Metamucil questions for pb4

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply, I use Prodiem caps which is similar to metamucil, I think using either the caps or the powder is likely a personal choice as I'm sure either form would be effective (including the wafers which some like to eat daily)...Good that you started with 1/2 tsp, always start with the smallest amount and wait until your system has adjusted before increasing your amount and only increase the amount if necessary, if half a tsp forms your stools and cuts them back enough daily then stick with what you're satisfied/comfortable with.

My GI told me to take fibre supplements daily and indefinitely but your GI may not agree (I cant' really think of any reason why he/she wouldn't) but just to let you know, my GI is one of the top lead researchers in Canada for crohn's and colitis, so I feel very confident with his advice to me.

Good luck and key is to make sure you drink plenty of water daily with your fibre supplements, which you should anyways because with having IBD we can easily become dehydrated.

Also, just so you know, bloating and gas (even excessive) is common to the system adjusting to fibre supplements (probably fibreous foods too).

:)

Thanks pb!!

Sooo i've been drinking the powder (with no taste) and it's horrible.  I think i'm going to start the tablets....should I start with 1 a day??

I started the metamucil last week also. I chose the flavoured one (berry) but sugar free... it is very sweet but still pretty good.
I started with one tsp per day and so far it has really increased bulk. Before that week, it was always watery and now, it seems much better. Also, I feel better. I cant say the frequency has decreased and I have to get up in the middle of the night to go, but I still feel better.
I am seeing the Doctor tomorrow, and I got the metamucil idea from his book that I bought last week. I have been seeing him for 3 yrs, and he never mentioned this, I had to learn it from his book.. .thanks doctor.
But, let me know how it continues for you, and I wil keep you updated on my progress.

Also, the tablets would seem easier to take, etc, but 2 things == you have to take quite a few which equals a greater cost, and also, you must remember to drink lots of water with the capsules.. with the ingestion and throughout the day.

Sooo i started taking the tablets today (only 1 a day for now).  I have a couple more questions though...pb4, when you say you have to drink a lot of water, what is a lot of water to you?

I usually try to drink atleast 60-70 oz a day...would this be too little?

Also, when do you take your pill?  Is it ok to take it with my med (on asacol)?

Thanks for all your help thus far!!!

I take Metamucil in the powder form, and it really helped my constipation issues. One thing my pharmacist mentioned was not to take the Metamucil within 2 hours (before or after) of any medication. My iron pill bottle says the same thing.... so it becomes quite a challenge to schedule all these items. I take Asacol 4 times a day, iron 3 times a day, Metamucil twice a day... It's crazy.

I started on the Metamucil wafers last week, and have noticed a huge difference as well. I take two with dinner, and just started taking one in the morning as well. They really taste pretty good to me so they're not hard to take at all. I've noticed a big difference in my stools being more formed and bulkier, not as much consistency change during the bm, and less mucous. I now go once in the am, and that pretty much does it. They seem to make everything just more regular and dependable for me, so so far so good.
I have noticed quite a bit of gas, and it seems to just keep coming! I'm hoping my system adjusts soon. I'm thinking of trying the Heathers Tummy Fiber that someone else had posted about on here. It's acacia rather than psyllium, and supposedly causes much less gas than the psyllium- many people use it for IBS. I've been to their website Helpforibs.com) and emailed them, and there's a lot of information about it on there. They had a research paper on there from a few years ago about how psyllium can contribute to gas. So, if that helps I'll let you know.
Thanks to PB and Eva Lou for giving me the info about the fiber!

Hey pb4,

Didn't want to hijack Shadam's post, but I posted the one on Metamucil vs Benefiber...do you have any experience with Benefiber? It appears to me that ingredients are different and perhaps that is why I'm not getting the results I was hoping for.

Prodiem is what you are on, is that readily available at Shopper's/Safeway, etc.?

Yes I am from Canada, Winnipeg actually. (the home of Quincy!)

I'm sure Walmart will be cheaper than either Shoppers or Safeway.

I'm just not seeing any results from the Benefibre, so I'd like to give something else a try to kickstart things a bit. No problem to take it if I'm flaring?

So I'm on my 5th day of using the Metamucil capsules (1 a day).  I havent seen much of a difference in my stool form and my urgency.  In fact...i think its gotten worse.  I've been having horrible stomach pain in the morning and have to go at least 4-5 times before lunch. 

Should I up the capsule to 2 a day? If so, when should I take them?

Shadam, I wouldn't increase, just give it time, don't forget, what your diet consists of will still have an impact on how your stools look...fibre supplements also don't necessarily aid with bleeding, only with forming stools and aiding with less frequency and that takes time, it won't likely happen over night and remember what you're eating will still have an impact on the formation of your stool.

:)

Thanks for everyones input. 

I just bought a probiotic but I think I might wait a few days before I start taking it to see how affective the Metamucil campsules really are.  I feel a lot better then I did earlier in the week when I first started taking the capsules and have actually only gone once today!!

Does it make sense to wait a few days before I add probiotics in to my treatment?

Shadam,
I started with 1 Metamucil capsule day with breakfast. I saw some improvement right away, but not good enough. So I started to take another 1 after dinner a week later. I finally added another 1 after lunch 2 months later. It seems that this is the right dosage for me.
I've done an experiment on Metamucil capsule and wondered that 1 capsule won't do much. I cut it open and poured the contents into a small glass of water. I left it there without stirring. It turned the water into a semi-jelly form but the powder didn't thicken, even after a few hours. Certainly my colon is not like that glass of water but I do think that I need to take more than 1 capsule everyday to get a good result.
Sorry, I am not scientific. I am just curious how these capsules work.