After 17 years with a pouch, I finally decided to give soluble fiber a try and took a teaspoon of Konsyl a few times last week. Unfortunately, I didn't notice too much of a change.
Is it worth trying out the other brands (Metamucil, Benefiber, etc.) to see if I get different results or is it all generally the same?
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I would try closer to a tablespoon before a meal. I take it before breakfast and dinner.
I'm starting to experiment with psyllium powder after noticing that oatmeal (another soluble fiber) seems to help with consistency and emptying without so much extra help from the hands-also decreases frequency of visiting the loo. Does anyone regularly use their hands to push on their lower abdomen to make sure the pouch empties as much as it can? Watery stools and gas seem to necessitate this more, which is why I'm beginning experimenting with the psyllium. I have been doing this for years (the pushing) but it seems to exacerbate hemorrhoids when they're active. I never really thought about this as something bad-it hurries the process of emptying, which when waiting for natural course of things, takes too long. School teachers are not really allowed to have bodily functions at work.
Different fiber sources can definitely behave differently for you. I’d experiment until finding one that seems to work well. Dosing varies a lot, so measure according to the label (Original Konsyl is indeed a 1 teaspoon dose, but my sugar-sweetened Metamucil is 1-2 tablespoons per dose). If the Konsyl had no effect then trying it a couple of times per day consistently for a few days may be useful. Some people like Citrucel or Benefiber (Benefiber didn’t do anything for me).
