HEATHER - METHYLCELLULOSE A CULPRIT?
#708 - 02/12/03 06:34 AM
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SharonMello
Reged: 01/22/03
Posts: 996
Loc: Groveland, CA
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Heather - I'm so disgusted with my gas (farting) problem and sleeping alone, I did some sleuthing with meds (non-prescription) that I take. I found either cellulose or methylcellulose in 5 of them:
Vit C
Calcium
fiber pills (generic)
Multiple vitamins
Glucosamine/Condroitin combined
Also, there's lactose in my OTC allergy pills which I take 2x/day.
I did a google search on methylcellulose and it said that it promotes bowel regularity and is used for chronic constipation, diverticulosis and IBS.
Do you think this could be the reason I get gas right after dinner. I have it all night and the next morning. I take the C, G/C, Calcium and fiber pills at that time. I'd say that 6 out of 7 evenings I get gas and have to get up from what I'm doing to go to the bathroom and let 'er rip! Help! My husband is sleeping in another room because he can't stand it any more and I might be a single woman again!!!!
Thank you.
Sharon
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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which is notorious for causing gas and even diarrhea. Methylcellulose is what Citrucel is made of - it's soluble fiber and should not cause gas at all. The lactose in the pills may be causing problems, but the Vitamin C is much more likely to be the culprit here.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Okay, Heather, enlighten all of as to why Vit C causes gas?
I don't understand. I went into the pharmacy to get a different kind of fiber and was talking w/the pharmacist. He said that it could cause gas, but you don't think it does? Anyway, I stopped taking everything with the MC in it this morning and I'm not going to take it tonight and see what happens after dinner.
Sharon
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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Vitamin C is notorious for causing gas and diarrhea. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, and as the name implies, it's acidic. When it enters the alkaline environment of the lower intestinal tract it can create diarrhea and gas. In Germany, vitamin C is actually an approved laxative.
The recommended dose from some internet searches I've done seems to be under 2,000 mg daily. Over that, you risk the GI side effects.
Don't know why your pharmacist told you methylcellulose would cause gas. All fibers, soluble and insoluble, can cause gas and other GI unpleasantries if someone suddenly and drastically increases their intake. But just starting to take a normal dose of methylcellulose shouldn't do this. Of all the soluble fibers psyllium is the only one with a known propensity for causing gas and bloating (and even that is only for a minority of people).
I'd check that your methylcellulose supplement (which is probably Citrucel?) is the plain variety. The flavors, colors, and citric acid in the orange varieties can sometimes cause problems. Best to stick to just the plain fiber with nothing added.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Heather - thanks for the explanation. I was taking only 500 mg in the evening because I was taking chondroitin and glucosamine and was told to take C w/it. I get the C in the AM when I take it with my multi vitamins, but that only has 60 mg.
My fiber was Wal-Mart brand which is compared to fiber con. Active ingr is 625 mg calcium polycarbophil equivalent to 500 mg of PC. The other ingr are:
acacia, calcium carbonate, caramel, crospovidone, hydroxyproplyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, mineral oil, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, providone, silicon dioxide, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearic acid.
Whew, that was hard to do. Not common words.
Thanks, again.
Sharon
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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Hi Sharon Mello,
I'm taking Methylcellulose as a fibre supplement and it does not cause any bloating with me. I used to take larger doses and I never got any bloating from it. Actually, at the time I switched from Psyllium to Methylcellulose and was impressed by the ABSENCE of bloating!
Susaloh
P.S. my husband sleeps in another room, too, he says it's because I breathing too loud!! So, there's a good reason...
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