Supplements
#1473 - 02/26/03 01:35 PM
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sona
Reged: 02/22/03
Posts: 52
Loc: UK
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Hello
I new to the boards, have been browsing for a few days and have been very comforted in the knowledge that I'm not alone! I live in the UK and whilst I'm waiting for my order of Equalactin to come through, does anyone have any suggestions for non psyllium supplements? At the moment I'm going through a bad spell of IBS-C and don't want to to take the laxatives my doctor has recommended. At a health shop I picked up a fibre supplement which used to be called Maxifiber which contains Hemicellulose, Pectin and Cellulose in pill form. I haven't been able to find much out about the ingrediants, does anyone out there know if they are an IBS no-no? The side effects of the psyllium, bloating, gas etc... has made me wary of trying, but needs must!
Thanks......
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Hi Sona - Glad you're able to join us. Can you get Fibercon in the UK? They make it in pill form and that makes it easy to take. If I didn't take it, we'd probably have to call Roto-Rooter (in the US, Roto-Rooter is a drain unclogging company). I've tried the others and they give me gas for hours and hours. I've been using the still-full containers for bookends!
Heather can probably give you a better answer, or even HanSolo, but I know from reading other posts that psyllium can cause big problems.
Don't hesitate to post as that's what we're here for. Welcome. Did you check out the Recipe Exchange? THere are some good ideas there. Good Luck.
Sharon
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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Hi, and welcome to the board! It seems to be very difficult to find non-psyllium soluble fiber supplements in the UK, and I don't know why.
The Maxifiber you found may not be a great option. Pectin is soluble fiber (and a really good one), so that's just fine. But I did a quick internet search for hemicellulose and found that most forms are insoluble. Cellulose is also insoluble. Insoluble fibers can cause IBS attacks, so it doesn't look like Maxifiber is a good bet for you.
I really wish I had a UK brand to send you to, but the options seem to be really limited. This really frustrates me 
Best,
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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Sharon/Heather
Thank you so much for replying so quickly. Looks like I'll be giving Maxifibre a miss, I will try and follow up on the supplement you mentioned Sharon whilst I'm waiting for Equalactin. I re-read your reply again, and your comments really made me laugh, I'll go to bed smiling now!
Thanks again and thanks for making me feel welcome.
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Sona - I'll be more than happy to buy and mail you what you need from here if you don't mind paying the awful postage charge. Just my way of welcoming you, I guess. (Really, I don't mind...I'm always at Wal-Mart and they seem to be one of the most inexpensive places to buy this stuff.)
Sharon
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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Hi,
Can you get Benefiber? I didn't think we could get it in Aust. either but I asked in the chemist and they were able to order it in specifically for me even though it's not kept in stock. It's great, there are no added ingredients whatsoever. It is also tasteless and colourless which is a bonus too.
Kerrie
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What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
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Can you get Normacol (with a soluble fibre called Sterculia) in England. I'm English, though am living in France but I think it is available back home. I use it and tolerate it much etter then Psyllium.
Claire
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Hello
Thanks Heather, Sharon, KinOz and Claire for your advice. I've checked out some sites and have found out some more about the supplements you mention, especially Fibercon, but can't find a web site in the UK that provides it. I may ask my chemist to see if they can order it in. I am expecting a delivery of Equalactin from the States within the next 2 weeks, so may have to wait for that if I can't get anything sooner.
Hope you are all having good days wherever you are in the world. I took my dicky tum to an aromatherapist today for a massage. I nearly fell off the couch trying to prevent anything from 'escaping'. Everytime she told me to stop clenching I wanted to laugh, and Lord only knows what that would have done!
Keep well.....
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Hi Sona - I'm trying to figure out what a dicky tum is...maybe a tummy that's on the fritz?
Your description of when you were laying on the table really made me laugh. But she was right...you do have to relax no matter what the circumstances. I'm sure she's heard (and smelled) it before!
Are you feeling any better?
Sharon
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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I'm getting all excited because for once I have some useful advice to give!
Please try out Celevac (company name's Shire) Available at your local chemist! It's made out of Methylcellulose, very soothing and absolutely non-bloating (contains very small amount of lactose). Small tablets, pink, like polystyrene with a taste of strawberry, but you get used to them. Last June Celevac really saved my life. I was in bed by then, because I was getting so weak, unable to eat anything at all anymore because of the constant cramping, when my GP prescribed these to me. I will NEVER ever forget the soothing feeling spreading in my bowels, just 20 minutes after chewing the first two. Utter, total, peace. This supplement alone basically made me better within two weeks. You can get them over the counter (£4.50 for 112 tablets), too, but of course it's cheaper for you if the NHS pays half of the price....
As to dosage, I used to take 8 per day, spread out. Now I'm only taking two before breakfast because I'm quite okay with Psyllium now, which after all seems to be a bit stronger and less expensive, because I'm in Germany now and would need my UK friends to send them to me. But they are ideal to take when travelling or just before a meal.
Good luck
Susloh
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Methylcellulose is what Citrucel is made out of, but Citrucel isn't available in the UK. Thanks so much for this alternative!
Best,
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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I am curious can you buy pectin for a fiber supplement and will it work as well as the other ones? I am confused by all the fiber supplements. Which ones are highly recommended without the unpleasant side effects?
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Hi - Pectin is a great soluble fiber, and it should work well. I haven't seen it sold as a fiber supplement but it might well be out there.
In general, all of the soluble fibers work really well and shouldn't have any side effects, especially if you start with a lower dosage, drink lots of water, and increase the dosage gradually. The one exception to this is psyllium, a soluble fiber that causes bloating and gas for a lot of people. It seems to be the only one, though.
Do try to get a plain, unflavored, unsweetened (and no artificial sweeteners), uncolored, no citric acid, variety of supplement. Often people can react to these filler ingredients and it then puts them off the soluble fiber supplements altogether, when the fiber itself is not the problem.
Best,
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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Hello
I bought Celevac today (thanks Susaloh!) and they look just how you describe. I was really excited when my Chemist had them in however I'm getting confused about the different types of cellulose. Celevac contains 500mg of Methylcellulose, is that different to other intolerant cellulose? There is also a small amount of saccharin sodium, is that ok? Sorry for all the questions, the other listed items are:- lactose, povidone, erythrosine, purified talc, magnesium stearate and strawberry flavour.
After a week-end of being house-bound I spent the afternoon shopping in our town centre and travelled in the lift/elevator. My symptons can get so bad I can get anxious about riding in a lift as I dread to think what could happen if it broke down!
Hope you are all having an enjoyable week-end....
Ps - Sharon, a 'dicky tum' is an UK expression for an upset stomach, or a 'bellyache'. Your description was pretty good!
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Hi - So glad you found the supplement. Methylcellulose is pure soluble fiber - but cellulose in insoluble.
The saccharin isn't a great thing to have for IBS, but in the small quantities in those pills it's probably okay. It's best to be cautious with all artificial sweeteners, but sorbitol tends to be by far the worst.
Best,
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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i read in "Herbs for Health" magazine that pectin is a good supplement to use when doing a cleansing diet, because it
"...is especially helpful in removing environmental toxins and radioactive substances from the body.... Pectin can also be purchased as a powder, which is then mixed as a tablespoon dose in water. The powder will gel up in the body, drawing to it toxic chemicals because of its strong ionic (electrically charged) nature..." [Herbs for Health, March/April 2003, "Fasting: A Time-Honored Approach to Health", p. 35. website: www.discoverherbs.com]
has anyone else heard this about pectin? is this true of other soluable fiber supplements as well, or just pectin?
So, apparently it is sold SOMEWHERE as a powder to mix with water... no brands were mentioned in the article, however.
Beth
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