Has anyone ever taken Psyllium?

It may easily be the milk that causes the bloat. Try the psyllium with water, as per instructions. Cut the dose in half.

Do you take the stuff regularly
for constipation? If so, try changing diet. Drink more water with some lemon juice in it. (Add ice, fresh mint, ¼ t. of sugar and call it lemonade).

@gailcalled No, I take it for breakfast on the days I work. I have 3 scoops (small scoops) and I have it with skimmed milk. I used to take it before and I’m sure I didn’t feel like this then. I am drinking loads of water throughout the day.

The bloating can be a normal side effect.

@Rarebear Would I put weight on with it do you know?

^^^ I take it and never experience that. However, I don’t take that much at a single sitting. I stretch it over the day, taking a single scoop at a time. I’ve never noticed anything but the expected effect of more regularity and easier BMs.

@Headhurts No. It’s not digestible

Ok thanks.

Bloating is a natural side-effect of psyllium. I’ve taken it and even if I stretch it out through the day, it still causes a lot of bloat for me. I had to switch to one that’s non-plant-based – like Citrucel or Miralax and they had much better results without the discomfort.

It sounds like you may be taking too much. Also be aware that psyllium can interfere with certain medications. If you are taking any prescription meds or OTC meds, you should talk to your doctor about that before adding psyllium to your diet. And don’t take the psyllium at the same time as you take meds or it can interfere with your dosages. And if you are going to use psyllium, make sure that you take the correct dosage with the right amount of water. Right now, it sounds like you are taking too much.

You can read here all about Psyllium, it dosages, uses and potential side effects

Psyllium sucks.

Do senna. Senna will clean you out like a plumber’s grade bottle of Drain-o.

You don’t want to do Senna. I’ve seen too many people with bowel dysmotility from senna.

From WebMD
Don’t use senna for more than two weeks. Longer use can cause the bowels to stop functioning normally and might cause dependence on laxatives. Long-term use can also change the amount or balance of some chemicals in the blood (electrolytes) that can cause heart function disorders, muscle weakness, liver damage, and other harmful effects.

Does Psyllium go off? I used to use it last year, every other day I think. I started using it again Monday, from the same tub as last years, and I haven’t even been to the toilet yet. Just getting bloated out of it. Think I’ll stop.

@Headhurts You haven’t pooped since Monday? That doesn’t sound good. You really should check with your doctor, especially since you were having the tummy trouble with the fish oil, too.

@Rarebear Ya, I guess that wasn’t the best advice. Well, it’s my go-to thing when I need some extra help, if you know what I mean.

Your body should be fine on a regular basis going to the bathroom if you’re getting enough fibre, fluid and exercise. For times when the issue is prolonged, I really recommend something like Metamucil. I take a no-name Metamucil formula I bought at the grocery store for like 10.99$

I used to have really bad problems with constipation in my early 20s, and stressing out about it instead of taking laxatives or supplements to make it better only made it worse. I was almost constipated on a regular basis (and way too young for that!). I eat less meat now and more of other things. I’ll eat meat once a day max. I found this helped a lot.

@sparrowfeed every once in awhile it’s fine. Just not chronically.

I don’t think you should be taking fiber supplements at all chronically. If you’re getting enough fruits and veggies and whole grains as well as exercise, you should be OK. Mind, you Metamucil is pretty safe if it’s really bad.

@sparrowfeed: Good point but you mean daily rather than chronically; that refers to the problem and not the solution.

Daily.