# coulld it have been the metamucil all along?



## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

I have been on fibre for about 4 years now. Metamucil and prodiem. I feel good sometimes but most of the time I have a heavy yucky feeling. The magnesium has been really helpful. Yesterday I didn't take the metamucil and felt better last night, usually the heavy feeling and gas comes at night but last night didn't have any at all. I thought for sure i would pay this morning by not taking the metamucil yesterday but no, everything went fine. Went for a bm. Today no heavy constipated feeling, no gas, no problem. So maybe that gross feeling was from all the fibre. I was taking 2 tbsp a day. I feel great today. Hope this feeling lasts!


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## LittleBonJoviGirl (Nov 30, 2002)

I know what you mean about the Metamucil. Whenever I take it, I always experience painful gas, cramping, nausea, and a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Yikes! I've heard, though, that a lot of people experience these 'side effects' when taking fiber, so you're not alone. Perhaps your body has learned, with the help of Metamucil, to regulate itself on its own. If so, congratulations!


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## wigglesmom (Dec 12, 2002)

Yes, fiber makes my constipation so much worse. I guess I just don't have the motility to move it along. Everytime I have taken fiber, I have had to go for a colonic irrigation to have it removed and to feel light and better again. Fiber is definitely a bad thing in my case.


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

Hey so far so good! No gas, nothing, i'm amazed! So all I needed was a little magnesium and that's it! Nock on wood


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## linesse (Sep 18, 2000)

I too have been force feeding myself Metamucil on the Doctor's advice.I suffer from bad cramps/spasms and I always thought that M. irritates my bowel.Well, I have just recently stopped the M. and increased my fruit intake: apples, raspberries(all frozen fruit in blender with smoothie), raisens + and am doing much better!I think healthy bulky fruit is better!!!


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## mally (Jan 8, 2002)

You may be interested in what the Life Extension Found. says about fiber (Fiber Is Not The Solution For Most People).Here it is: http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-038.shtml


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## lk (Aug 28, 1999)

Hi Jo-jo, I stopped taking fiber a few years ago and have had great success with magnesium alone. I was starting to think I was the only one who fiber didn't work for, but lately there have been a few posts on this topic. See my post on the "Fiber worsens my constipation" thread. I hope your fiber-free success has continued.Linda


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## Julia Rose (Dec 15, 2002)

That kind of fiber is terrible for me, too, along with whole wheat, fiber-con tablets, etc. I had that awful heavy feeling all the time, and a feeling of incomplete elimination when I had a BM, which was almost always with some kind of manual help. I gave it all up and started using gentler forms of fiber. What works for me is cooked squash (zucchini, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, pumpkin, you-name-it), applesauce or apples without the peel, gelatin, carrots. All cooked. No raw veggies, especially stringy stuff like lettuce and celery -- real bad! One of these days I'm going to experiment with oat bran but right now I'm scared to mess up the great success I'm having. I have also started taking magnesium, thanks to this website.


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

I still feel much better wihtout the fibre. But I find that my stools are soft sticky and difficult to pass, weird. This morning I ate about 20 dried prunes







and now my tummy is doing summersaults on me.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Prunes/Plums are high in sorbitol which can both loosen stools and increase gas. We do not digest sorbitol well, but the bacteria in the gut do, and it tends to when undigested pull water into the stool.20 is a lot of prunes so it doesn't suprise me they are causing things to act up. I mean it is like eating 20 plums, just because they are dry and small doesn't change the amount of sugars/sugar alcohol's and stuff.I really like prunes and it can be really easy to sit down and eat a whole bag ful, but you may want to moderate that in the future.K.


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## Blues (Jan 7, 2003)

I'm unable to take Metamucil it gives me discomfort to say the least. What does work well for me to keep me 'regular' is BIO-K. I get it at the natural food store. It's pure L. Acidophilus. They keep the bowels in order, so to say. I'm quite happy I've found it, it works for me. It's always nice when you find something which helps to relieve a bit the agony of IBS.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2003)

I heard that prunes contain the same thing that makes Senna work-I think its something in the pigment of the fruit that is supposed to irritated the bowels to the point where they move. Anyway, my doctor said it is one of the worst things you could do to your bowels eating prunes and taking senna products and can cause long term dependency just like senna and real laxatives. I don't have the total facts,but suggest anyone who takes prunes regularly for that laxative effect check that out b/c you don't want added damage to the colon. As for fiber, yeah it does nothing for me either. I think its interesting how there are a lot of posts up about this and the "more on C" post is really really interesting. I'm not C really except occasionally but have cramping and spasms where part of colon is moving and other part is not. the Only thing that seems to regulate my bowels and make me really go is sugar and grease-but I have to be careful not to overdo it. Check out "more on C" post-its really interesting


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## Julia Rose (Dec 15, 2002)

About those prunes. When I was pushing the heavy-duty fiber and feeling awful all the time, I was eating, to begin with, 4 prunes after dinner every evening. Then it seemed like I was having to eat more of them. When I started reading this website and changed all my eating habits, I stopped with the prunes. I have tried them a few times just to see and I am suspicious of them now. Seemed like they made my stool a bit reluctant to come out, just the opposite of what you might expect from prunes. I'm currently staying away from them. What Joan of Arc said about them possibly being habit-forming is what I have been suspecting all along. I think she confirmed that for me.


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## Robbin (May 22, 2002)

Wow, I thought it was just me, but this fiber thing sounds very familiar. When I started to eat more fiber in my diet it literally screwed up my whole system. I started with prunes and then add the metamucil, tried citrucel, and also tried benefiber. All of them made me feel horrible. I always felt as thought I had to have a bowel movement or terrible gas. I also felt incomplete elimination. I have cut out all the high concentrations of fiber. I feel better but still I react with gas even though I don't eat much of the fiber anymore. I thought fiber was supposed to be so good for your digestive system. That is why I keep up with it for a year, all along feeling bad. I think the thing that was the worse for me was insoluble fiber such as bran. I am now trying very very small amounts of soluble fiber such as oatmeal and bananas. I am hoping some day I will feel normal again. The thing is that I never had problems before the fiber except for some hard marble like stools. Good luck to everyone.Robbin


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

I have stoped the prunes completely, they make me feel worse. What I do now is eat a bowl of corn bran in the morning and as many fruits as I can during the day. Yesterday I bought a bunch of apples, bananas and a big thing of mixed nuts. I didn't take any magnesium yesterday and this morning was ok, went to the bathroom ok which is very rare for me. I think it's the fruits and nuts from yesterday, I also drink lots of water. Who knows today is good but tomorrow may be hell.


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## Denver (Jan 7, 2003)

My doc said Metamucil is hard on the body and said to stick with Citrucil. But it made me feel so much worse. Even with lots of water, it made going to the bathroom painful. I quit it but was wondering if I should give it another go. I am anemic and my doc wants me on iron pills, but they supposedly cause C, so I thought maybe I should try again with the Citrucel. I may need to rethink it.


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

Denver,My doctor also wanted me to take iron pills, I;m not anemic but my blood is on the low side. I tried them but make my c much worse, so i stoped the pills. That's a tough one for you, c or anemia, i guess you chose the lesser evil. I stoped everything completely, my every day routine of pills, vitamins was getting ridiculous. I was taking mag, probiotics, metamucil twice a day sometimes substituting with prodiem, flax oil and seeds, acidophilus, peppermint capsules and i'm sure i'm forgetting a few others. Now i don't take anything at all. What i do is fit in abut 6 fruits a day, no junk and still lots of water and so far so good. My intestines are doing much better. Maybe i was just overloading myself with way too much stuff. I am still careful of what i eat. I won't go eat a bowl of beans. Still drink my lactose free milk and try to get more exercise.


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## getnold (Aug 20, 2002)

jo-joplease be careful with bananas and peanuts. they cause c in many people.


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

Thanks getnold for the warning. I know about bananas, don't eat them at all, if i do i'm in pain for a few days. I rarely eat peanuts but love peanut butter, have that a few times a week. Do you think peanut butter would do the same as peanuts? I haven't eaten peanut buter since i stoped the metamucil ect.. will keep an eye out for that, thanks again.


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## Cordy (Jul 1, 2002)

Jo-Jo My opino. on the pbutter---i think it would have same effect as peanuts.Also---all that stuff you used to be taking--that is where I was for a time too...and it didn't help me...made me feel worse. I think we get so tense inside thinking we have to take all these things (supplemnts, remedies, etc) that the stress of trying to fit them all in constipates us all up.I am very happy to read your wonderful results with just using food as your fiber. that is really really great. i think it is also a more relaxaing routine than what you were doing before...and that is helping your C. The fruit w/ water is a really smar thing to do. If you ever run into probls where that stops working for you and you want to try somethin new--you might want to try cooked (not raw) vegies for lunch and dinner. Wow! All these comments about prunes---I'm so glad I decided to read this thread this morning! I always feel funny after I eat my prunes. I get sore in my abdomen, I get low blood sugar from all that sugar, and I just don't know if theya re a good idea. Now I'm going to rethink them. thanks for the insights.To DENVER------as far as the iron goes---there is a form of iron that will not constipate you. It is called Floradix and is a Liquid form of Herbal Iron. It costs about $18 US per bottle of 8? 17? oz. ( can';t remember). You may want to see if that would solve your anemia probl. I wouldn't take iron pills if you paid me. You can find this at any reputable healthfood store. It's made by Salus-Haus- a German company, but I buy it in the US all the time.


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

well, i took some metamucil tonight. Started to get pains and c started again, tried to go this morning and nothing, pain was gettign worse tonight so I gave in. I hope i go tomorrow so my week-end won't be all screwed up. I feel like I weight a thousand pounds right now, so bloated and blehhhh.


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## ghitta (Jul 6, 2002)

bonjour Jo-Jo (and Cordelia) - listen, you should rethink any iron intake at all, including Floradix, Cordelia. not only is iron bad for C it's bad for everything else and the news is out on what excess iron can to do the body: strokes, heart probs, you name it. docs give suggest iron for anemia and it makes it worse! there are associations all over the world trying to educate people on the poisonous results of iron intake; you'll notice that Geritol isn't even advertised anymore. you can get plenty of iron from foodstuffs, just the amount the body needs and no more. please be careful and cordelia, i recommend you stop the Floradix; in europe, where i've lived a long time, the news is out on that. if you do a web search on the bad results of iron in the system you'll see what i'm talking about. any search engine will do the trick! bonne chance Jo-Jo, as well, g-


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## Cordy (Jul 1, 2002)

But I thought Floradix was different, because it is "herbal" iron, natural. And BTW, I'm not taking it right now. I only go out and buy it when i begin to have a real problem with my appetite...it perks it up, and I read that iron deficiency can cause poor appetite. NOw, in the case of Denver---his/her doctor is telling her she needs iron---prescribing it...maybe if she took it in a less toxic form, it wouldn't have all the effects you speak of. I am not unaware of what you are saying, in regards to OTHER forms of iron actually making the problem worse, but FLORADIX does NOT constipate! I dont' see how it can be a bad thing. I have never heard anything negative about floradix. send me a link to a website discussing it if you like. i'm really not that concerned right now, as I'm not even taking it. I just wanted to offer Denver an alternative, that I thought was less deleterious than the form he/she is being prescribed. Maybe I am totally wrong here--maybe the floradix does constipate and i dont' know it....i don't know, all i know is this info you are giving on floradix comes as a complete surprise to me.


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## Denver (Jan 7, 2003)

Hi all - I am going to try the floradix even though there is some debate about it. I am severly anemic with my hemoglobin around half of what it should be - thanks to 3 ulcers. If this doesn't work I may need iron shots, and possibly a transfusion. I guess it comes down to the worse of many evils... low hemoglobin vs iron supplement vs iron shots vs blood transfusion. I think I'll try the floradix and see how it does. Thanks for all the info.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I'm totally freaked out about what you guys are saying about prunes. Alone with the plethora of other stuff I take, i.e., magnesium, citrucel, perdiem(without senna), stool softener, Experience,and lots of water I always eat about 8 prunes each evening. I've never heard that it can cause problems like senna,which I avoid. I want to know the real scoop here!


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## ghitta (Jul 6, 2002)

cordelia - i may be wrong on the Floradix issue- whatever works, you know. however, i do know that there has been a turnaround on floradix in france, where it used to be very popular. anyway, be careful that you use the non alchohol kind, cause regular Floradix has a high alchohol content! i'm concerned about these docs prescribing iron for anemia and other blood probs: it is so the wrong thing. i wish i could remember the name of this international organization that sponsors public awareness on the danger of iron supps. if i can get my hands on it, i'm gonna post it. anyway, floradix i'm sure has advantages, i used to take it myself, many many years ago, but stopped. g-


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## lk (Aug 28, 1999)

Tiss, I was using prunes ones too, but they gave me the stinkiest ags ever! Anyhow... I asked my doctor about it cause I'd tried prune juice too. She said prune juice was bad and could be habit forming, but that prunes alone were fine. Basically, it because a glass of prune juice is like eating 100 prunes. But 8 prunes should not be enough to work in the same addictive way as other stimulants. I also remeber aving C as a child and being forced by my mom, under a doctors advice, to eat prune.Ask your doctor though if your worried. Its alwise wise to check.Linda


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## Cordy (Jul 1, 2002)

ghitta--i don't recall ever seeing alcohol as an ingredient on floradix. Yeast, yes, but never alcohol. there are 2 versions, one has yeast, and the other is yeast free.


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## Cordy (Jul 1, 2002)

denver--so sorry you are so anemic. i hope something helps. do glad we were able to at least give you some info on somthing you could try. the best to you, --cordelia


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## ghitta (Jul 6, 2002)

cordelia dear, perhaps the Floradix marketed in north america is the alchohol-free version. i do know they make one but it's hard to find in paris; in most health food stores there, it's the alchoholic one they sell. in any case, i've heard so many stories about how iron supps are so bad for one, for so many reasons. i'm going to try to find that link to that int'l organization that promotes education on the dangers of treating anemia with iron in any form and if i do, i'll post it here. best, g-


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## ghitta (Jul 6, 2002)

about this iron business: i just did a google search and came up with tons of stuff on the dangers of iron intake especially in the case of anemia that is NOT iron-deficient. i just searched "dangers of iron supplements" - however, i couldn't find the link to that org. i was referring to but i was thinking that perhaps Jo-Jo might want to take a look at all that stuff. anyway, hope this could be of help. don't mean to be argumentative about iron. g-


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## jo-jo (Aug 19, 2001)

Thanks ghitta, I'm skipping on the iron, I get my iron from food, seems to be doing a good job. I can't take iron, gives me horrible heart burn and can't go at all with it.


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## enorton (Nov 21, 2002)

The problem with a lot of the fiber products is that you need to drink a looooooot of water with it. If you put some of these products in a glass with just a little water and check it again in a week or so, it will be hard as a rock. Wonder what it would be doing in the gut?I find that if I take my fiber on a regular basis I go on a regular basis with no problems. It also reduces pain. The type I take is not available in drug stores. If you want some info let me know.Didn't know the down side of prunes. And I like them! Pity!


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