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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/17/2007 8:21 AM (GMT -7)
I have been reading that fiber can help with bulk but i have a box of metimucil wafers i eat every now and then and it says fiber supplement / laxative.  Now Im confused...I want bulk!
Posted 8/17/2007 9:16 AM (GMT -7)
Hi Lori,

I too am in a flare right now and was told to stay away from fiber. My doc said the only thing I should stay away is fiber. He also said the biggest reasons for a flare up are non compliance with drugs and with the diet .

I found this site

http://www.healthcastle.com/high-fiber-foods.shtml

and decided to print the thing out carry it with me at all times and stay away from these foods

Theo
Posted 8/17/2007 9:51 AM (GMT -7)
Interesting. I take 2 Fibercon everyday flaring or not. Mine too say "bulk laxative." It doesn't have the laxative effect in that it makes me run to the bathroom. It just helps keep things moving and more firm. My GI said to count on taking a fiber supplement for the rest of my life.
Posted 8/17/2007 9:53 AM (GMT -7)
Here are the foods i am gonna sta wayw from , let me know what you guys think about this strategy


High Fiber Foods:
Grain Products:
• whole grain breads, buns, bagels, muffins
• Bran Flakes, All Bran, bran Buds, Corn bran, whole wheat Shreddies, 100% Bran and Fiber 1
• Cooked cereal such as Red River and Oat Bran
• whole-wheat pastas
• whole grains such as barley, popcorn, corn and brown rice
Fruits:
• dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes and raisins
• berries such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
• oranges, apple with skin, avocado, kiwi, mango and pear
Vegetables:
• broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, green peas and other dark green leafy vegetables
• dried peas and beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, black-eyed beans, chick peas and lentils
Nuts and Seeds:
• nuts and seeds such as almonds, whole flaxseed and soynuts
Posted 8/17/2007 9:57 AM (GMT -7)
tif is corrrect, I use prodiem stool bulker which also states it has a mild laxative, the purpose it to help avoid constipation...

and my GI told me to take fibre while flaring or not...fibre helps with D and/or C, you shouldn't avoid it, if you're eating balanced fibre, soluble and insoluble then there's very little worries about obstructions and of course drinking plenty of water daily, especially with your fibre.

My GI said to take it daily for the rest of my life, it's been 4ish yrs now and it's been great.

I can even tolerate eating fibreous foods now without getting all gassy and bloated, it's helped in many ways with my IBD, it cleared up my major gas and bloat (once my system adjusted to it, which is normal for one to have increased gas and bloat when first starting with fibre), it's lessened my daily frequency, instead of many trips to the can with small depositis I go less times a day with larger deposits, no more mucus either.

:)
Posted 8/17/2007 10:40 AM (GMT -7)
pb4 is correct. Fiber is marketed for constipation because in the general population the number of people with constipation far outnumber those with diarrhea. Fiber is good for those that are either running too fast or too slow. Especially during a flare, insoluble fiber foods like those on tenoch's list might be good to stay away from. Insoluble fiber is roughage that could be hard on the innards during a flare. I would recommended a soluble fiber like Metamucil. Soluble fiber forms a gel that is easy on the intestines. Soluble fiber slows down transit times; decreasing the number of bowels movements and adding bulk. My diarrhea has improved considerably since I introduced soluble fiber into my daily regimen. Now I only seem to get some diarrhea if I make bad food choices. Before fiber, it was diarrhea every day, every time. I will probably take soluble fiber for the rest of my life. Make sure you start slowly with adding fiber to your regimen to allow you body time to adjust. Too much too soon causes bloating and gas. Now that my body is used to soluble fiber I really don't have any gas. Before fiber, I was always gassy.

http://www.helpforibs.com/supplements/sol_fiber1.asp

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/fiber-000303.htm

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/irritablebowelsyndrome/qt/ibstip5.htm
Posted 8/17/2007 11:14 AM (GMT -7)
Thank you. I think I will go back to part of a metemucil bar every day. It did seem to keep things "smoother"
Posted 8/17/2007 12:04 PM (GMT -7)
TheLori :)

Do you take probiotics? If not then I highly recommend you add that to your regime as well...IBDers tend to have bacterial over-growth and probiotics can help with IBD symptoms as it balances the gut flora (bacterial over-growth).


:)
Posted 8/17/2007 12:11 PM (GMT -7)
I guess it's been 2 years when I was first dignoised i took Rowasa and Asacol and then took Perfect Fiber, my doctor was so amazed that within 6 weeks my UC was gone! Now with saying that I got off meds immediatley that day and two months later everything was back.

I take straight physllium by Now (apple flavor) it does not say laxative on the bottle. I know for sure it helps with bulking! It takes about 3 days for me to notice a difference. My GI recommended 3 tablespoons a day. It's hard to get that much in, but I do it. I do Tablespoon, AM, Afternoon and Evening. I don't feel as full and I don't eat sweets, it curb my appetite for sweets! I like that.

 

Posted 8/17/2007 12:22 PM (GMT -7)
what is probiotics?
Posted 8/17/2007 12:28 PM (GMT -7)
Good flora for your gut. Antibiotics, poor eating habits can diminish good gut flora, so taking a good probiotic helps aid in digestion and numerous other things.

Posted 8/17/2007 1:12 PM (GMT -7)
therearemiracles,
Other than the apple flavor, is there any difference that you know of between the Metamucil powder and the Psylium by Now that you take? Did your GI recommend this particular brand? I chose Metamucil because it is simply the most readily available. If your brand has something specifically for diarrhea or UC I would be intersted to know.
Thanks
Posted 8/17/2007 1:18 PM (GMT -7)
I can't say for sure, but Metamucil says fiber laxative, mine doesn't. Mine says physllium husk powder. I did try Fiber Perfect and that made me go to the bathroom a lot.
Posted 8/17/2007 11:06 PM (GMT -7)
They all absorb water....that's how they work. Diarrhea = too much water because the inflamed colon expells whatever is in there quicker than it gets to stay around and have the water absorbed enough to produce a stool.

When you have diarrhea, adding the supplement tends to absorb the water and help to slow down the amount in the colon...therefore, not as many bms.

It doesn't matter what's on the label...they all work the same way. Some, however, may agree better than others, some may need more than others. Trial and error.

Remember to read the labels....most of them have artificial sweeteners that can cause...well, diarrhea, discomfort, gas, bloating..lol!

I'd suggest the pills or what has less of what might bother you.

And in saying all that...some aren't bothered by artificial sweeteners.

quincy
Posted 8/18/2007 7:18 AM (GMT -7)
After I was diagnosed with UC my doctor told me to go on a low fibre diet to decrease my BM's so my colon would heal faster.  I wasn't in a flare when I was told to go on the low fibre diet but was still bleeding from my last flare that occurred a month prior to my colonoscopy.
Posted 8/18/2007 9:08 AM (GMT -7)
There are different kinds of fibre....not all are created equal and all have different actions in the digestive tract.

Your doctor suggested "fibre" in general.

Do the research to understand the different kinds of fibre and why we should ingest them.

quincy
Posted 8/18/2007 10:55 AM (GMT -7)
Yup, there's soluble and insoluble, fibre is necessary, no one should ever cut it out completely, you're just asking for trouble if you do that.

:)
Posted 8/18/2007 5:19 PM (GMT -7)
Sorry , I should add that he said to do the low fibre diet for only 6 months.  Yep, definitely need fibre.
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