I am considering trying psyllium to help with frequency and night time leakage. What brands do of psyllium do you recommend? Is powder preferred over capsules? If so, why? Any side effects from taking it?
Thanks for your help!
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I find that Konsyl psyllium powder works best for me. It's free of additives. I sprinkle it over a little applesauce, and take it 3x a day, it's better then any medicine out there for me.
Hope it helps you..
I've used psyllium daily since my surgery about 14 years ago. Variables include sugar content, flavor, and convenience. The capsules didn't work well for me, because they didn't mix adequately with the stool. The wafers had more calories than I liked, but I used them successfully for quite a while. These days I mix a half dose of sweetened smooth texture Metamucil with a half-dose of Konsyl original. That gives me as much sugar as I prefer to consume and an acceptable texture. Some people get gassy from psyllium powder.
Are you pretty sure you don't have pouchitis?
I am actually not sure I dont have pouchitis and havent been scoped yet. Assuming psyllium wont help with pouchitis right?
Psyllium won't treat pouchitis, though in some instances the thicker stool might improve continence somewhat.
Powder and capsules are not the only choices. Metamucil also makes wafers. Two different flavors in fact. I have used them and the powder, and prefer sugar free powder mixed with water. It's lower in calories.
I think powder works best the capsules were a total waste of money..it's not enough to bind with the food and expand and absorb in my opinion.
My wife and I were bemused by how mediocre tasting the wafers are. We took to calling them "nasty biscuits." By extension, we started calling the other forms "nasty capsules" and "nasty powder," even though the capsules aren't nasty at all, just useless for some of us. This wasn't really a term of disgust for us, we were just teasing the weak attempts at palatability.