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I'd appreciate any advice on bulking agents please. I've had my J Pouch since 2001 and I've struggled all that time with finding food / medication that will thicken up my stools. I've tried Imodium but it gives me bad headaches and I've tried Psyllium Husk but that didn't seem to have any effect at all.

Only two things ever seemed to work for me - 1) Codeine-based pain-killers but I only took them for a short time after my surgery and 2) Pepto Bismol, but it's quite expensive (in the UK at least) and seemed to become less effective after a week or so.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated, and if you know of a good place to go to for reasonably priced Pepto in the UK  please let me know!

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Imodium or loperamide generic formula as sold at Walmart has a very significant thickening effect for me. I can’t take more than 2 without fearing constipation due to excessive bulking. I tend to be careful with any bulking agents because I take antibiotics which are themselves bulking agents.

As far as opioid meds, they have a significant constipating effect. As I have reported elsewhere, one of my clients and also a personal friend who has UC had to be hospitalized with constipation (severe impaction of stool) due to excessive use of OxyContin after a very serious neck surgery. I warned him to take it easy after noticing him apparently high as a kite and his retort was, “I have UC and cannot get constipated.” 3 weeks later he was in the ER and had a manual disimpaction performed. He reported to me it was the worst pain of his life. I had the misfortune to personally witness a manual disimpaction, on my hospital roommate at Mount Sinai who was in the final stages of Leukemia. It’s not something any of you ever want to experience.

Last edited by CTBarrister

The only thing that works for me is Metamucil Wafers! Not the powder, not the capsules...just the wafers. I take one or two (depending on daily bulk level) in the morning. I am not sure if they are available in the UK. Maybe you can try Amazon. The Pysllium husk powder never helped in the long run. On occation, I find that a baked sweet potato or butternut squash do help. But the wafers work 100% of the time. 

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