I have a few questions for anyone who uses Citrucel for regularity.
1) How long after you started taking it did you notice it made a difference?
2) Do you believe it's safe to take daily, long-term?
3) How much do you take each day?
4) Side effects?
Laxative products, including CITRUCEL shouldn't be used for longer than one week unless you're directed to do so by your physician. If you encounter a situation in which you find that you need a product like CITRUCEL for a longer period of time, I would recommend that you contact your doctor for advice on the possible causes of the situation and courses of action. Gas is always a problem with fiber supplements but become less after your body adjusts.
Fiber therapy is not a laxative and it is not habit forming but every body needs fiber for their intestines to work properly.
Citrucel is a semisynthetic soluble fiber (methylcellulose) that does not act like a natural fiber because it does not undergo bacterial fermention and breakdown during digestion. This results is fewer gas problems than the natrual fibers llike psyllium, and benefiber, etc. There are no side-effects except it cost more than the natrual soluble fibers but about the same as Metamucil.
I use the Equate brand from Wal Mart at less than half the cost.
Follow the directions -- making sure you drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Especially the amout required when taking a dose of any soluble fiber!
Fiber therapy is completely safe to use daily -- I have been using psyllium 2 to 3 times daily for 23 years -- it is not a laxative.
To have normal BMs it is difficult for a person to intake 25 to 35 grams of fiber with a regular diet daily -- so taking a fiber supplement like Citrucel is a good fiber supplement.
A person needs a combination of both insoluble as well as soluble fiber.
Isoluble causes your intestinal muscles to contract moving digested food through your intestines.
Soluble fiber absorbs fluids and makes your stool bulky.
Insoluble fiber is all fruits and all veggies incluging greens. Also nuts &seeds and the outer part of grains called bran that is included in many cereals. And, the outer part of beans and peas. Green beans are totally insoluble.
Soluble fiber is the inner part of grains like rice, corn, wheat, barley and oats. Also, the insde part of beans and peas. The root veggie are soluble --like potatos, carrots, beets and turnips. And, of course the fiber supplements like Metamucil (psyllium), Citrucel, Benefiber and Fiber Choice that contains Inulin (chicory root). And it is added to many process foods for fiber.
FiberCon is calcium polycarbonate and is an insoluble fiber. It is also available as Mitrolan and Equalactin. They do not absorb fluids.
There is NO fiber in all meats, seafoods and all dairy products.
To make me regular I need 7 to 9 grams of soluble fiber supplement daily and it may take a week or so to make your stool regular -- tubular and about the size of a quarter in diameter.
Increase the dose so you don't strain during a BM.
Harry, I defer to you....I just found my comments on the Citrucel website. You are the expert on fiber and I certainly trust your advice....keep it coming.
Thank you. I have learned alot since being here so long.
Citrucel and other bulk forming agents are laxatives in the true sense of the word since they do promote BMs by increasing the water and bulk content of the stool but are the only ones that can be taken safely on a daily basis.
Another example is Bran (both in foods and in supplement form).
They just don't fall in the same catagory as Osmotic and Stimulating Laxatives.
Hello, I agree with Harry 100%. I have been using Cirtucel for almost 2 years and it has changed my life! I don't know how I could live without it.
I have had problems for years with IBS and due to that I ended up with fissures and roids..... I did end up having surgery for the fissures (LIS) and roid...banding.
But my colon rectal surgeon told me when I got the fissures to start taking Citrucel. And it has helped so much! And has even helped with the IBS because Citrucel is bulk forming I don't have a problem with diarrhea either nor----is it hard for me to go anymore.
I was worried that the citrucil would work like a lax. It doesn't Your on your regular schedule and nothing more. I started taking 4 tabs in the morning and 2 about 5pm and the next morning I was on schedule.
I did end up increasing the dose...I now take 4tabs in the am and 5 tabs in the pm
and that works for me. I could never live without it! But be sure get only the name brand Citrucel. The off brand name did not work as well.
Re: Citrucel. How long to work, is it safe, etc. 
