IBS
★★★★★
After years of laxative abuse associated with an eating disorder, I ended up with sever IBS and an intolerance to a wide range of foods, including many fruits. I started taking psyllium husks recently after reading about it in a health magazine, and I have been amazed by the difference. I can eat most foods without the bloating, flatulence and chronic stomach pain that I have had to live with for years!
Although, I have found that when I have not taken the psyllium for several days, the symptoms have returned again. But to be able to live without pain, a tablespoon of psyllium on my breakfast in the mornings seems a small ask!
(Nova, Usa)
07/12/2011
Oh I'm so happy to read this!!
I had an eating disorder for years and eventually abused laxatives too. Now I'm recovered, but the after effects are PAINFUL! I almost always have cramps, gas, heart palpitations, acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, acne, all because I destroyed my system. I hardly ever hear of the after effects of a recovered eating disorder, so I'm grateful for this testimony! Now I know that not only am I not alone, but that there is a fix for my state of health NOW.
I'm going to try some psyllium husk right away!!
IBS
★★★★★
IBS, Eczema, Lactose Intolerance
★★★★★
After doing research on natural remedies and finding this site I figured out what had happened and how to fix it:
As a child I suffered chronic ear infections and was on antibiotics at least once every month, I was diagnosed with asthma as young as two and made to take high doses of medication while growing up, anyone who has had asthma can attest to the rigorous routine most doctors want the children and their parents to follow. Two separate inhalers both taken three times a day. Well of course my system was a wreck, my whole life I relied on medication to sustain myself. My gut flora would have been nearly non-existent since I was a toddler.
My solution to this issue is one of many, but since this post is about Psyllium I will give you my recipe and explain the reactions.
Every morning Smoothie:
- 1 cup mixed baby greens
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup milk kefir or water kefir
- 2 Tbsp raw organic cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp psyllium husk
blend in blender or mixer, add more liquid if needed, drink before it congeals! And wash the cup right away.
I would drink one of these every day, starting with the husks and kefir very slowly. The Herx effect can manifest easily in people who have a high accumulation of toxins in their body, for me it was almost as unbearable as the eczema itself.
These days I only take psyllium when I feel my body needs it. The eczema is almost gone and my legs look almost normal again, there are still spots like on my forehead and inside of my arms that will flare up with stress.
It has been about 1 year since I started treating my extreme eczema problem, I am not 100% cured but something that took 24 years to accumulate is going to take longer than 1 year to expel. As for the Asthma, I will get attacks after allot of physical exertion but only once in a while, usually I can over come them with a short yoga practice. Again, my asthma is not 100% cured, I still rely on medication when I really need it and hate to say it but my mind still depends upon it to feel secure.
In addition to the smoothie recipe, an overall lifestyle change has helped considerably. Yoga, raw and organic food and growing as much as we can in our own garden has been the best changes we have ever made. Taking frequent trips into the wilderness, back roads and country side has reduced the stress level considerably and allows me to connect with something that was missing living in the city. It is really hard to feel sick with the resin filled mountain air in your lungs, or when a beautiful Bird of Prey glides overhead.
Take Care
(Ca)
12/18/2013
Way to go!!
(Fort Langley, Bc Canada)
05/08/2017
May 2017 I can relate to extreme eczema, I'm now into 4 months of it.
Fortunately I have been working with a health consultant for over a year on several problems.
We feel this eczema outburst started with a parasite cleanse.
In doing a Dr Bernard Jensen 7 day tissue cleanse had my skin almost perfectly normal in day 9-11.
I was also diagnosed from two sources as a typical Gulf War Syndrome victim.
Still doing herbs and veggies, fruits, smoothies.
Over four months of up and down with healing crisis and skin fungus, oozing, scabs etc I am finally making progress.
I will try Psychillium as that is one I don't have on my daily routine. I just bought 15 1 lb bags of herbs and one was psyllium.
Thanks for telling us your story.
Long-Term Usage
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
(Anonymous, USA)
02/13/2010
★★★★★
NOT TRUE. this is one of the most irresponsible and uniformed statements I've read. chemical laxatives cause the musculature of the intestines to atrophy. psyllium does not. and neither does any other form of fibre. psyllium is safe and recommended to use EVERY SINGLE DAY as are other forms of fibre.
(Dublin, Ireland)
11/01/2010
★★★★★
As it says above, what you are thinking of is chemical laxatives. Due to its hydrophilic affects, psyllium husks causes more water to be retained in the gastrointestinal tract, and faecal swelling. This in turn STIMULATES peristalsis in the GIT, so rather than it causing muscles to become dormant and eventually atrophy, it INCREASES contractions of your intestinal musculature. It is not dangerious in any way, it is 100% natural and safe to use, the only exception being if you drink inadequate amounts of fluids, leading to intestinal blockage. So drink lots of water people!!!
Menopause Symptoms
★★★★★
Unexpected side effects for me included the complete relief of menopausal type hormone flucuations and hot flashes because of the fact that the fiber binds to excess hormones like estrogen and escorts them safely out of the system before they can have side effects. For this reason I would recommend it to anyone who was suffering from hormone related cancers including prostate. It may also help in chemo therapy to bind to the toxins of the drugs that are used and to help remove dead cancer cells from the body. Also pysllium can be a lifesaver when a bout of food poisoning or flu occurs because it binds with the toxins that are the byproduct of the offending bad virus or bacterias. For ANY use of pysllium husks , make sure that after your body becomes healthy and regular, see if you can't wean down on the number of capsules you take by substituting high amounts of quality fruit and vegtables into your diet, then let your body have a complete pysllium break and see how you do. You may have fixed the problem. For some of us who are allergic to many grains we just can't get enough fiber into our normal diet and need to add a little extra. Another help has been to add additional enzymes like bromelain and papaya, to the diet to help properly break down foods and repair intestinal damage. It is important to note that pysllium is NOT a laxative and that your body does not develope a dependency on it, but it DOES bind to vitamins, minerals, and medicines so for that reason is best taken on an empty stomach at leaast 2 hours after food or medicine is ingested, and at least an hour before you eat again.
VERY IMPORTANT: Drink at least one extra 8 oz. glass of water for every 2 capsules taken!
(London)
07/13/2016
★★★★★
I concur! I suffered from constipation so started with Psyllium. To my astonishment, PMS and hot flashes disappeared! I take it religiously now and sometimes have to increase to twice a day (1 TBS) during the second half of my cycle when my bowels start slowing down for some strange reason that I still don't understand. Knowing that all my other symptoms are minimised keeps me so happy it's a godsend.
(Ca)
10/01/2017
The slowing down of the system during the second half of your cycle is due to the body needing more magnesium during that phase. Try adding 200 to 400 mg magnesium citrate during that time of the month, taken in the evening with a glass of water. Good luck.
Psyllium Side Effects
 (4) |
100% |
After three days of taking my morning and evening doses I began having a very sore throat. Extreme headache, which I attributed to a sinus headache. However, I believe the absorbing action of the psyllium dehydrated my body so much that these symptoms were caused. I am not even sure how quickly they are absorbed, because as the headache worsened, I became extremely nauseated. The capsules came up completely whole.
I experienced this twice in a matter of a month and a half.
I know when I don't drink enough water I am prone to headaches. During the cleanse I continued to drink my regular amount of water however I believe that you must drink twice your normal intake when taking a product with psyllium to prevent dehydration. I have done other cleanse's that did not effect me in a negative way. However, I will be much more careful now about looking at the ingredients. If there is pysllium, I know that it's not for me. These headaches are excrutiating, the first time I was in bed for three days.
(Danville, WV)
12/17/2008
One thing that I am seeing is those that are having problems with acne/rosacea (sp?)and headaches, need to do a little more research on what a cleanse involves. During the cleanse your kidneys are working very hard. Breaking loose of old fecal matter is returning toxins etc. briefly back to the bloodstream. Because the skin is like a second set of kidneys these irritations will present themselves through the sebaceous glands (a secondary) excretory organ.
Also the headaches are caused by the same problem, toxins in the bloodstream, most likely from previous prescription drug use, or anything foreign to the body (like nicotine etc.) If you are inexperienced with herbs and/or individual herb treatments, you need to consult an alternative medicine specialist. Using an herb willy nilly without understanding it in its entirety can cause problems.
Psyllium Side Effects
(Naples, Florida)
11/10/2008
I noticed a couple of warnings from users that were using Bentonite clay & Psyllium. Psyllium has been safe for me; however I cannot understand why anyone would use Bentonite clay to cleanse your intestinal tract. For years when I lived in Texas, we used Bentonite clay to seal ponds so they would not leak (it swells and seals and lasts for years). I can only imagine what that stuff would do to your intestinal tract. So I suspect the negative feedback is more on Bentonite clay and not psyllium.
(Jc, Nj)
11/29/2010
Joyce, sorry to hear about your health issues. I have tried the psyllium/bentonite mix you mention. Rather than this cleanse being the cause, I think that you may have awaken some health problem(s) you already had but weren't aware of. I also have belpharitis, and had meibominaitis which resolved itself. This occurred after a candida cleanse, but not with the bentonite or psyllium. I believe that it occurred because of toxins and bad bacteria, including staph, exiting your body. The eye conditions you mention are staph related, and I know at least one other person that developed a staph issue after a candida cleanse. I also have gastritis which is caused by candida. Who knows, maybe your rosacea and rhinophyma have a similar origin, as things such as sugar and sweeteners tend to trigger rosacea. Good luck!
(Ottawa, Ontario)
12/28/2011
The bentonite used commercially for industrial purposes is sodium bentonite... Bentonite clay for cleansing purposes is calcium bentonite, two very different things!!!!
Psyllium Side Effects
(Tacoma, WA)
05/04/2009
It was probably the bentonite clay--that can cause constipation really easily.
(Anonymous, USA)
02/13/2010
Psyllium Side Effects
(Anonymous, USA)
02/13/2010
i have had asthma since i was a kid and use psyllium regularly. i have NEVER had this reaction to psyllium.
(Ny, US)
03/30/2015
I had same problem. I discovered it's not the psylium. It's additives in psylium. I switched to organic psylium and solved the problem
(US)
07/04/2015
Unless you're allergic (which is unlikely) that was in no way caused by the psyllium.
April w/asthma, not sure what the reaction was from, I'say it was more likely related to the asthma, and or toxic release which triggered the reaction as well, and a possible herxheimer reaction. The possibilities are almost endless, especially with our pre-existing conditions. I was glad to see plenty of replies on this reaction with positive comments for such a reliable helper of ours, that helps to move out the trash we collect inside our colons.
Psyllium Tips and Advice
★★★★★
-Start with small amounts, maybe ½ tsp or 2-3 capsules, increasing to 1 heaping tsp (equal to about 10 capsules -- just use the powder if you need this much)
- Important: instructions call for 8 oz of water per heaping tsp. Drink at least double this amount. I drink triple this amount. I mix the heaping tsp of psyllium in 16 oz water and drink quickly. Then I pour another 6-8 oz water & drink that as well, for a total of 20-24 oz. (a tall glass and a half). If I don't drink this amount, I get dehydrated. I dehydrate easily -- my mouth & eyes get dry and, especially in the morning, my kidneys ache. A tall glass of water or two will resolve this quickly. I also drink room temperature water. I can't imagine drinking that much cold water unless I was really hot. It's ok to warm the water, but I prefer room temp.
- I prefer to take my heaping tsp in 20-24 oz water about an hour or two after dinner. I do get a bit bloated, so I'd rather be bloated overnight. I have time before bed to urinate a couple of times, so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night. For me, a perfectly flat stomach equals constipation ;-) The bloating goes away with a good bowel movement in the morning.
- I usually drink 16-32 oz of water on an empty stomach when I first get up. This will send me straight to the bathroom. Often, I eliminate within 15-30 minutes of getting up without the water, but I know I need to rehydrate in the morning anyway, so this is a good habit. Water on an empty stomach can cause contractions in the intestinal tract, which helps elimination. I also keep seltzer water, as that also causes intestinal spasm and can be helpful. But first you need soft, bulky stools (think psyllium husk), not hard, small stools. Once this problem is solved, water first thing in the morning or seltzer water will help the stools move through the intestinal tract, if this is an issue.
- My mother has occasional constipation and 1 heaping tsp psyllium in 16 oz water clears it up for her.
- My husband has IBS, where rich, fatty foods cause cramping and diarrhea shortly after eating. Taking 2-3 psyllium capsules with 8 oz or more water before eating will prevent the severe intestinal spasms that cause the cramping & diarrhea. So psyllium helps with IBS-constipation (lazy colon) & IBS-diarrhea (spastic colon).
- Any efforts to detox (I've tried many remedies from EarthClinic) will be aided by psyllium husk. There's nothing worse than drawing toxins out & then not being able to eliminate them. Psyllium husk will shorten, lighten, or eliminate detox/'herx' effects. I sometimes increase psyllium to 2 or more tsp/day. Take a half tsp here and there throughout the day and then a normal dose at night (if you have room -- Pay attention & you'll learn to detect when you've taken enough -- you'll be a little bloated at bedtime.... the bloating will be gone in the morning with a good, easy bowel movement.
-I also take psyllium husk on an empty stomach in the morning, if needed. It will cause a little bloating but, if I'm constipated, it's worth it. Also, a good idea if I'm using additional detox remedies. Again, detox without good elimination is self-defeating. You'll only reabsorb the toxins &/or feel terrible. Stop detox efforts until you are eliminating well and then restart slowly.
- I buy a vitamin store's brand of psyllium husk. It's pure, with no other ingredients.
- My mother prefers to mix psyllium & water in a jar. Shake it well. Then pour & drink quickly. Follow with more plain water to get to 16-24 oz.
- It appears that most problems with psyllium occur from taking too much too soon (excessive gas, bloating) and from not drinking enough water (dehydration -- could cause bad breath & other ill effects). I can think of no other way psyllium could cause bad breath. If anything, it helps eliminate old food from hanging around and causing bad breath (for me, next-day bad breath from garlic, etc. is no longer a problem).
- Eliminates hemorrhoids. Eliminates/helps acid reflux. - for me, at least.
- Lowers bad cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar levels. If my blood sugar dips before dinner, I'll take a little psyllium and I'm fine. It helps me keep my weight stable, but I'm not trying to lose weight.
- Not habit forming, but rather helps tone the intestinal tract. I need less psyllium now than I used to.
- Acts as a prebiotic. I've never had trouble with washing away all my good bacteria, but rather I feel my intestinal tract is healthier than ever. I do eat raw veggies everyday, which also helps good bacteria flourish.
Hope this helps someone!
(Manila, Philippines)
01/07/2008
★★★★★
After 25 yrs of religiously following an exercise/diet regimen (30min brisk walk 4x/wk, fruits ONLY dinners) my cholesterol/sugar/weight breached normal levels. Psyllium corrected all these. Have been taking 5grams of it everyday since 2004 and have since become a "psyllium-phile". Following are my 2cents:
The 8 glasses of water/day rule is passe. The heavier you are, the more water you need. Follow instead: weight (in kilos)/24= liters of water/day. On days you perspire a lot (ie exercise day), use 20 as your divisor. I don't recommend psyllium for people who don't drink enough water.
W/ regards to dependency, we need 25-30 grams of fiber/day. I've yet to see any cereal more fibrous than psyllium. I stopped eating oatmeal, so I lowered my uric acid too.
You can avoid bloating by taking psyllium FIRST thing in the morning AT LEAST 30 MIN before your first meal. I also find eating fruits IMMEDIATELY AFTER psyllium bloats you.
Psyllium Tips and Advice
★★★★★
Psyllium Tips and Advice
★★★★★
Weight Loss
| 5 star (2) | 50% | |
| 3 star (1) | 25% | |
| (1) |
25% |
★★★★★
Weight Loss
★★★☆☆
BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Weight Loss
(X)
08/30/2010
You should drink a lot of water WHILE taking it in. Dilute it.
