# GI Doctor suggested Citrucel



## WhoDoesNumber2WorkFor? (Sep 15, 2014)

Hi All,

So I am a long time lurker, and I finally opened an account with IBSGroup to ask this quick question.

I was diagnosed with Celiac in September 2009, which means I've been on the diet for 5 years and all of the problems I had due to Gluten have been corrected by staying on the diet. I had an upper and lower scoping done last summer to verify that the Celiac is under control, and that nothing else is the cause for my IBS Symptoms.

My normal day consists of about 2 to 3 visits to the bathroom before leaving for work. Several more though the day, and even late into the night. Sometimes They are sold, sometimes runny, and I have no idea sometimes when an emergency will come up. Stress is a huge trigger and it seems like my anxiety level has increased just knowing that a result of having stress is my IBS. I feel like one feeds into the other creating a cycle that I can only escape from once the damage has been done and is out of my system.

In order to control my frequent trips to the bathroom, and to get me on a more regular schedule, my GI Doctor would like me to add more Fiber into my daily diet via a supplement. I know Metamucil is not Gluten Free, but Citrucel is.

I started taking half a dose of Citrucel since there were many members on this site who said it worked wonders for them. Not for me! To put it mildly, I feel like I'm storing a lot of stuff in my intestines. I can feel the comfortableness laying in my gut along my belly button area for days. The daily dumping has been reduced, and things are a bit more solid, but I constantly feel like I"m carrying most of it around with me all day. After 4 or 5 days, the max exodus begins and everything that was not exiting during my normal daily business meetings were not coming out.

On my last visit to the GI doctor, he said to try Benefiber. They say it is Gluten Free, but that is because it meets the 20ppm classification of being Gluten Free. It lists Wheat Dextrin. I'm not taking that chance, so I'm not even going to bother.

So short story long, what else can I try? Have I rushed into taking too much Citrucel to fast and that is why it feels like I'm in the waste storage business? Is there another Fiber suppliment that might work besides trying Metamucil or Benefiber? I was really hoping that Citrucel would work for me based on what other members on this site have said.

As is with IBS, it could always be something else triggering me lately the way it has. I'm know what normally sets me off and I stay away from those foods, but there may be something new to the puzzle that I haven't yet figured out.

Thanks for the help.


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## SteveInAustin (Aug 22, 2007)

It actually sounds like you're on the right track, if your poop is more solid than usual. That's a good thing. I'd say continue taking it, and maybe even consider doing higher doses and multiple doses throughout the day. I think the general guideline is 1 dose, 3 times a day, taken with lots of water at least 30 minutes before a meal, and at least 2 hours after a meal. If you're getting too constipated or you feel like your bowels are too slow, try combining it with a gentle laxative (maybe try magnesium pills before bed). Remember to drink lots of water throughout the day and with any fiber you take.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Yes I would try it in a full dose and make sure you are drinking a whole glass (6-8 oz) of water with it.


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## WhoDoesNumber2WorkFor? (Sep 15, 2014)

How much water is "a lot of water"? I was taking a spoonful of Citrucel and mixing it with a full glass of water (8 oz). I would then chase the mixture with another full glass of water. During the day, I wouldn't call myself a large drinker, but I also don't go the full day without having anything to drink.

I would normally start and finish a full pitcher of Iced-Tea per day, with a few cans of soda at the office. I know the soda is no good, especially after reading the labels. So I am determined to cut back the soda, and switch to unsweetened Iced-Tea instead of the sweetened. I'm hoping that will help a little.

I was wondering if I was just jumping into the Citrucel too fast. All day long I felt like I was retaining solids in my guts, and after a few days, they would work themselves out, but with force. After I stopped the Citrucel, I no longer have the 'full' feeling in my lower gut anymore, but I'm back to living my life, revolving around number 2.


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## SteveInAustin (Aug 22, 2007)

Yes, one glass (8 ounces) per serving is about right.

Drinking more water throughout the day can have positive effects on the bowels. For one, when the stomach gets a lot of water all at once (drinking, say, 12 ounces), then it will trigger peristalsis. In other words, it starts the bowels moving again. This, combined with the extra fiber, can help to control your bowels. It puts you in control. A lot of people with IBS-D have bowel spasms and random, generally screwed up bowel movement. This can help regulate it and keep it on a regular cycle. This is especially good for your condition, whereby you have slow bowel movement and are retaining a lot.

Another reason to drink more water throughout the day is to just rehydrate yourself. If you have diarrhea, dehydration is a real danger. People don't even know they're dehydrated.

It can also prevent kidney stones. That's something unrelated to IBS, though.

Iced tea is fine. But keep in mind that tea is a diuretic. Which means that it might leave you less hydrated 1 or more hours later, ironically.

Soda is to be avoided like the plague. Caffeine especially. Carbonation, caffeine, fructose, and artificial sweeteners can often trigger problems in people with IBS-D. You have celiac, so I'm not sure this is a real problem for you. But soda is empty calories anyway, so my advice would be to drop it altogether or have it at most once a week.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

Citrucel gave me those awful feels too. I always felt like there was poop in there. It made my stools real sticky and I never had complete evacuation.

Personally I hate fiber supplements and they have never done any good for me.


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