Metamucil capsule supplements recommended dosage

[Trishy74]

I picked up some Metamucil capsule supplements today. The bottle contains 160 capsules. It says for lowering blood sugar that 6 pills should be taken with each meal. So if that's the case and I have 3 meals (bagel with cream cheese for brekkie), I would finish the bottle in 9 days. Just wondering how often atomic recommends us taking the supplement. These pills are pricey for something that would only last 9 days! Lol. I prob should have started these a long time ago bc I do have irregularity bc I never eat fiber. I'm just worried if I take so many per day that I will be in the bathroom often! Not to give tmi but right now I do a BM like every 2 or 3 days. I can't imagine how thin I'd be if it was more regular! Lol. So if someone can let me know how many I should take per day, that would be helpful. Thanks!

[maidentomother]

You do have to take a ridiculous number of capsules to get a strong effect, which is why I think fiber capsules are rather pointless and overpriced. I have been fiber-focused for several years and have tried probably every fiber supplement or high fiber food in existence. In your case I would return the supplement or if you've opened already, start with 2 capsules per meal and increase after a few days if you need to.

Due to a medication I'm on and the fact that I semi-fast on alternate days I have been chronically constipated for years, and reducing my previously high fat diet to the LE diet has made my constipation worse. However, it has nothing to do with thinness/fatness IME as my weight has ranged from 100-115 lbs @ 5'5" both while suffering severe constipation as well as when I was very regular and never had BM problems. Actually when I was 90lbs for a few months of strict fasting I was quite constipated.

I have found oat fiber/oat bran to be excellent, but developed an oat sensitivy so I can no longer eat oats. I turned to chia hulls, which unfortunately I can't find here in Germsny, and only one place I know of in the US carried them. Psyllium husks are my third choice. And inulin (a mildly sweet white powder that can be used as a sweetener) is fantastic and works best combined with one or more of the other types of fiber. I have found that mixing equal parts of inulin, oat bran/psyllium husks and chia hulls into plain yogurt once a day produces optimal results. Start with 2 tsp of each fiber type and increase by 1 tsp of each if you aren't having soft, regular BMs after 3 days.

Additionally, I avoid white/refined grains as significant amounts of these inevitably lead to pain for me. Every day I make sure to eat at least one apple (often 2-3), a serving of whole grains via rye bread or wheat cereal (oats are best if you can eat them), and a serving of leafy green veggies (salad, broccoli, kale, etc). I also try to alternate low-fiber foods like cheese and non-wholegrain pasta/bread, with high-fiber foods. So anytime I eat a serving of low fiber food, I follow it with a high fiber one. This makes such a difference! I hope this info helps, and you have my complete sympathy.

I don't know how much fiber is necessary for swaying purposes, though - is the more, the better (within reason)?

[Trishy74]

Thanks again for answering my question. I did already open the bottle. I really brought it for purposes of lowering glucose levels since I do have a sweet tooth. Although the benefits to make me regular would be helpful. My mom used benefiber. I almost purchased it but I figured taking pills would be better for me bc in not the type to drink lots of fluids. This is probably another reason I have issues with bowel movements. I'm not to the extreme but I just think its crazy to not go often when my hubby goes a few times a day. Sorry for tmi. I thought on girl diet we are trying to stay away from the healthy cereal? That's why I didn't consider that stuff. Oatmeal regulates me but I've been keeping away from it since its more a boy food. Thanks again for info. Hopefully atomic will chime in to let me know if I should really be taking so many pills with each meal.

Hope you feel better. Sounds like you have a really rough time with it. I try to eat peanut butter too bc its s good fat and I remember weight watchers used to tell me to have a spoonful of it if i didnt eat enough fat for BM reasons but since being on a lower calorie more carb diet for myself I've been trying to stay away from peanut butter.

Feel better!


You do have to take a ridiculous number of capsules to get a strong effect, which is why I think fiber capsules are rather pointless and overpriced. I have been fiber-focused for several years and have tried probably every fiber supplement or high fiber food in existence. In your case I would return the supplement or if you've opened already, start with 2 capsules per meal and increase after a few days if you need to.

Due to a medication I'm on and the fact that I semi-fast on alternate days I have been chronically constipated for years, and reducing my previously high fat diet to the LE diet has made my constipation worse. However, it has nothing to do with thinness/fatness IME as my weight has ranged from 100-115 lbs @ 5'5" both while suffering severe constipation as well as when I was very regular and never had BM problems. Actually when I was 90lbs for a few months of strict fasting I was quite constipated.

I have found oat fiber/oat bran to be excellent, but developed an oat sensitivy so I can no longer eat oats. I turned to chia hulls, which unfortunately I can't find here in Germsny, and only one place I know of in the US carried them. Psyllium husks are my third choice. And inulin (a mildly sweet white powder that can be used as a sweetener) is fantastic and works best combined with one or more of the other types of fiber. I have found that mixing equal parts of inulin, oat bran/psyllium husks and chia hulls into plain yogurt once a day produces optimal results. Start with 2 tsp of each fiber type and increase by 1 tsp of each if you aren't having soft, regular BMs after 3 days.

Additionally, I avoid white/refined grains as significant amounts of these inevitably lead to pain for me. Every day I make sure to eat at least one apple (often 2-3), a serving of whole grains via rye bread or wheat cereal (oats are best if you can eat them), and a serving of leafy green veggies (salad, broccoli, kale, etc). I also try to alternate low-fiber foods like cheese and non-wholegrain pasta/bread, with high-fiber foods. So anytime I eat a serving of low fiber food, I follow it with a high fiber one. This makes such a difference! I hope this info helps, and you have my complete sympathy.

I don't know how much fiber is necessary for swaying purposes, though - is the more, the better (within reason)?

[Trishy74]

Bumping in hopes Atomic will see and be able to give me a correct answer on how much supplements and how often it should be taken. 6 pills with each meal seems excessive to me (that would be 18 g of dietary fiber & 12 g of soluble fiber with EACH meal). Is this too much? Thank you.

[atomic sagebrush]

I think that you should start with a lower dose and see how it goes. you only need to take them with any meal containing fat or fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E) so dark/orange fruit and veg. If a meal is just white carbs, no need to take them.

[atomic sagebrush]

To clarify re whether fiber is necessary for swaying, YES it is. We had surprisingly good results with fiber for awhile there and while the number has come down a bit, it coincided with a run of opposites that were occuring for other reasons we have since corrected for. I strongly recommend including fiber supps and if those ones are too spendy, there are other types that may work better for you. How much we need to take I honestly don't know and it may vary by individual anyway, so it's best to start off taking the smallest amount and increasing from there because you can always hold steady at whatever point you experience any ill effects.

The jury is out on wholegrains and swaying pink. That is one thing I feel there is evidence pointing in both directions. I do use whole grains for any pink swayers with PCOS or insulin resistance already. High fiber fruit and veg are allowed on LE Diet and can be a good addition TO the fiber supps, but I do think the fiber supps are something that is pretty easy to include and does garner good benefits.

[atomic sagebrush]

Thanks again for answering my question. I did already open the bottle. I really brought it for purposes of lowering glucose levels since I do have a sweet tooth. Although the benefits to make me regular would be helpful. My mom used benefiber. I almost purchased it but I figured taking pills would be better for me bc in not the type to drink lots of fluids. This is probably another reason I have issues with bowel movements. I'm not to the extreme but I just think its crazy to not go often when my hubby goes a few times a day. Sorry for tmi. I thought on girl diet we are trying to stay away from the healthy cereal? That's why I didn't consider that stuff. Oatmeal regulates me but I've been keeping away from it since its more a boy food. Thanks again for info. Hopefully atomic will chime in to let me know if I should really be taking so many pills with each meal.

Hope you feel better. Sounds like you have a really rough time with it. I try to eat peanut butter too bc its s good fat and I remember weight watchers used to tell me to have a spoonful of it if i didnt eat enough fat for BM reasons but since being on a lower calorie more carb diet for myself I've been trying to stay away from peanut butter.

Feel better!

To clarify, the point of the fiber isn't glucose-related, it's because fiber can absorb fat and fat soluble nutrients from your digestive tract and sweep them out before they can be utilized by the body.

Oatmeal has a component in it called "avenocasides" that are pretty effective for raising T levels and thus is best avoided (even tho you'd have to eat rather a lot of the stuff!)

[atomic sagebrush]

Bumping in hopes Atomic will see and be able to give me a correct answer on how much supplements and how often it should be taken. 6 pills with each meal seems excessive to me (that would be 18 g of dietary fiber & 12 g of soluble fiber with EACH meal). Is this too much? Thank you.

Yes I think it's too much for you. Start with one and see how it goes, you may be fine or you may have a period of adjustment. I do want to stress that it's VERY important to be sure you are drinking adequate fluids when you start taking fiber, you can really mess yourself up taking massive amounts of fiber without enough fluid. You don't need to guzzle it by the gallon, but the 8-8 rule (8 glasses of 8 oz. of water per day) is def. a necessity when taking fiber. 8 oz. glasses are very small so this is possible for anyone to do.

[Trishy74]

Thank you for all the information. I greatly appreciate it. I'm the type who takes in about 16-24 oz of fluids a day so I'm def going to have to up my fluid intake. I notice when I drink more, I get lots of EWCM at ovulation.

So if it helps absorb some of the Vitamin D, do you think I should take the fiber when I take my Vitamin D3 2,000 units per night? I was taking it b/c my Vitamin D was severely deficient a year ago but had my numbers checked in October and I am in normal range now. I did drop down from 4,000 units to 2,000 units per day. I also feel it helps regulate my hormones that's why I continued it. I think that's the most I take in vitamin d per day b/c I use non dairy creamer, don't drink milk (yuck, hate it), barely eat yogurt (maybe one every 2 or 3 weeks). Other than that for breakfast I've been eating a 1/2 plain bagel with schmear of regular cream cheese and decaf coffee with coffeemate full fat French vanilla creamer. For lunch I either eat a salad slice of pizza or split a chicken salad sandwich with a friend (been sticking to the salad slice more these days than the chicken salad sandwich) (these are work days 3x per week). For dinner, I've been eating either plain pasta with grated parmesan cheese, lucky charms cereal with or without milk and if I use milk, it's a small amount b/c I can't stand the taste of milk, or a pop tart. Last night I was really bad b/c I went out shopping and ate raw chocolate chip cookie dough. I was craving raw cookie dough! Then I had a 1/2 slice of regular pizza. My diet has always been crappy! So I really don't see any vitamin D in my diet, really. I never eat fruits and veggies. Only time I eat something like that is my dark green leafy lettuce on my salad slice with diced tomato and pieces of carrot. The pizza crust is really thin. I assume I would use fiber with that salad slice b/c of the dark leafy greens.

Wow, I really never realized how poor my diet is where I get no vitamin D. No wonder why I had to take supps for it! LOL.

I will definitely try to take in a lot more water while taking fiber supps. I know these will help regulate me as well. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Appreciate it.

So you don't recommend whole grains for girl swayers, correct? Unless they suffer with PCOS or are insulin resistant? I've been trying to stick with white bread, white pasta or anything white. Def trying to stick to more carbs than proteins. Thank you and I appreciate all the time you take to answer my crazy questions.


Yes I think it's too much for you. Start with one and see how it goes, you may be fine or you may have a period of adjustment. I do want to stress that it's VERY important to be sure you are drinking adequate fluids when you start taking fiber, you can really mess yourself up taking massive amounts of fiber without enough fluid. You don't need to guzzle it by the gallon, but the 8-8 rule (8 glasses of 8 oz. of water per day) is def. a necessity when taking fiber. 8 oz. glasses are very small so this is possible for anyone to do.

[maidentomother]

Oh, I'm so sad to hear about oats raising T! A new topic for me to research...

I am also vitamin D deficient, though not too severely. US drs recommend much higher doses of vitamin D than drs over here do.Trishy, how long were you taking 4000 units for before your levels normalized? Do you get much sun ever? I've been reading very conflicting recommendations about what vit D dose is optimal.

Since I've been stricter with my morning fiber I've been feeling okay. I probably need surgery but I'm scared. :(

[Trishy74]

Hmm, I was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency in October 2012. I think my number was like a 12 when 30 and above is normal. I immediately started taking 4,000 units of Vit D3 and got checked again in January 2013. In January 2013, my levels were up to normal by then. However, my doctor had told me to just continue taking 4,000 units. So I did and the last time I had my levels checked were about 2 months ago in October. My number was a 40. However, when I first found Gender Dreaming, I got scared to keep taking it b/c of it swaying boy so I had taken it every other day and then stopped it for about 3 weeks. However, I noticed my period/ovulation was weird so I went back to taking 2,000 units per day and that's what I've been doing now. I never really get out in the sun much at all. I live in NY and it's freezing here right now and I'm not a fan of cold weather. Even in the summer the heat can be too hot so most of the time I'm indoors with the central air on. I also work 3 days per week so most of the time I'm in an office for 9 hours a day. But to answer your question, my numbers came up dramatically from the vitamin D3, 4000 units per day after 2 or 3 months of taking it. I hope that helps answer your question.

I'm sorry to hear you may need surgery one day. That sounds serious! I don't think what I have is that extreme with being irregular. I really hope you feel better and hope that you will not need surgery. That stinks!


Oh, I'm so sad to hear about oats raising T! A new topic for me to research...

I am also vitamin D deficient, though not too severely. US drs recommend much higher doses of vitamin D than drs over here do.Trishy, how long were you taking 4000 units for before your levels normalized? Do you get much sun ever? I've been reading very conflicting recommendations about what vit D dose is optimal.

Since I've been stricter with my morning fiber I've been feeling okay. I probably need surgery but I'm scared. :(

[maidentomother]

Thanks, I appreciate hearing your details! I'm glad your level improved so quickly. Hopefully mine will be normal by now since I was only a bit under normal and it's been 2 months on supplemental vit D.

I would be surprised if your ovulation changes were due to just a couple weeks of not taking your vitamin D, but I know it's bad to be deficient and better to err on the side of too much. I have to take iron, too as I'm always a bit anemic when I don't eat red meat regularly. Personally I believe it's best to get nutrients from food if possible, so I'm hoping that helps my sway.

I'm not 100% sure I need surgery, and I don't think it's absolutely necessary... I just know that I have exhausted less invasive treatments unsuccessfully. But it might be nice to have the 'roid gone one day. If I'm ever brave enough!

[atomic sagebrush]

If you are deficient in Vitamin D, then you shoudl NOT take the fiber at the same time!!! You need the Vit. D for your health and wellbeing. Fiber absorbs the Vit. D not into YOU but into itself and then takes the D with it on the exit voyage so to speak.

Most of the vit. D you get is not from diet, it's from sunlight. That is where you're supposed to get the majority of your Vit. D - dairy did have Vit. D even before fortification but only at certain times of year when the cows were eating fresh grass. Now all milk is fortified with it.

I just honestly do not know on the whole grains. I see both sides of how it could sway, final analysis is that since white, empty carbs burn off so quickly, they're ~probably~ better for pink for people without PCOS/IR but I'm NOT 100% on that so if you want some whole grains, I don't think it's a swaykiller by any means.

[atomic sagebrush]

Sorry missed this first time thru, I agree it's unlikely that unusual cycles are down to taking less Vit. D for a couple of weeks. Also everyone do be aware that it can be harmful to take too much Vit. D if you do not need it. Vit. D is a fat soluble vitamin meaning it is stored by your body, and it is possible to take too much of it and it will add up cumulatively. Only people who have diagnosed Vit. D deficiencies should take more than 1000 IU or so.

[Trishy74]

Thanks atomic. Honestly my vitamin d levels are within normal range for a year now. Not sure why my dr wanted to keep me on so much vitamin d. It's strange bc in April I woke with really really bad vertigo. I was tested and test cane back that a crystal in my inner ear popped out. Dealt with this horrid vertigo from April to about September. Then stopped vitamin d for couple weeks and the vertigo got less and less! Then i started the vitamin d back up again bc my period and ovulation times were changing with length of time that month and got worried it was due to me stopping the vitamin d. so i put myself back on 2000 units every day instead of 4000 units that i was on back in october 2012 when i was deficient but my latest blood test revealed im a normal number now so not sure why my dr would tell me to keep taking so much. i noticed when i started it again the vertigo came back a bit but its gone now. so strange! I always wondered if being on such a high dose of vitamin d with normal vitamin d levels was what had caused such bad vertigo with major spinning and dizziness.

Thanks for the info atomic. Appreciate it.



Sorry missed this first time thru, I agree it's unlikely that unusual cycles are down to taking less Vit. D for a couple of weeks. Also everyone do be aware that it can be harmful to take too much Vit. D if you do not need it. Vit. D is a fat soluble vitamin meaning it is stored by your body, and it is possible to take too much of it and it will add up cumulatively. Only people who have diagnosed Vit. D deficiencies should take more than 1000 IU or so.