boobalah's dr told him to take a fiber pill every night. He does. I told him I will take one every now and then. I don't think it's a good idea to take a fiber pill every night. It acts like a laxative after all. I've been told we shouldn't take a laxative every day because our bodies will begin to depend on it and not work on its own.
So, are all fiber pills a laxative?
Should we take one every day?
Oh, the dr who performed his colonoscopy told him to do this.
First off, fiber doesn't act the same way as a traditional laxative does, so you're not going to become "dependent" on a fiber pill like you would a stimulant laxative. So I don't think it is dangerous to take one every day.
For me, though, I prefer getting my fiber through plenty of healthy foods. Do ya'll track your fiber intake? If you're getting 30g or so through healthy foods, there is no need to supplement that I can think of. Did the doc say why he wanted him to take it?
I track mine through Fit Day. I don't know if he notices his Fit Day numbers. The colonoscopy guy tells all his patients to take a fiber pill. Considering most of them only give you 5 gm of fiber, why not increase something fiber rich in your diet? I prefer getting mine through my food as well.
boobalah is so sensitive to gassy foods. He takes plenty of Beano and a gas pill at night but doesn't want to increase things like beans. I have to include those in my lunches. That's about the only way I get to have them along with broccoli and the like.
Is there a difference between a fiber supplement and a fiber laxative pill?
A "Fiber laxative" is basically just a fiber pill. It increases bulk in the stool to make it easier to pass.
There are two main classes of laxatives I know of - stimulant laxatives which stimulate the bowel (which can become addictive - your body doesn't know how to stimulate the bowel anymore without the help of the stimulant) and stool softeners, which draw water into the colon to soften stool. Neither of these is a "bulking agent" like fiber is, and both types can be addictive if used over a long period.
I get about 50 grams of fiber (sometimes more) per day from food alone. My stomach used to be really sensitive but once I started cleaning up my diet, it became less sensitive. Also, the more fiber rich foods I ate, the more my stomach became used to them.
I get about 50 grams of fiber (sometimes more) per day from food alone. My stomach used to be really sensitive but once I started cleaning up my diet, it became less sensitive. Also, the more fiber rich foods I ate, the more my stomach became used to them.
I like fiber but I don't use a fiber supplement.
I like to get it in my food as well. I did find that I had to "sneak up" on fiber. I increased it too rapidly at first and was in incredible pain. (Not to mention all the bathroom wall shaking thunderous performances I gave).
My doc told me to take fiber pills (this was a few years ago) to help treat my IBS symptoms. It worked wonders.
Nowadays, I use a powder fiber substance (Benefiber) that you can put in/over any food - it's tasteless, odorless, & good for you. A GREAT way to get fiber if you're not getting enough thru your regular diet.
Fiber supplements are often recommended when a person cannot get enough fiber through a healthy diet, or when one suffers from chronic intestinal conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s Disease. It is strongly recommended by physicians that people add fiber to their diet through natural sources found in food. In some cases however, additional fiber supplements may be required.
Natural dietary fibers from food are most easily obtained from whole grains, legumes, and certain fruits and vegetables. Two natural fiber supplements that can be added through diet are cooked split peas and kidney beans. The suggested recommended daily intake of fiber in the US is over 30 grams for men, and 25 grams for women under 50. Split peas give a hefty 16 grams per cup, and kidney beans offer a little over 13 grams per cup. These two are some of the best sources of dietary fiber.
Other excellent natural sources are raspberries, which offer nine grams of dietary fiber per cup. Whole-wheat spaghetti is another excellent choice, offering six grams per cup. Both broccoli and oat bran offer a little over five grams per cup.
Fiber from legumes may be indigestible to some and cause unwanted gassiness. Many fiber supplements will also result in the same, though it may not be as significant as that caused by food sources.
There are essentially three types of fiber supplements on the market that can help those who have dietary restrictions and/or cannot get the necessary dietary fiber through food. These are fiber supplements made from psyllium, methylcellulose and polycarbophil.
Psyllium husk fiber supplements are probably the most recognizable and are found in products like Metamucil®. This type of fiber does soften and also bulk up stool, so it may be helpful in calming chronic diarrhea and also helping to ease constipation. A teaspoon or so of Metamucil® is usually taken in powdered form with juice or water.
Psyllium can cause excessive gas and bloating. Thus some prefer fiber supplements that are less gas producing, like Citrucel® made from methylcellulose. Methylcellulose is derived from the completely non-digestible parts of plants like the cell walls. This aids in bulking up the stool, since it passes unchanged through the digestive tract.
Recent additions to fiber supplements are those containing guar gum or acacia. These are natural thickening agents one often sees added to other products. Guar gum has the advantage of being completely tasteless, and tends to be marketed under the name, Benefiber® in the US. Many prefer it because it completely mixes with liquid, and thus its presence cannot usually be detected.
Fiber supplements used to be available only in powdered form, but now the top three all come in pill form as well. This has aided many, since taking chunky fiber in water is often considered unpleasant. Pills tend to be easier to swallow and may provide a more convenient way to take fiber supplements.
Last edited by Beach Patrol; 10-31-2007 at 03:52 PM.
Thank you Beach Patrol! That was very informative. I gave up on Psyllium a few months back. Then my DD pointed out that I should not be putting it on my high fiber cereal in the mornings. I'd forgotten that I have it. I think I'll start putting it on my salad at night.
My dr told me to take one as well if I wasn't getting enough in the day. I have diverticulitis. I guess I'll start taking one now that I've been informed better than the dr informed me.
I do know that you should drink a lot of fluid, preferrably water, with it or you'll have some problems that you don't want.
I've had a lot of luck with psyllium. I used to be bloated constantly until I started blending it in my smoothies. I wouldn't say we're dependent on it, but it helped clear up a lot of the issues I had had, even with a high fiber diet.
After hubby's colonoscopy, he was diagnosed with diverticulosis and told to try and get 30 g of fiber a day. Yeah...right. He doesn't track his food, but we kinda averaged out the amount of fiber he might get on a typical day. And it was anywhere from 5 to 10 g. ::sigh:: So he started adding Fiber Source to his foods. It has helped tremendously according to his doctor.
Fiber pills
