What is the lowest effective amount of psyllium I can take?

[KWalker]

Hey, I'm just going to tag DustyKat, Crabby, & Cat-a-Tonic in this but if anyone has any opinions I'd love to hear them. Lately I've been HATING taking psyllium. The smell is so awful, and the texture going down is just totally making me not want to take it. I take 2 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) and I feel like it's really over powering trying to chug back. I remember Dusty saying that her daughter puts some in her coffee/tea but there is no way I would be able to drink it slowly. It definitely ruins my drink.

Does anybody take less than the amount I said I take and still have success? I don't want to stop taking it because I find a huge difference not only with BM's, but it also really slows down drainage from my abscess when I take it but I dread taking it every morning.

 

[QueenGothel]

Have you tried the pills. It might be easier for you to take that way.

 

[KWalker]

The reason I don't take the pills is because I was under the impression that the husks themselves were more effective

 

[QueenGothel]

My DD doesn't have a colon and the powder works just fine for her. She gags on the husk part. She actually does hers in a small amount of water. She doesn't gag she cannot do the pills bc it is to much she only takes 1/4 tsp in 1 ounce after meals.

 

[Tenacity]

I personally would give the pills a shot - it works for other people, so give it a try. If you do, I would be interested to see if you notice a difference. You may have to take more than the prescribed dose??

 

[KWalker]

Hmm, mine is like pulp when going down. When I took the metamucil with psyllium it was more of a grainy powder but this psyllium is more like oats kind of. This morning when I took it I still did 2 spoon fulls but split it up into smaller cups (1 in each) and it seemed to be easier and much faster to drink

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Hi KWalker, I take one teaspoon of psyllium daily and that's the dose I've been on since I started psyllium. (Actually, I used to take a normal teaspoon, now I take more of a heaping teaspoon, so my dose has increased slightly but not by much at all.) I don't find the flavor or texture to be bad in the least - what brand do you take? I get the Whole Foods store brand (I believe it's called 365 Everyday) organic psyllium husks. I've tried a couple different brands and that's the one I like best, but honestly there's been minimal difference between them and I haven't had any real problems with any of the ones I've tried. The texture doesn't bother me at all and I really don't even notice a flavor, I just mix it in to a glass of water once daily and I'm fine with that.

If you can't stand the taste/texture, have you tried psyllium mixed in foods instead? You can use it as a thickener in lots of things. Maybe if you baked it in to a dessert or something, that would be easier to get it down? My hubby once made me some pudding/flan type stuff that had psyllium in it, and I will honestly say I hated the texture of that - it was really slimy and weird! So avoid pudding type dishes with psyllium. But hubby has also mixed it in to hot sauces and stuff to thicken them and I really cannot taste it then. I didn't even know there was psyllium in my food until after he told me. So try experimenting with cooking and see if you can figure out something that is a little more palatable. Be careful if you mix it in to something like oatmeal as that is already high in fiber so adding more fiber might make you cramp. I hope that helps a little bit - good luck!

 

[KWalker]

The pills need to be prescribed? I buy my psyllium husks at an organic food store. If you read the psyllium husks thread it talks about the benefits of using the husks. I want to use the seeds as well but they're not as effective for bowel movements. From what I understand the pills are not as effective because our crohns makes it difficult to break down.

 

[KWalker]

Cat-a-Tonic : I'm not sure which brand mine is because I've left for school now. For me the worst part is the smell. It doesn't smell bad but knowing that there is something in there makes the rest harder. There is absolutely no way I can take it with water. I usually take it with lemonade because it over powers the psyllium. I never even thought about taking it with food! Maybe I'll try it with cookies or brownies or something like that.

I can deal with the texture, but the smell of it with my nose in the glass just sets me up to gag. Its like a mind over matter thing lol. I used fruit punch this morning and it was pretty good

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I would definitely try a different brand then, mine doesn't have a smell at all that I've noticed and I drink it with water every day - am currently drinking it in a glass of water in fact! Let me know how it goes if you bake it in cookes/brownies. I am a terrible cook, my hubby is the one in our house who knows how to cook, so I have not been brave enough to try cooking with psyllium myself. But I might be brave enough to add it to a brownie mix or something like that so I will be interested to hear how it goes for you if you try that.

 

[QueenGothel]

No you don't need a prescription for them. You could always buy empty 000 capsules and fill them. I do this with the VSL for on the go. The psyillium powder becomes thick also like pulp. I didn't notice it until I did a syringe pull back a couple times, it will thicken before your eyes. I don't give it like that though she has a bad gag reflex.

Good Luck!

 

[scottsma]

I used to take powdered but it was a struggle.If you get like that you start to look for excuses not to take it.I now use Psyllium HUSK capsules.......2=500mg twice a day suits me,but can be taken 2=3 times a day

 

[CLynn]

Any certain brand, Carol?

 

[scottsma]

Don't think this company is over there but you can buy online......Holland & Barrett,it's a health food shop.On every High St. in the U.K.

 

[Jennifer]

I've never taken it but from what I read is the longer it sits, the thicker it gets. Try to get it down as quickly as possible. Maybe even split the dose so you take half with some water than mix the other half with more water after you finish the first one. This way it shouldn't be as thick but you will be consuming more liquid. Just a thought.

 

[AlexJ]

I use holland and barretts capsules, I usually take one loperamide first thing in the morning and once the effects begin to wear off (i.e once my BM has become mushy) I'll go for two psyllium capsules, it seems to work fairly well

 

[KWalker]

I didn't think to fill my own capsules either! Wow you guys are smart!

 

[KWalker]

I've never taken it but from what I read is the longer it sits, the thicker it gets. Try to get it down as quickly as possible. Maybe even split the dose so you take half with some water than mix the other half with more water after you finish the first one. This way it shouldn't be as thick but you will be consuming more liquid. Just a thought.

Oh, sorry Crabby. I thought I remembered your name from the psyllium husks thread. Sorry about that. That's what I do. At first I thought we had to let it sit to kind of disolve...but that it wrong! lol Now I just mix it up really fast and get it down as fast as I can

 

[sashaz]

This has been taken by Iranians for bad tummy for centuries. I take it in a cup of cold water (one tea spoon) and let it settle for a while. Supposedly if you put it in boiling water it helps with constipation.

 

[DustyKat]

Hey KW,

The brand the kids use here doesn't have a smell either.

Now the thing is, when Sarah last went home she left a container sitting on the kitchen bench with some capsules in it. I thought they were some of her supplements but she tad me they were psyllium capsules she had left for Matt. He hasn't taken any as yet but she is now back home again and I have just asked her if they work for her. She said they do but she doesn't think they give as consistent a result as the husks, she is a bit airy fairy about it! :lol:
Anyway she started taking them over the husks because she gave up coffee and that is what she put the husks in.

When Sarah was using the husks she didn't always use them in a beverage. She would sprinkle them over sauces and gravy's and also mix them in breakfast cereal, particularly porridge.

Hope that helps!

Dusty. xxx