Meta Mucil with c diff?

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fogey0
Posts: 15
Joined: 2018-07-20 07:30:00

Meta Mucil with c diff?

Post by fogey0 »

Is it ok to use this?
sassie
Posts: 164
Joined: 2018-10-19 19:22:16

Re: Meta Mucil with c diff?

Post by sassie »

Metamucil can cause diarrhea sometimes if you have infection.
Button
Posts: 3616
Joined: 2017-10-10 22:14:15

Re: Meta Mucil with c diff?

Post by Button »

Fogey:
Use of Metamucil will help lessen the excessive liquidity and overall volume of C-Diff diarrhea.

C-Diff is nuclear-grade diarrhea. High volume diarrhea. Explosive. Highly liquid in consistency.

However, with C-Diff you do not want to encourage retention of stool/fecal matter. So use of Metamucil must be balanced to leverage its positive effects (decrease high volume liquid diarrhea) while minimizing its potential negative effect (bulking up stool which may slow transit to be too slow).

Treatment with antibiotics and encouraging hydration is done so with the intent of “flushing” the bacteria out and through the digestive tract.

Can you use Metamucil with C-Diff?

Answer: Yes. But I encourage you to discuss with your infectious disease MD first. Factors to consider would be how you are responding to antibiotics and how long you have been dealing with C-Diff. You want to find the “sweet spot” where you find a a daily dose of Metamucil that soaks up the high water/liquidity content of the fecal matter but without slowing motility too much where the errant bacteria are retained in the colon and not effectively flushed through.

I am sorry that you are having to deal with C-Diff. It is a horrible and all consuming form of diarrhea. Emotionally and physically draining. I hope your medical team has you on your way to relief soon.
Karen
Intestine perforation, sepsis, ileostomy, 2012
Addison’s disease + endocrine failure
Palliative Care
Button
Posts: 3616
Joined: 2017-10-10 22:14:15

Re: Meta Mucil with c diff?

Post by Button »

Fogey:
If you are using Metamucil as a thicken agent you may find an uncomfortable presence of intestinal gas. Metamucil contains physslium which yields an unyielding amount of gas when digested.

That is, Metamucil may add to your C-Diff discomforts.

There is an alternative: Citracel.

Citracel is similar in to Metamucil in its intended end-effect (binding and thickening agent). But Citradel will NOT have associated gaseous effects. Citracel will be a preferred choice.

Citracel is not as easily located at local retail pharmacies as is Metamucil. I do not know why the limited stocking and availability. Know that Citracel is available on Amazon if you are unable to find it locally where you live.
Karen
Intestine perforation, sepsis, ileostomy, 2012
Addison’s disease + endocrine failure
Palliative Care
Jono
Posts: 26
Joined: 2019-01-27 03:51:41

Re: Meta Mucil with c diff?

Post by Jono »

We commonly use psyllium 34 gm, 2x daily on severely ill patients with c-diff in order to thicken things up enough to facilitate rectal tube removal and not laying in poop constantly.

Both Metamucil (psyllium) and Citrucel (methylcellulose) are soluble fiber sources.

Citrucel actually becomes thicker as it cools down, which makes it easier to take in a warm beverage. It has no intrinsic intestinal stimulant effect.

Metamucil is also soluble fiber, but it gums up much quicker overall and as it gets warm. It has the advantage of being a mild colonic stimulant, and will essentially never impact.

Both psyllium and methylcellulose list gas as the chief side effect.

Personally never had the issue with Metamucil,(and I’ve been on the stuff since the first time I operated on a guy with diverticulitis, 25+years except for the past 18 mos or so...) and, while I was in the hospital working toward earning my stoma, (with a “contained” abscess) I got c-diff, and took it to good effect (actually cleared the c-diff, and didn’t go seriously south with an uncontained perf for another 6 weeks...)
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