# Psyllium husk worsening/causing diarrhea



## Sapphmonster (Mar 7, 2013)

Hi guys, I haven't been on here for awhile. I was wondering if any of you have had any negative effects of psyllium husk? I'm gluten (and casein) intolerant (seems to trigger my ibs) and eat some gluten free baked goods. I don't know why, but many of these things have psyllium husk as an ingredient, and whenever I eat anything with psyllium I have a bad day with my ibs the next day (diarrhea, bloating, pain, you know the drill) but I seem fine with products that don't contain psyllium. The most recent culprit was some gluten free hot cross buns (but they were so yummy!!!). It's weird cos it's such a tiny amount of psyllium in these products, nowhere near the amount you would use in a dose of Metamucil or similar, but it's the only common thing I can link back too. Could this be another intolerance? Anyone else like this? 
Thanks, 
Sapph


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Psyllium is a fermentable fodmap. Often it is the fodmaps in wheat not the gluten that bothers IBSers.

Gluten free does not mean fodmap free.


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## Sapphmonster (Mar 7, 2013)

The thing is, I seem fine with FODMAPS. I tried the low fodmap diet for 3 months with no difference...


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

So the low fodmap wheat free diet didn't work, but the full of fodmap wheat free diet does work? Or does wheat really not make that much difference? or were you tested for gluten issues and you have celiac? If wheat is the big problem I'm not sure why it wouldn't work in a diet that eliminates it as well as other things, or maybe you ate wheat on the low fodmap diet even when most people remove it?

Just most people who are low fodmap are also gluten and dairy free as part of the low fodmap diet, so I'm confused.

Psyllium seems to bother a lot of people. May just be from the fiber even when it isn't fermented. But the ton of excess gas people get from it does seem to be a typical problem.

Are you fine with that much added fiber when from something non-fermentable like citrucel?

Or could be any of the other processed additives they tend to add to gluten free baked goods in an attempt to approximate what gluten does, or are they really exactly the same except for the psyllium?


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## Sapphmonster (Mar 7, 2013)

I was gluten intolerant before I tried the FODMAPS and was on a gluten free diet had celiac tests and they are negative. Gluten and wheat especially take my ibs from 'annoying but manageable' to 'insane'. I then eliminated all FODMAPS for three months and saw no improvement (still 'annoying but manageable' no change from just eliminating gluten) and then reintroduced them one by one and still my symptoms stayed the same. The dairy/caesin intolerance is new- only been having symptoms since Christmas- again symptoms were insane. Eliminating caesin containing dairy has improved symptoms somewhat(went back to annoying but manageable). I think that they add psyllium husk to gf products to try and replicate what the gluten does- provide elasticity. Whatever reason they put it in for, I'm pretty sure my body doesn't like it! Hope this helps clear things up for you. Thanks for your replies


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## Sapphmonster (Mar 7, 2013)

Bugger sorry I'm on my phone and it wasn't loading and I pressed the post button a few too many times! Any way to delete them?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

As a community manager I can delete the duplicates.

OK, that makes more sense, you were gluten free before fodmap trial. 

Psyllium does seem to be one of those fibers that can be hard on IBSers, and different people have different amounts of fiber they tolerate. Sometimes a little can be OK, but just a bit more can set things off.


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## ericlahey (Jun 12, 2013)

Be careful with Psyllium husks and fibre in general if you are IBS-D.. If you take too much fibre supplements over extended periods of time, your body will become resistant and you'll end up needing more over time for it to 'work'. A little thing it did to me after using it for 7 months straight is it caused internal inflammation of my gut. This resulted in severe Pruritus ani for me and it became incredibly bad. After I stopped taking Psyllium, I got better within a few days and instead ate bananas as a natural source of fibre instead. Not only that, bananas have the nutrients in them that you need if you have constant diarrhoea and work similar to ORS. Hope that helps!?


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

Psyllium and I don't mix. Makes every symptom worse EXCEPT for that it makes me wipe way less. I still recommend people with both types of IBS try it because if it works for you, it will be great!


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## Sapphmonster (Mar 7, 2013)

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. My dad's a pharmacist and I mentioned to him that my tummy troubles get worse when I have even a tiny bit of psyllium husk. He said that psyllium husk is irritative to the gut and even people without ibs can have severe ibs like reactions to it, it just depends on the person. I guess I must just be really sensitive. I might investigate other forms of fibre, don't really know where to start though. I know I can tolerate some forms of fibre though, I can eat nuts and whole meal gluten free bread with no issues.


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## IhateIBSlol (Feb 9, 2014)

I myself have husk and it does help me most days I cannot lie... i have 2 tbsps everyday... my ibs is i have loose stools, had loose today.. past 3 days i introduced soya and bran and i was fine but today it seemed to not sit so well, i was also doing this calcium carobnate 3 a day thing... i cut back to two and this happened... maybe husk is making me worse? I dont think so though as before taking it i was having more issues then i am now


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## Colt (May 5, 2011)

PD85 said:


> Psyllium and I don't mix. Makes every symptom worse EXCEPT for that it makes me wipe way less. I still recommend people with both types of IBS try it because if it works for you, it will be great!


PD85.....I hear ya. I take it so I wipe less and that is my worst symptom by far. That may sound odd, but for me the constant wetness and burning is literally making me crazy. Sometime psyliium helps that. Makes everything else worse but I honestly don't care.

It is imperative that everyone eases into these fiber therapies. Little by little over several days/weeks. Even when I used to be human, a gorge of veggies would send me to the bowl. A diet change affects everyone, not just those of us blessed with IBS.

Like everything else, the effect gets less and less. Psyllium was my "cure" for a few months then stopped working. Cholestyramine was my next "cure" for a few months, then it stopped working. The list of cures and then failures for me is a roller coaster. I have simply lost hope and try to enjoy each temporary cure without kidding myself anymore.


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