Psyllium seed powder

I'm wondering how much psyllium seed powder UCer's are taking. I'm taking about 1-1.5 teaspoons once daily. I think I should increase that to twice a day. Wondering if anyone has success with it and what the daily dose should be.

What does this do? Is it bulk?

It's also a prebiotic. But yes, I am hoping to bulk up my stool more and decrease bathroom visits even more.

I'm curious about how your treatment is going jlwal. Are you still doing the IV vitamin therapy? Did you continue to reduce your Lialda? Are you still seeing blood?

I take a minimum amount of the husk powder (less than a tsp) 2x/day when I remember, and it does help with bulk. I believe I should be taking more. Don't take it the same time you take your Lialda though, as it can cause a decrease in absorption of the drug; take the powder either 1 hour before the med, or 3 hours after. Best.

zengrrl,
I actually stopped Lialda a couple of weeks ago. I feel so much better when I am not on it. I have more energy and am more focused. It may have been a mistake but I didn't ever feel that Lialda was helping me. I was on it for three months before I began all of my other remedies and it didn't do me any good. I stayed on it for fear of going off....but then I just bit the bullet.
I am still doing vitamin IV's. Usually once or twice a month. I was going weekly. In between visits, my doctor suggested lypo--spheric vitamin C which doesn't break down in the digestive system and compounded vit B shots that I give myself at home every couple of days.
I am doing pretty well. Still feel uncomfortable being anywhere that's not near a toilet and the mornings are the worst...takes a few visits to get it all done. But the blood is gone and I feel generally better than I have felt in a long time.
I feel very fortunate that I can afford all of this. The doctor I see doesn't take insurance and obviously none of my supplements are covered. However, my doctor spends between 40-90 minutes with me each visit (I go every 4 months) and she orders the most extensive blood work ever! 18 vials. She believes in balancing the whole body so that everything can function at it's highest level possible. I just saw her last week and my estrogen levels have dropped again (i'm only 44 but am at menopausal levels), so she has prescribed a low dose estrogen patch. She's helped me improve my thyroid function, vit D levels and white and red blood cell count as well. She really looks at EVERYTHING! If any of you have the opportunity for even one consult with an Integrative Medicine doctor, I highly recommend it. And he/she must be an MD!
Back to psyllium, it was the one thing I wasn't doing regularly and I think I need to. I am going to bump it up to twice a day.
Managing this is a full time job......

30 year old male just diagnosed in Sept 2014. Pancolitis. Used the website below for recommendations on alternative treatments. From the Univeristy of Maryland Center for Alternative and complementary Meidicne. It is all evidence based and fairly detailed.

Currently taking Vit D3 4000 IU, fish oil Omega 3 800mg twice daily probiotics, boswellia extract 800mg twice daily, turmeric powder 1 tsp daily, heaping tbls of psyllium seed and slippery elm daily and melatonin 3mg daily in addition to Asacol 1.6g 4x daily. Finished prednisone last week and finally back to "normal" and hoping it lasts.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/ulcerative-colitis

ElephantPipe said...
It's a fiber supplement basically. It can help keep you regular/bulk up stool

Husk is a fiber supplement. Seed powder converts to Short Chain Fatty Acid Butyrate and heals but only if you keep taking it. I normally take a spoonful with qing dai and VSL3DS. I take it 1-3 times per day if I think I need to or drop it completely if remission is going fine.

jlwal said...
So aguywithuc, would you recommend taking both husk and seed powder? I want to continue healing as well as bulk up.

Sure. Some people feel that husk is too abrasive when flaring. I have switched to apple pectin for a while and am putting some husk back in to get a little variety. I have given the p-seed powder a break but am going back to daily with the qing dai and vls3DS. Nothing works as well for me but again it has to be taken daily as it is not cure, it is the most effective thing I have found. I also have a lot of pseed powder pills from solar ray so if I am tired of drinking the blend I find downing lots of the cheap pills improves my condition too. I have bulk bags of it was used to pack my own jumbo capsules. Anyway really I can get it down. I dont feel husk is abrasive but sometimes too much bulk can result in urgency so I keep the fiber addition coming just I do not go wild.

What brand is everyone using? Where can I find it?

"--- I think the 'powder' sold by Starwest is actually husk; it tastes like husk and it doesn't gel."


i have experienced the exact opposite - the husk will turn into a brick if you let it sit for more than 15 seconds - the seed powder, much more forgiving -

jlwal, Who is your integrative medical doctor? Where is she located?