Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi Katgirl - Well, there is some conflict here. First, the fybogel that you've been taking is a bit likely to cause constipation, not help it. It's a combo of isphagula (or psyllium) which is soluble fiber (good) but a variety likely to cause bloating and gas (bad). The mebeverine is a drug - it's basically an anti-spasmodic. If you have C because your gut is over-spasming, this drug can help. But if you have low motility, this drug can make constipation worse. And, it looks like fybogel also contains aspartame, an artificial sweetener, which can trigger GI side effects.

Movicol is even worse. It's a flat-out laxative. Here's a pharmacy page on it web page This is definitely not something you want to take on a regular basis.

Can you get a hold of any plain old soluble fiber supplement? Can your pharmacy order Benefiber? If you weren't getting bloating/gas from the fybogel, see if you can find a plain isphagula supplement - nothing else added, no sweeteners, just the isphagula. Or, order the acacia, which is just organic soluble fiber and nothing else. That info is here web page

Getting a good soluble fiber supplement into your gut every day will let you add more insoluble fiber foods. The combo should really help your IBS, and your body will not "adjust" to this in a negative way (you won't get bowel dependency problems like you can with the laxatives). Soluble fiber supplements will also not stop working over time - they'll be helpful forever. You can just increase the dose as needed, and there's no risk to this as it's not a drug, just plant fiber, which is good for your overall health in many ways.

- 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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