Psyllium Husks

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

Dusty. xxx
 
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!!
 
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.
 
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. :)
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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. :)
 
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
 
Hey guys, I have another question. It says that psyllium husks are on the illegal list on the SCD diet. Does anybody do both?
 
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?
 
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. :)
 
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.
 
Dusty, I love your way with words. :p 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. :p
 
Hey guys, I have another question. It says that psyllium husks are on the illegal list on the SCD diet. Does anybody do both?
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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.
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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
 
@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. :p 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. :p
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: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! :eek:

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

Who are things going with the psyllium?

Dusty. :)
 
I had to stop taking it because of the diet but the diet changes are doing wonders as well with BMs
 
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:
 
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! :)
 
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.
 
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. :)
 
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
 
Just thought I'd share to you guys that I've joined this club again about a week ago.
 
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.
 
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
 
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?
 
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?
 
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
 
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.
 
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...

6a00d83451be3669e20105364becf7970c-800wi


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

Dusty. :)
 
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.
 
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.
 
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. :p
 
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
 
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. :)
 
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.
 
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?" :p
 
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.
 
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. :p 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!
 
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.
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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.
 
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.
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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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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. :)
 
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?
 
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
 
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.
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David posted this in response to my saying that Sarah had stopped using psyllium. Needless to say she started again. :)

Dusty. xxx
 
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.
 
No worries ngng. :)

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

Dusty. xxx
 
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.
 
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!
 
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
 
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?
 
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?
Click to expand...



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!
 
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! :)
 
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?
 
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.
 
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?
 
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)
 
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...
 
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!
 
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)
 
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.
 
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! :p

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.
 
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.
 
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. :p
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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
Click to expand...

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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