How to take psyllium

[k_stewart]

I have a lot of diarrhea and need to firm up my BMs. I want to use psyllium, so... How do people take it? With food? How many times a day? How much?

I may combine it with the SCD. Does anyone do this? Is it successful?

Thanks.

 

[Hattie95]

I got prescribed it by my GI last week. Mine was like a sachet thing to take twice a day with water. So I took it with breakfast and about an hour before dinner. For me it made my pain and cramping worse so I stopped it after two days, hopefully you have more luck than me!

 

[DustyKat]

Firstly, start out slowly, perhaps a teaspoon and work up from there until you hit on the right amount for you. My kids use about 2 level dessertspoons in the mornings. Very occasionally they will repeat in the evenings if they are having a big night out.

You can use the psyllium in many ways. On breakfast cereal, in sauces and soups, in cooking or add to a beverage. My kids normally drink it or add it to cereal.

Be aware that there are time restrictions when taking oral medication/supplements if using these type of products…no medication within 1 hour before and 2 after using psyliium.

I started a thread about psyllium a while ago, it has loads of good info and experiences contained within it. It would be worthwhile having a read...

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=13856

Dusty. xxx

 

[buttER]

Hi, my doctor advised me to build up slowly, start with a teaspoon and then see how it goes. I preferred mixing it with a dessert to hide the texture a bit, although you do have to drink a glass of water/liquid after you take it too.

In my experience it caused more pain and some bleeding (my colitis is worst in the sigmoid area).

 

[k_stewart]

Thanks, everyone! The more info the better. I read your other thread Dustykat, very helpful. Do your kids eat whatever they want?

I have been thinking of taking one tsp twice a day, but maybe more psyllium, once a day would be better.

 

[DustyKat]

Pretty much k_stewart. They do have very different diets through choice but I do think a part of that is gravitating to their preferences and what most agrees with them. They are capable of eating anything but since their surgeries they have found red meat doesn’t sit well with them or food that is oily/fatty is one thing that has them bolting for the loo.

I would start with a teaspoon in the morning only if you work/study/whatever through the day and go from there.

Dusty. xxx

 

[k_stewart]

Thanks again Dusty. Hopefully all goes well.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

You mentioned that you've read through the other thread, and I'm pretty sure in that thread both KWalker and myself mentioned the ill effects we experienced when we took too much psyllium at once. I doubled my dose one day and I believe KW did at one point as well. I recall he said he was feeling like he was partially obstructed, with a lot of abdominal pain. I had some abdo pains as well and felt extremely bloated and just plain uncomfortable. So, learn from our fail - do not take too much psyllium at once! As Dusty said, start with a teaspoon or so and sloooowly work your way up from there if that doesn't seem like enough. I had slowly moved up from a teaspoon to a tablespoon over time, and that was about the right dosage for me. My package of psyllium says to take 2 tablespoons per day, but that amount would put me in a world of pain and bloat.

My other advice to you would be to only mix it into cold water. I tried mixing mine into hot tea once, but it turned into a weird solid globby mass. I've found similar results mixing psyllium into food, it just turns everything sort of globby and gives food a weird thick gooey texture. Oh, and give psyllium a few weeks to fully kick in - you might have some mild cramps the first few weeks, but after that the cramps should stop once your body is used to psyllium. (That was my experience anyway.) And yes, as Dusty said, no meds within a couple hours before or after taking psyllium as it can affect how certain meds are absorbed. Good luck with it!