# Citrucel vs. Metamucil



## willamina (Dec 8, 2003)

I read somewhere that those with IBS should have Citrucil rather than Metamucil. Does anyone know why?


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## jr71 (Oct 26, 2003)

i have heard that metamucil causes more bloating and gas and it can cause more pain in ibs.it ferments in the colon and citrucel does not.


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## DGGinNYC (Oct 1, 1999)

Wil,I can tell you from personal experience that Citrucel works wonders for me whereas Metamucil didn't do anything.I'm not exactly sure why, but I do know that they are different kinds of fiber. Metamucil is psillium fiber while Citrucel is methylcellulose. Wish I knew more as to the "why", but I can confirm that it is the case.


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## floridian2 (Dec 1, 2003)

Citrucell has been helpful, with no side effects. Haven't tried Metamucil.


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## lkemerson (Feb 7, 2002)

I use Fiber Choice which is a chewable. The texture issues I had with the others made it where I could not do the fiber at all. Fiber Choice has a pleasant taste, and has helped me a lot. It may be another option.


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## kac123 (Aug 2, 2002)

The difference between the two is that Metamucil is fermentable and Citrucel is non-fermentable. Being fermentable means that the bacteria in the gut can eat the Metamucil and the bacteria give off gas as a side product of eating - hence the horrid bloating. Bacteria can't eat Citrucel, so there is not bloating to worry about. For the most part Metamucil is a lot more harsh on your stomach - and it was a miserable experience for me when i tried it. I switched to Citrucel with no bloating and very good results. There are other non-fermentable fibers out there. Just remember that whatever fiber brand you decide to take, that you need to drink lots of water - learned that the hard way!







-kac


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## blonde21 (May 13, 2000)

Hi, I've taken Metamucil almost everyday for the past 3.5 years, and I love it. It's the only fiber brand that has done anything for me. Citricil did not help me at all. The Metamucil bulks up my stools and they pass very easily. I take it at night before I go to bed and it kicks in the next morning. The bloating and gas has never been a problem for me. Maybe just I don't notice because I take it before bed ... therefore I'm asleep during that stage. I also think the more you take it the more your body ajusts to it. I take different sized doses of it over the month. Near my period I only take a teaspoon or two because I am retaining water and too much turns my stools to a gum-like consistancy. Once my cycle is over I take go back to taking one to two tablespoons each night.Good luck, Sarah


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