Hey all! I hope everyone is making good progress!
My fissure is pretty much entirely healed these days. I have a skin tag formed by scar tissue according to my GP/family doctor. I've not seen blood on the tissue for a long time. I owe my successes entirely to Psyllium husk, to the tune of about 15g per day. I eat a diet rich in wholegrains and cereals, but this is never enough for a guaranteed healing schedule.
As I previously reported to you guys, especially the US folk, Metamucil reacts negatively with me. The closest US product I have found (under the advice of Lecia :)) is Konsyl. The UK's most popular psyllium product, Fybogel, has 3.5g of psyllium husk per dose, and contains a mere 4 calories too. Yet, even the sugar free Metamucil has some 20-30 calories per dose, which I find really strange. Anyways, Konsyl looks good, at a staggering 6g per dose, I need only take 2.5 per day to do its job, and it contains about 3 calories per dose, which is incredible. Taste, texture and all that are completely secondary to the efficacy of the product. I'd eat sawdust if it was to work great.
I am moving to western NY state from the UK in a few weeks and I need the continuity of a locally available product to switch to in order to continue the good results. While my fissure is pretty much healed, I don't want to be complacent and risk opening it up again. Has anyone around here tried Konsyl and found it worked good? Metamucil was just awful for me.
Thanks good people. Again, I hope everyone is well :) :)
-Brendan

Brendan,
I forgot what area you will be studying at SONY (I think that is where you are going, right?). You seem so intelligent!! I use metamucil one teaspoon a day, so cannot help you with your inquiry. Keep in touch while you are in the US and let us know how your studies go. I am glad that you are doing so well. You did the photograph and the experiment, right??
Cheryl

Cheryl,
I will be at SUNY Buffalo and its a Ph.D lasting about 4 years. I will certainly keep in touch.
I did the experiment to see the viscosity and gel forming differences between Metamucil and Fybogel. I am lead to believe that Konsyl is equivalent to Fybogel, but only time will tell. I'm off to Walgreens on day one to get some and give it a try.
I'm spending my last christmas with my family here in the UK over December, then flying out and settling down to some hard work and Buffalo snow!
:D
-Brendan

Brendan,
What will be your area of study at SUNY? Could you try benefibre? I have been using that. It is not psyllium.
Cheryl

My area of study is Electronic Engineering.
I've tried benefibre before actually, to little avail. I found it very ineffective. Psyllium has always worked great for me if the additives are not present. Metamucil is jam-packed with additives unfortunately.
I think Konsyl will be the product for me, but there's an uncertainty factor. I think that it will allow me to stay fissure free for a while.
When I take Fybogel, the BM's I get can only be described as optimal on the Bristol stool scale. I can sometimes feel the wave-like peristalsis occuring as the stool is moved through the large intestine. I can't sing its praises enough!
-Brendan

Nice to hear things are going well Brendon :D
Goodluck with everything

I have success with Konsyl though I don't use it anymore. I just get so much fiber in my diet (40-50 grams) that I don't need it so much. But it did work very well when I was on it and my husband takes it almost every day and he swears by it. So I would go ahead and transition over to that since it is available here.
Good luck with your studies!

Brandon,
Maybe I will look into Konsyl myself. I assume it is psyllium-based?? Good luck with your studies. You sound like a very smart cookie! Do you plan to stay in the US and work after you get your PhD?
Cheryl

Yeah Konsyl is psyllium with less additives than Metamucil and more psyllium per dose than Metamucil...6g vs 3.4g.
In regard to work in the USA, we'll see what prospects there are in 4 years time and whether I qualify or not. If I can positively contribute to the US economy with my expertise at a later date then I will be very happy to do so should the opportunity present itself. I previously lived in the USA for 12 months before and had a great time and became very comfortable, although life in the USA is very, very different from life in Great Britain. But my mind is very open and I have found US folk to be very hospitable, welcoming and in general know how to have a GREAT time :D.
I look forward to the future!! :D

Brandon,
My metamucil jar lists only sucrose and psyllium husk as ingredients. I take it you don't like the sucrose?? I initailly tried the Walgreen's brand which is less expensive. The Walgreen's brand (Wal-Mucil) contains sucrose, citric acid, natural and artificial organ flavors, FD&C Yellow #6, and psyllium. That is why I switched to Metamucil--because of all of those extra ingredients. You will no doubt have so many job opprortunities with a PhD in electronic engineering and hopefully, the job market will be better by that time. Where did you go to school in the USA previously? Best of luck to you!!
Cheryl