Psyllium Benefits, Dosage & Safety: A Comprehensive Guide

About Halitosis caused by psyllium husk--It is not true that psyllium causes halitosis. In fact, it should have the reverse effect. If you notice, even your stool will start to become almost odor free when you take psyllium regularly. What likely could have happened is that the sufferer could have ingested a contaminted psyllium. These can be contaminated more often with yeasts and molds if left in a container or place where moisture can penetrate. These could also probably the source of the candida in the stomach. So, be careful when buying psyllium which are stored in open container or shelves. Best to buy those tightly packed.

We came back from a spa in Thailand a few weeks ago. My husband & I were fasting for 7 days. We were taking detox drinks 5 times a day (Psyllium, Bentonite clay, lemon juice)& 5 times herbal supplements and intestinal cleansers. We were also allowed 2 cups of vegetable broth, 2 coconut waters and carrot juice or herbal tea. Our programme also included 2 colemas daily. During this period, we were feeling fine, no hunger pangs, no tiredness. I lost 9 pounds & my husband 10. We now fast for 1 or 2 days a week & instead of colemas drink a senna tea before bedtime.

I have tried and am still using this for constipation and bloating. This only cost me $6 for 1 lb. and it has been a miracle for me. I had tried Colonix for colon cleansing and it was a very dramatic experience for me. I believe it was more or less a laxative with additives to get you addicted and it gave you close to diarreah. I felt like had to go to the bathroom all of the time. So I had developed even more anxiety which lead to IBS I believe. Anyways- It has been a few months and I tried this cheap natural remedy and it works! I've been using it a little more than a week and I've seen greater results than Colonix had ever promised. I just followed the recipe on this site which had led me to the road of happiness. Thanks!

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

I used Psyllium Husk for chronic diarrhea. It would occur almost every time I ate something. After taking Psyllium Husk the diarrhea was gone in two or three days. I did not keep taking the Psyllium Husk because I figured if my symptoms were gone, I do not need to take it until the next time.

A question that I have is when you take Psyllium Husk, how long does it stay in your body?

I have used psyillium capsules many times to treat mild to fairly severe diarreah. 2 capsules every 2 hrs seems to work great.

Way to go!!

I've been taking the pysllium husk for three days now and I have been taking 12 grams measured on a digital scale twice daily. Maybe I feel bloated, but that's nothing new. In fact, I don't feel AS bloated as I would without it, I think. Recently, I feel like I might be developing IBS because of my poor low-fiber diet. I've basically been eating fast food only for about 7 years straight. I'm happy I found out about this fiber supplement! Just 3 days and I'm already feeling solid!

For the first time yesterday I tried Psyllium capsules. I was worried when I saw the warning on the pack about possible choking if not using with enough water, so I opened the two capsules and sprinkled them on porridge. It was fine taste wise but for the rest of the day I felt so bloated and full. It was quite uncomfortable. Does this mean I have some problem taking them or is it normal? I do drink plenty of water throughout the day, at least 2.5 litres.

You should drink a lot of water WHILE taking it in. Dilute it.

After a colonoscopy last month I was suffering from constipation for the first time in my life, so I started taking psyllium (bought in bulk from a natural foods store). At first I had a lot of gas and some abdominal discomfort, because I was taking too much . I found out that it is better to start slow--about a teaspoonful in 8oz of water, gradually building up to 1-2 tablespoons. I have been taking this amount daily for the past month and am noticing a significant decrease in waist size and LOSS OF ABDOMINAL CELLULITE.I am thrilled!

NB: For the past year I have also followed a low fat diet, mostly plant based, no processed foods. I also do 30-45 minutes of cardio (swimming or running) 5-6 days per week. But still couldn't completely shed a pot belly and cellulite. Then I started taking psyllium. WOW. At the age of 54 I figured I was stuck with the dreaded "spare tire" around the middle. Not so! I am not sure if the effect would be so dramatic if I were not exercising and eating such a healthy diet...

Also there is some impressive scientific research, very reputable, indicating that psyllium can lower high blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and high cholesterol. It contributes to improved cardiac health by reducing atherosclerosis. Psyllium has been used for centuries in Indian and Chinese medicine to fight gout and inflammation. Wonderful stuff!

Another cause of bad breath is food, especially meat, stuck between the teeth and starting to rot. It literally smells like dead dogs or something. The remedy is to use floss. Perhaps it's possible that the young man's halitosis was caused by this and not by the psyllium husks? The hydrogen peroxide mouthwash quite possibly killed off the bacteria growing between his teeth. Just a thought ...

Instead of a peroxide rinse, use aluminum free baking soda instead. It is a candida blaster - better than peroxide. Brush the teeth and rinse and gargle, it will do the trick and will not make affect mouth sensitivity.

i have had asthma since i was a kid and use psyllium regularly. i have NEVER had this reaction to psyllium.

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.

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!!

I am writing to alert all to something I experienced twice now from a Women's cleanse containing Psyllium. At first I thought I just came down with a headcold or flu, but after it happened twice to me and reading about potential allergies, I am convinced it had to do with the psyllium.

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.

I digested Psyllium and Bentonite clay for a colon cleanse. This was to ruin my whole life and caused immediate gastritis and triggered rosacea/rhinophyma. The onset of symptoms was abrupt, immediate and extremely severe. I now have blepharitis and meibominaitis as a result. I was very stupid and digesting this product has ruined my whole life. DO NOT TAKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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!

WARNING!

Please check into the long term effects of using psyllium on a regular basis. It's addictive in that the more you use it, the more you'll be dependant on it. Psyllium causes the colon muscles to relax and actually does the work for them - they begin to weaken & possibly atrophe (as do all muscles that aren't used). It's possible/probably that if you take psyllium long enough, you'll end up taking it the rest of your life.

I have used physillium for quite a few years. I take it with apple juice, and benonite clay (to remove toxins, as a milkshake). I make sure to put senna into it as a laxative to prevent constipation. I use 1/2 tsp senna, 8 oz. apple juice, 1 tbsp pysillium husk, and 1 tbsp of benonite. But you need to experiment with how much senna to use.

Hi, here is a warning about psyllium husks....I wanted to do a colon cleanse so I started taking psyllium husks mixed with bentonite clay liquid in a 8 oz. glass of water. After a day or so I began to feel very bloated and was not having regular bowel movements. I was shocked because this info had come highly recommended and I was expecting the opposite effect. I always drink atleast 64 oz. of water a day or more so I know that I was consuming enough water. I had to stop taking it because it was making me very constipated. Even before trying to cleanse my colon I had atleast one BM a day. Now I was having one every two days. I eventually went to a alternative therapist to have a colonic done. She explained to me that psyllium husks suck up all your fluids and can dehydrate you immensely. She only tells people who are having diahhrea to use this. During the colonic she said that my feces were very compacted and there was a lot of thick gel that was being flushed from my colon. She explained that was the psyllium husk. This seems to work for a lot of people but it you are having issues with constipation after taking this product...stop. You would have to almost double your water intake for it not to give you constipation. Hope this helps.

i've used psyllium and bentonite combo many times, never had this reaction. i always drink a lot of water. if you are combining bentonite with psyllium it is IMPERATIVE that you drink more water.

psyllium is an excellent source of fibre. it definitely helps me go to the bathroom when the plumbing isn't doing its job, haha. i put it in a variety of things including hot cereal (red river, old fashion oatmeal, cream of wheat) with a touch of honey to sweeten; i have added a tbsp or so to a glass of orange juice too (it almost looks like very pulpy OJ). give it a shot, trust me... it works.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

My boyfriend started using pysllium a few weeks ago to cleanse his intestinal tract. He felt great, but my God! his breath became so foul!! After a few days of being polite, I finally figured that I needed to say something and help him find a cure. I figured it had to have been caused by a change in his intestinal flora from the pysillium. The change must have caused severe candida overgrowth. His tongue was coated in white -- a sure sign. I had him take a few capsules of ParaGone (as it was what was leftover in my medicine cabinet.) to start to kill off the candida. That seemed to help, but didn't completely stop the halitosis. The next day I had him soak his mouth in hydrogen peroxide for about 3 minutes. Once it foamed up, I had him to it again. Well, that was the cure! No more bad breath! The peroxide did make his tongue sensitive for a few days, so I would suggest to anyone trying this that they dilute the peroxide in water. I think that bad breath is often a sign of candida or yeast overgrowth so killing it in the mouth with peroxide AND taking some kind of candida cleanse is the answer. One more note: I read on the internet that it can take up to 3 weeks to cure bad breath. Well, this took a few minutes with the peroxide. Don't believe what you read! Hope this helps some of your readers. Thanks.