Equalactin
#329 - 02/03/03 09:34 AM
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spooky1991
Reged: 02/03/03
Posts: 13
Loc: Kirkland, WA
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I would like to know if anyone has used Equalactin for IBS and if it has helped with your IBS symptoms.
Edited by spooky1991 (02/03/03 09:59 AM)
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Hi - I have tried it. I keep it in my purse, car, and use it when I'm traveling as I find it really inconvenient to take the powder supplements with me on vacation. I also like that the tablets are chewable. I really notice the difference if I take them before a restaurant meal, where there's almost always more fat than I'm used to. I can sail through without any problems if I take the Equalactin first (though I still order carefully - I would never just pop the pills then order a big mac and fries!)
- 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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Can you take Equalactin on a daily basis?
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Yep - that's how the soluble fiber supplements work best for IBS. I usually take 2 pills at a time, and if I'm touchy I'll take four doses a day (so 8 pills total). I also combine the pills with powder supplements sometimes. If I'm really stable, I'll just take the pills as needed on a preventive basis (like for those restaurant meals). If I'm at all touchy or anticipate that I will be (something sressful is coming up) I'll immediately switch back to the maximum dosage.
I believe there is no risk or harm whatsoever to taking soluble fiber supplements every single day - they're the equivalent of eating soluble fiber foods like rice and oatmeal, and there are a lot of health benefits besides controlling your IBS.
There is a detailed post about all this at http://www.eatingforibs.com/faq.htm Read down the list and you'll see the topic link for soluble fiber supplements.
If you haven't tried these before I would really urge you to. They can be the single greatest factor in getting your symptoms under control.
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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Re: Equalactin
#391 - 02/04/03 02:53 PM
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Sue48
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 61
Loc: The Sunflower State: Kansas
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Hi
I used Egualactin just last week to stem a really nasty attack. It worked very, very well. I was impressed w/ that. And note to Heather, I bought it because I saw the product mentioned in your newsletter. However, I thought I read on the box that this product should not be taken more than two days in a row, and not more than 4 in 48 hours. I, too, would appreciate some more info. on this.
Thanks.
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Sue
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Hi Sue - I'm really glad to hear Equalactin worked so well for you - that is wonderful!
Regarding the package dosage and limitations instructions, and using Equalactin for IBS, I called Moaiz Dayad, a partner at Numark Labs, the makers of Equalactin. Moaiz explained that because Equalactin (like Citrucel, Fibercon, Benefiber, and other soluble fiber supplements) is marketed as an over-the-counter laxative and anti-diarrheal product, it is bound by the FDA prescribing guidelines for those products. This means that Equalactin must have the dosage limitations in its packaging that apply to OTC anti-diarrheal and laxative drugs, even though Equalactin is not a drug but a fiber supplement. The FDA packaging guidelines for this category do not discriminate between the drugs and the fibers.
Moaiz reiterated the safety of the dosage information I have been given by several doctors, and that is that you may take 2 pills four times daily on an indefinite basis if you have been diagnosed with IBS by a doctor. If you do not see a measurable improvement in your symptoms within one week this would certainly point to a problem other than IBS, and you should see your doctor again.
If you're combining powder and pill supplements, I think it's definitely best to make sure that your total daily dosage is equal to what it should be for just the pills or fibers alone. You don't want to take the maximum dose for the pills and then take the maximum dose for the powders on top of this.
I'd also add that it's a good idea to call your own doc anyway and see what s/he recommends as a dosage and maintenance schedule for Equalactin for you personally.
If you have other questions or concerns about this you are welcome to call Moaiz Dayad personally, at 1-800-338-8079. He is happy to help.
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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Re: Equalactin
#469 - 02/06/03 11:50 AM
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Sue48
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 61
Loc: The Sunflower State: Kansas
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Thanks so much, Heather, for this information.
I will take this information to my healthcare provider.
And this adds a ray of light to a sometimes bleak situation...
Sue
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Sue
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Hang in there, Sue. We're all thinking about you and wishing you the best. 
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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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Just wondering if there is a difference between Equalactin and the other fiber supplements (Fibrecell, Metamusil), aside from the fact that it's chewable?
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Re: Equalactin
#515 - 02/07/03 12:29 PM
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Sue48
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 61
Loc: The Sunflower State: Kansas
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Hi again,
Took all the stuff to the healthcare provider...who had not heard of Equalactin. I was sure surprised. So I just let her know what it contained(and how much it helped), but I didn't show her Heather's new information. Maybe next time. Sorry, Heather... I was actually there because of blood in my stool and was trying to focus on the best case scenario instead of the worse case. For now, there is not a colonoscopy in the picture...just lots of blood, urine, and stool tests.
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Sue
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Re: Equalactin
#516 - 02/07/03 12:31 PM
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Sue48
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 61
Loc: The Sunflower State: Kansas
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Hi...I believe there is a strong difference. Check Heather's first post under this topic, and then her second. I think that she explains it quite well. Other fiber supplements don't work w/ me to slow an attack down. For me, they appear to be more maintenance.
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Sue
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May all your tests results come back negative - hope you're feeling better soon.
- 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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Anyone know where you can readily find Equalactin other than the website?
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Re: Equalactin
#855 - 02/13/03 07:49 PM
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Sue48
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 61
Loc: The Sunflower State: Kansas
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Mary,
I don't know where you live, but I found Equalactin at Walgreen's, a fairly well-known drugstore chain.
Good luck
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Sue
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Heather,
I decided to explore taking fiber supplements for my horrible
constipation/ibs problems. I cannot tollerate psyllium so I am scared to try anything else. But I was exploring the website
http://www.fruit-eze.com/brands/equalactin.html and it listed
many precautions. In particular intestinal blockages further along the GI tract. But the others were disturbing also. Could you please comment. What can you do to prevent blockages and what can you do if you get a blockage? Is it common?
Also, what are your feeling about eating oatbran? Could you get a blockage if you don't drink enough water?
thanks so much. I just got your book The First Year IBS today and am anxious to read.
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That does sound a bit scary. Is it anything to worry about does anyone know? Or is it just a really rare side effect that they have to list "just in case".
Also, does anyone know if it is available in Australia?
Any Aussies tried it?
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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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You may want to ask your local pharmacy to special order it for you. Wal-Mart did that for me.
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