a problem with mixing too much and I remember reading about yours as well.


----------



## DustyKat

Sarah: Brace yourself...mixes hers with her morning coffee and sips away! So no chugging there. :lol: 

Matt: Mixes with a weaker mix of cordial. He doesn't chug it down but uses one of those mixing bottles for protein drinks, a bit like this...







...that way he doesn't have to drink it fast because he can keep it from settling without fuss  

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

See, I thought about the coffee thing because I have a coffee every morning but I feel like my psyllium is too big/bulky. It all seems to float at the top which is why I stir it really fast so it's mixed and then drink it. 

I've seen those bottles as well. All the "jocks" on campus seem to have one lol.  Hmm, I could probably get one, start wearing muscle shirts and they wouldn't even know I didn't have protein shakes in mine! haha.


----------



## DustyKat

You could KW! :lol:


----------



## KWalker

So I was looking online at that Bristol chart and it said a #5 (sounds like I'm ordering food haha) is the ideal BM. Is that true? If so I have perfectly normal poops now! I thought the #1 was best and then it wasn't as good the further down you got.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I always just drink mine in water.  I mix it in, wait a couple minutes for it to soften up a little bit, stir it really well, and then usually sip it through a straw.  That always goes fine for me.

I did try drinking my psyllium in hot tea once - that did not go well!  It turned into like a solid mass in the bottom of my tea mug, it all got too sticky or something and it all stuck together, it was weird and I could not drink it.  It was pretty gross!  Hubby has also tried cooking with psyllium and that also turned out weird/gross.  He made some homemade pudding with psyllium, and the texture of it was sort of like solid goo.  It tasted okay but the texture was so odd that I just couldn't eat it.  If you've read Calvin & Hobbes cartoons, the ones where Calvin hates his mom's cooking and he imagines that it comes to live and walks away and it's really gloppy and weird - that's basically what I thought of hubby's psyllium pudding.


----------



## KWalker

I'm going to try the water/straw thing.   Oh also, when you do have it in your cup, does a lot of stick to the sides? I feel like I waste so much of it because it's stuck to the sides of the cup


----------



## DustyKat

It does stick to the sides KW. 

No5 would be regarded as the ideal as it is indicative of a balanced diet with the right amount of fibre. As they say, easy to pass, no straining involved, and it would float in the toilet bowl. A GI and colorectal surgeons dream! :lol: 

Dusty.


----------



## KWalker

You know, I would never think that because I've always thought the 1-2 bigger piece was ideal, and sunken to the bottom. I was always under the understanding that "floaters" meant too much fat in your diet.   When I first started having these #5s I was so excited because it was easy to pass, formed, etc and I always thought "I can settle with this" and then I found out that's how it should be!  My goal was always just to maintain the clear water while pooping lol. 

Oh, and Cat. I tried the water thing, and then through a straw and well, that's not happening lol.  I can get passed the texture but it tastes awful! Even the smallest amount of juice hides the taste and then if I put the psyllium in my smoothies I can't even tell it's there.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Yes, it sticks to the sides.  I have never noticed a taste though - when I mix it in water, it kind of looks like pond water, but it doesn't really taste like anything.  I did gross out some people at work once when I brought my glass of psyllium into a meeting, and they were like, "WHAT are you drinking?"


----------



## KWalker

Yeah it does look like pond water lol. I don't know what it is but it just doesn't work with water lol.  When it does stick to the side, do you put more water in to get the rest? 

That would be hilarious with your work!  When I put red lettuce and ginger root in my smoothies it turns the smoothie brown no matter what other ingredients I use so people get grossed out because it looks like I'm drinking thick, brown sewer water lol.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

I do usually put in a little more water to try to get some of the psyllium off the sides.  I can never seem to get it all though.  I have to wash my cup right away after drinking psyllium too or it sort of glues itself to the sides of my glass.

Yeah, I've had similar reactions with homemade juice too!  Hubby will sometimes make me juice for breakfast and I'll bring it to work and drink it at my desk.  But he makes weird concoctions - he made one that was kind of orange (carrots & oranges) and kind of green (kale & spinach & ?) - the orange and the green wouldn't really mix very well so it was kind of orange and kind of green.  Then we had some blackberries that he wanted to use up, so he juiced them and put that on top of the orange-green, and that didn't mix in either.  So it was purpleish on top and then orangeish-greenish.    It looked atrocious but it tasted good.  I didn't get any comments on that one but people saw it as they walked by my desk and I did notice a couple double-takes.  Ha ha!


----------



## Sparkle2012

David said:


> 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.


David, did you notice significant improvement going organic with your foods?  I know the principle of it makes sense, but it is inconvenient and expensive..I'm considering it if I can find organic in north florida.


----------



## Cat-a-Tonic

Sparkle, David is a farmer so he grows/raises a lot of his food himself.


----------



## Sparkle2012

awesome....I am from a family of farmers....no Crohns issues with them!


----------



## David

Sparkle2012 said:


> David, did you notice significant improvement going organic with your foods?  I know the principle of it makes sense, but it is inconvenient and expensive..I'm considering it if I can find organic in north florida.


I'm in remission (Lymphocytic Colitis).  Do I feel going organic was the reason for that?  No, definitely not.  Do I feel that it was a piece of a much larger puzzle?  Yes.  Do I feel my long term health will benefit from being 100% organic?  Absolutely.  Do I feel I am also helping the environment by going organic?  For sure.

It can indeed be inconvenient and yes, it is usually more expensive.  For me, there's no question as I want nothing but the most uber quality of food going into my body which has led to me growing much of my own.  

If you do decide to start purchasing organic foods, be sure to avoid carrageenan like the plague.  It's an additive in many foods and it's absolutely terrible for anyone with IBD.


----------



## Sparkle2012

I will google it, David.  Do you think the organic has helped your condition?

(scratch that - - I think you already answered that for me)  

Thanks David
I'll check into the bad thing...make sure I don't eat it.


----------



## Sparkle2012

I have a bunch of Ensure in my cabinet...I will toss that for sure.  Thanks again.


----------



## KWalker

Does all psyllium work the same?  I ran out of my psyllium so I had to get some new stuff. I found it in bulk in a health food store so I bought some more.  However, it doesn't seem to be as effective. 

Is it just in my head?


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## KWalker

Little update. This morning I decreased my psyllium and significantly increased my water and things seem to be getting better.  I was taking 4 tablespoons a day (two in motning, two at night) and I think it may have actually causing me diarrhea and doing the "relieving the constipation" 

I guess I got greedy and thought more would only mean better but today I only took two tablespoons (one in morning, one with night smoothie) and I've drank a ton of water today.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

KW, I've tried a couple different brands of psyllium (I usually use Whole Foods' store brand, but if they're out then I will use a different one - I don't remember the brand name of that one).  They all seem to work about the same for me.

I wonder if 4 tablespoons a day was just too much for your system.  I currently take 1 heaping tablespoon daily - any more than that and I start to get crampy.  Drinking lots of water is important too, especially for those of us with IBD as we tend to get dehydrated more easily.  So in my totally non-medical unprofessional opinion, I'd say it's probably a good thing to reduce the psyllium and increase the water intake.


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## nogutsnoglory

I just bought some psyllium husk powder to experiment with in replacing or augmenting taking Imodium. I'd rather take something natural and healthy. 

2 questions:

1. How much do you use and how much water do you drink with it to dilute it? 

I am stricturing so I want to be cautious and also don't want too much water because otherwise it defeats the purpose and the psyllium husk will absorb that but not the intestinal fluids. 

2. Is it just the fiber in psyllium that is responsible for a bulking effect or is there something else? If its just fiber wouldn't it just make more sense to eat small amounts of fruits and veggies to bulk up since you also get vitamins and antioxidants?


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## DustyKat

In our case the kids use psyllium for a very specific reason, that being to absorb excess bile salts in the small bowel. Because of their resections where the body would normally reabsorb those salts they don't and when they passed unchecked into the large bowel it creates the osmotic effect of pulling water into the large bowel and keeping it there. 

So in a bowel unaffected by disease water essentially moves out of the large bowel creating solid waste. 
In my kids the water stays in the large bowel, due to bile salts, and so that creates diarrhoea. 

So you have Ileal disease with scarring/inflammation? That being the case you may well be suffering the same issue. 

You need to start out conservatively and build up, particularly as you have noted you have stricturing. I would start with a teaspoon and work up. I think if you look at Cat's and GW's posts they lay out the regime they started with and how they progressed. 

As to my own kids. I think they each use about two slightly heaped dessertspoons a day, in the morning, and they mix it in about 300/350 mls of liquid. It doesn't have to be water so you can also mix with juice, cereal, soups, gravies, etc.

Good luck! 

Dusty. xxx


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## DustyKat

I don't know if you saw this post in the thread ngng but it would seem that psyllium has some significant benefits in its own right: 



> *** Potentially very important! ***
> 
> In doing some research on short-chain fatty acids, I found that psyllium can significantly increase the amount of butyrate produced by colonic bacteria. Butyrate is likely the most important short-chain fatty acid and has been implicated in various aspects of IBD.
> 
> My point here is, psyllium may be MUCH more than just a bulking agent. It can help maintain or possibly induce remission, improve blood flow in the colon, increase electrolyte and fluid uptake, reduce chances of colon cancer, and more. Ceasing its use might not be the best idea if you do well with it.


David posted this in response to my saying that Sarah had stopped using psyllium. Needless to say she started again.  

Dusty. xxx


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## nogutsnoglory

That's really helpful Dusty, thank you so much. I have the bile salt issue as well. Prior to my ileocolic resection I never had issues with diarrhea. I tried Questran for several weeks but it didn't seem to help much. 

I am starting the experiment Monday just in case I get obstructed since doctors aren't reachable on the weekend and I don't want to end up in the ER.


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## DustyKat

No worries ngng.  

I hope they do the trick for you and provide you with some lasting relief. Good luck! 

Dusty. xxx


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## Cat-a-Tonic

NGNG, sorry for not seeing this sooner.  I started out taking 1 teaspoon of psyllium daily - any more than that and I'd cramp & bloat and just feel awful.  I once tried taking 2 teaspoons at once - big mistake!  I recall KW saying he did something similar and also felt awful.  So do NOT take too much at once - start small!  I've very slowly built myself up to now taking 1 heaping tablespoon of psyllium daily, but it took a long time to even get that far with it.

Another thing I should mention, I was taking psyllium for a long time during remission.  In remission, I had firm formed stools, but I was still going 4-10+ times a day.  I started psyllium in the hopes that it'd slow down the frequency while keeping the consistency, and fortunately it did do that for me.  I went down to more like 2-4 BMs daily, it was great.  Now that I seem to be flaring, I'm still only going a couple times a day on average, but my stool consistency has turned back to diarrhea.  I've actually skipped taking my psyllium for a few days every week now that I'm flaring, and that oddly enough seems to cause me less d.  I'm not sure if that is specific to me or not, but if you're flaring and psyllium isn't helping a ton, maybe try not taking it every single day and see if that helps at all.


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## JohnnyLek

Hey Everyone!

I just read this entire thread and cannot wait to go out and try psyllium tomorrow!  I am currently on questran 2 times a day and it does work fairly well for me, but the natural approach that psyllium provides is much more appealing.  I just started using a probiotic, Acidophilus, and was wondering if I should wait the hour after taking the probiotic (or 2 before)?  Or does this only apply to medications?

Thanks guys I can't wait to try this out I am super optimistic after hearing all of your stories!


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## DustyKat

Hey Johnny.  

From what I have read there are only a few medications listed as definitely needing to be taken away from psyllium but I don’t know whether this is because others have never really been tested or not. I err to caution and ensure that the kids don’t take any of their prescription meds or OTC supplements with it. I figure that way it eliminates any doubt.

I hope it works well for you! Good luck and keep us posted. 

Dusty. xxx


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Hi JohnnyLek, welcome to the forum!  Good luck starting Psyllium tomorrow.  As I'm sure you already know by reading through this thread, start slowly with it.  I believe both KWalker and myself had times in the past where we tried taking more psyllium than our usual doses, and we both ended up in bad crampy pain.  I think my container of psyllium has instructions that says to take 2 tablespoons per day, but I only take 1 tablespoon per day (and I had started out taking only 1 teaspoon per day).  So don't do too much psyllium at one time, that's my main piece of advice!  And yeah, as Dusty said, I don't take anything, not even vitamins, at the same time as my psyllium.  I take vitamins & meds with meals, and I take my psyllium in between meals.  Better safe than sorry.

Speaking of KWalker, I haven't seen him around the forum in quite awhile!  KW, are you still checking in from time to time?  If so, are you still on psyllium?  Care to give a little update on how you're doing?


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## Charleigh

Cat-a-Tonic said:


> Hi JohnnyLek, welcome to the forum!  Good luck starting Psyllium tomorrow.  As I'm sure you already know by reading through this thread, start slowly with it.  I believe both KWalker and myself had times in the past where we tried taking more psyllium than our usual doses, and we both ended up in bad crampy pain.  I think my container of psyllium has instructions that says to take 2 tablespoons per day, but I only take 1 tablespoon per day (and I had started out taking only 1 teaspoon per day).  So don't do too much psyllium at one time, that's my main piece of advice!  And yeah, as Dusty said, I don't take anything, not even vitamins, at the same time as my psyllium.  I take vitamins & meds with meals, and I take my psyllium in between meals.  Better safe than sorry.
> 
> Speaking of KWalker, I haven't seen him around the forum in quite awhile!  KW, are you still checking in from time to time?  If so, are you still on psyllium?  Care to give a little update on how you're doing?




I know, right?  I just PM'ed him the other day.  Miss the guy!

I just bought some psyllium at TJ's today.  I have been excited to add it to E's regimen.  It said 1-3 Tbs but I just used 1 TBS - I hope that wasn't too much!


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## KWalker

Hey guys! I have to admit, I haven't had time to be on here in quite awhile. Cat-a-Tonic is right, do NOT take more than recommended lol. I found out the hard way. Nothing serious happened but I felt like I was going to give birth that day..and I'm a male! 

I'm actually not on Psyllium right now. I've been on Cipro and Flagyl for quite a few months now (for fun I guess, but the doctor says maintenance) so I just didn't want to be dealing with the waiting between taking pills/psyllium. 

I've gained about 20lbs since around December. I bought a few bathing suits last year for our cruise over the holidays and I couldn't even wear them because they were too small! Other than that, no crohns complaints at the moment. I really wish I did have more time for the forum right now. I'll try to pop by more often, but I haven't forgot about you all!


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Hi KW, that's great that you've gained some weight!  I remember you talking about being really skinny in the past, so it sounds like weight gain is definitely a good thing.  Are you still doing a modified version of SCD?  How's school and life treating you, and have you married that pretty girlfriend of yours yet?


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## KWalker

Thanks Cat  I'm still really skinny so I'm not sure where that extra weight is lol. My scale could even be broken for that matter lol.  I'm not doing any diet currently. I was doing the modified SCD and then I went vegetarian for a little bit after watching some rather disturbing videos in school but I'm not following any diet at the moment.  

School is going well at the moment. I'm doing 120% course load right now so I'm extremely busy but it's paying off by allowing me to graduate a year earlier (next year) and then I'll be applying to graduate school. I have also been looking for volunteer work to strengthen my resume because most of my work experience isn't mental health related.  

Life has been pretty good. Mariah and I bought a puppy so ours has somebody to play with. She's a morkie (yorkie/maltese) and she weighs 4lbs lol. Other than that we've just been focusing on school work. We haven't married yet (lol) because we have been waiting to finish school so we can afford a wedding lol. 

I'll try and check up on this a bit more. I've been having to push back my bedtime so I can get all my work done lol.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Wow, sounds like a very busy life!  I'm glad that you're healthy enough to be able to take on all of that.  I seem to remember you had some trouble with abscesses in the past - have those all healed now?  Is that what the Cipro & Flagyl is for?


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## KWalker

Umm, they're still there, but they don't seem to be bothering me. I am on the Cipro and Flagyl and have been for quite a few months and that seems to keep it under control. It's kind of weird because I don't think the Cipro and Flagyl really make it better, but it definitely gets worse when I go off them. I haven't been off long enough for it to get bad again but I did notice more drainage when I took breaks from the medicine (vacation)


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Huh, interesting!  I was kind of similar with Asacol - I wasn't sure if it was doing a whole lot, but then they stopped making it here rather suddenly and I had to switch to a different maintenance med.  My GI switched me to Asacol HD, which I wasn't able to break down so it was passing through me undigested, and I felt worse very quickly.  So then I switched to Delzicol which worked so-so and now I'm on Pentasa which also works so-so.  I think Pentasa is keeping me from getting worse but also not helping me get better, so yeah, very similar to what you said about Cipro & Flagyl.  I just started back on Entocort again so I'm hoping that finally gets me back into remission.  I've stayed on psyllium all through this mess, and I think it helps a bit too, but it definitely wasn't enough by itself to keep me in remission.


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## Sparkle2012

Cat-a-Tonic said:


> Hi JohnnyLek, welcome to the forum!  Good luck starting Psyllium tomorrow.  As I'm sure you already know by reading through this thread, start slowly with it.  I believe both KWalker and myself had times in the past where we tried taking more psyllium than our usual doses, and we both ended up in bad crampy pain.  I think my container of psyllium has instructions that says to take 2 tablespoons per day, but I only take 1 tablespoon per day (and I had started out taking only 1 teaspoon per day).  So don't do too much psyllium at one time, that's my main piece of advice!  And yeah, as Dusty said, I don't take anything, not even vitamins, at the same time as my psyllium.  I take vitamins & meds with meals, and I take my psyllium in between meals.  Better safe than sorry.
> 
> Hi Cat:  is the psyllium for bulking the stool and if so, is it something you chew up like lignin or something?  I'm always looking for more fiber..thought I'd ask.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Sparkle, no, it's not a chewable.  It's this sort of flakey stuff that you mix into a glass of water (or whatever beverage or even food that you want to mix it into).  Yes, it is for bulking stool, and it's soluble fiber so it's pretty easy on the tummy.  I take 1 tablespoon daily, mix it well into a glass of water and drink it up.  It doesn't taste like much, it's not bad.  You should be able to get it at most health food stores - I get it at Whole Foods, I buy the organic version of their store brand, and it's not expensive - it's about $11 for a big container that lasts me a couple months.  I would say give it a try, it's been pretty beneficial for me.  Just a couple things to note - don't take it within a couple hours of taking any medications, as it can affect how they're absorbed, and don't overdo it.  Start off taking just a little psyllium and slowly & gradually increase the dose if need be.  I think the container says to take 2 tablespoons daily but that'd be way too much for me, I'd be crampy and bloated and very uncomfortable if I took that much!  Start out at maybe a teaspoon and see how that goes.  I hope that helps?  Good luck if you do try it and feel free to as me any other questions you have about it!


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## Sparkle2012

Cat:  is it good for Crohns patients if they are having active symptoms? (I am not at this time but would like to know anyway)


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## vonfunk

So I wish I read this thread yesterday.

I'm on stoma #2, this one doesn't play nicely like the last one did, very high output, mostly liquid. Awhile ago I bought some psyllium husks from Bulk Barn (because I recalled Dusty speaking highly of them and I thought I was going to wake up from surgery with a J-pouch), decided to try them last night. Having not actually looked into, mixed a teaspoon into a glass of water, and thought to myself "that doesn't look like enough" so I threw another one in. Mixed it up, downed it. This morning, had another teaspoon in some water. 

Then I started having some discomfort around the stoma. Nothing super painful, just tender, it stopped after I had passed stool. I emptied out my bag a little while ago, it was a gelatinous mass, mildly terrifying like The Blob. But yes, it definitely thickened things, I will need to experiment with dosage. However just based on probably taking too much the first time around, I will continue, albeit not so much at once.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Oh vonfunk, that sucks!  Yes, as both Kwalker and I found out the hard way, it is easy to overdo it on the psyllium!  It caused me rather hideous gas pains & massive bloat when I overdid it, and I recall KW saying he felt like he was obstructed for a bit after he took too much psyllium at once.  We both recovered within a few days, but it was not fun for a little while there, so I feel for you.

You've learned this the hard way, but yes, start with a small amount of psyllium and gradually work your way up if need be.  And, I would also recommend that you not cook with it.  You mentioned your output as being gelatinous like the Blob - that was basically what happened when my husband tried making pudding with psyllium in it.  You know those old Calvin & Hobbes comic strips, specifically the ones where his mom makes a weird unidentifiable dish for dinner and it blorps around on his plate and appears to be sentient?  That was basically what psyllium pudding turned out to be!  

I'm actually not taking psyllium myself right now - I'm at that weird place in between active flare and remission (just tapered down to 3 mg Entocort), and although psyllium did me a lot of good when I was in remission, when I'm not quite there it seems to make me cramp up more.  When I get firmly back into remission, then I'll revisit psyllium.  But, I can still try to answer any other questions you have about psyllium - it did good things for me up until just recently and I hope it will do good things for me again in the future.


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## vonfunk

It wasn't painful, just kind of like a mild muscle ache, and it only last an hour or so, just before my stoma became active. It's no longer an issue. It's probably because I've only been out of the hospital for a couple of weeks and an generally still tender. I threw a couple of spoonfuls in the soda bread I made earlier today, but that'll be consumed over the course of a few days. But it definitely helped overnight

I have the suspicion that I may need to take smaller doses multiple times a day due to the ileostomy, I'm not on any medication so needn't worry about that.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

I've never had a stoma so I'm not able to answer to that, but that sounds like a good plan to take small amounts every so often.  Good luck!  And I hope your bread turns out much better than my husband's pudding did.


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## vonfunk

Taste & texture wise, the bread turned out exactly as it always does.  

But I believe I will hold off on any more psyllium for today, I want to see how it pans out post overdose.


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## DustyKat

Hey Von, 

Good to hear the blob found its way out! :eek2:

Yeah, I don’t really know anything about using psyllium with stoma’s. I don’t think it is contraindicated as such but probably something they would say to discuss with the doc??

I know when Matt was on the colorectal ward, and sharing a room with 3 other youngish guys who had all just had ileostomies done, they only advised the taking of Lomotil and eating bananas and apple sauce, IIRC. But then again that doesn’t surprise me, it was naturally predominately a surgical ward and hence much past the surgeons handiwork wasn’t entered into. :lol: 

Definitely the slow route is best as there is quite a bit of trail and error until you hit on what is right for you. 

Update with my two: 

They both still continue to use psyllium. Sarah tends to go au natural when staying at home and now also mixes things up a bit with the use of psyllium capsules. Matt is still with the husks all the time and as a general rule is using them both morning and evening.

Dusty. xxx


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## vonfunk

Well aside from initial discomfort and tenderness, it seems to be going well. Normally I would have emptied by bag 4 or 5 times at this point, of those half would have been entirely liquid (watery), and the others thicker liquid. At this point I'm at 3 empties and they've been much thicker (one of being the Blob creature).  This surgery reduced the amount of usable small intestine to create the pouch, so things aren't at all what they used to be.

They recommend things like bananas, marshmallows and chips to thicken, I'm going to take it easy for the next few days. I've got at home nursing caring coming on Tuesday to look at things and order supplies so I'll check with them then.


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## Spooky1

I had a laugh when my gastro bloke recommended marshmallows and jelly babies.  I thought he was having a good giggle at me.  I see its an international thing to suggest these to us Crohnies, lol.


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## john/char

Has anyone tried Benefiber?


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## Grant

Hi all. I had results through from an MRI & basically I've got a nasty patch of Proctitis in my lower rectum. I'm currently using Magnesium Hydroxide as a stool softener but its a bit hit n miss with the results. The thing is I'm thinking of giving Psyllium Husks a try but another thing from the MRI is small inflammation of the terminal ileum as usual. I'm no stranger to strictures so I'm nervous of too much stool bulking. I've got to be very careful.
Suggestions on dosage etc would be welcome as well as whether to try capsules or powder. Is it true you can sprinkle the powder on meals(hot or cold) & to what extent does it alter the taste??
Many tks
Grant


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## Layla

Grant said:


> Hi all. I had results through from an MRI & basically I've got a nasty patch of Proctitis in my lower rectum. I'm currently using Magnesium Hydroxide as a stool softener but its a bit hit n miss with the results. The thing is I'm thinking of giving Psyllium Husks a try but another thing from the MRI is small inflammation of the terminal ileum as usual. I'm no stranger to strictures so I'm nervous of too much stool bulking. I've got to be very careful.
> Suggestions on dosage etc would be welcome as well as whether to try capsules or powder. Is it true you can sprinkle the powder on meals(hot or cold) & to what extent does it alter the taste??
> Many tks
> Grant


I'd start with a teaspoon mixed in half a glass of water first thing in the morning. I suffer from strictures too and am very wary of stool bulkers since metamucil landed me in hospital with a total blockage!

I don't wait for the psyllium to thicken, just a quick stir and down the hatch. I then have breakfast with a large glass of water. I find if I wait for it to thicken and then drink it, there's more of a chance of blockages, no idea why. 
If I have even the slightest feeling of an imminent (partial) blockage I don't take any and just make do until it subsides.

When I have no strictures I can take up to a tablespoon in one go. I've tried it on a peanut butter sandwich but didn't like the texture so I just stick to water.


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