the best thing you can do brendan is to learn about what types of fiber are good for you (insoluable vs soluable), then based on that, identifying natural foods that can be eaten raw or with minimal processing (nonprocessed the best) while cooking that are easily available to you so that you can get your fiber via healthy foods rather than in an OTC medication.
there would really be no need to take fybogel or any OTC medication if you could identify and easily eat those foods in their natural state every day - which is way better for you.
the sooner you can adapt to this little concept of getting your fiber via foods rather than OTC meds the better.

This is definitely the approach that I wish to take. I'm a small guy and I eat about 2000 calories at a push in a day, and as such to ensure I get the adequate amount of fiber I should be having requires some real effort.
I eat alot of wholewheat pasta, brown breads, I've increased my fruit intake substantially and I'm working towards the prize. I was hoping that these such OTC methods would be able to give me that boost I needed and a subsequent predictability and regularity that I so desire. Contrary to this, Fybogel and its cousins have really contributed nothing positive to my cause.
All bran worked well for a while, but when I had the small stray from the path of the righteous then it started to actually have a negative impact on my BM's, in that they were still sluggish in nature and due to their bulky nature combined with the rigidness spelled a recipe for disaster on the fissure-front.
But its becoming quite clear that even having a small 'break' if you will from a strict regimen can really have a negative impact. It's definitely clear to me that the changes must be holistic and to the lifestyle as the fixes are not quick and ready.
Bleh...
-Brendan

Hello again,
As far as All Bran Buds tasting better-I would say no. But I believe it has more fiber like 13 grams per 1/3 cup. I have a whole cup a day so that is 39 grams right there of fiber. I would make sure you are getting some healthy oils to help move things out like flax seed oil or fish oil. I put flax seed oil on my stir fry veggies.

I have to eat pretty much the same things every day so I don't get any surprises in the bathroom. It isn't an exact science because so much can affect out bowels that we can't control, but just do your best. It is hard not becoming a slave to the beast but it seems to be the best way to subdue it.

Lecia,
I hope that you have been feeling better and have found some resolution to your probs. I may be going for a test to Mayos that I listed in my post about Ensure or Boost. Probably no one here has tried those two products. That avatar pic is of me in front of the Greenbrier in West Virginia in 2005.
Cheryl

Welcome Brendan,
:hi:
Glad you found this site, it is great to be able to communicate with others who suffer with this nasty butt problem.
A bran cereal that I really like is Fiber One, caramel delight. It doesn't taste like shredded shoe! I usually munch on it for a snack alone, but I do like it mixed in with some vanilla yogurt. I especially like the yogurt that has added fiber also. The Fiber One cereal has 9 total grams of Fiber, 3 soluble. Not as much fiber as others, but I like it so I eat it!
Wow, you are taking a lot of Fybogel (Metamucil, psyllium husk). I only get one - two servings in a day, and I feel like I did good on days I get two servings in.

Thanks again for all the welcomes.
As for the Fybogel, the most I took was 3.5g x 4 in a day under the advice of my GP. I drank nearly 3 liters of water in total that day and I just got bunged up, badly and I had the most orange bowel movement some 3 days later. Bad move. I ceased the Fybogel within the last 2 weeks and I feel that the equilibrium has been restored and that combined with the docusate, well, I've had 2 BM's in 2 days and hoping for a 3rd today!
I look forward in contributing my share of experiences amongst the group!

Well after not using any psyllium since January i have been experimenting this week with psyllium and movicol :stirthepot:
I didnt have any probs using psyllium in the past for my IBS but my tummy just isnt liking it this time round, i have that bunged up feeling too
so im off it, back to the safe side i go !
I am glad the docusate is helping :)

I'm sure that if the timing worked out correct then a modest dose of Fybogel wouldn't do me any harm, but its a risk I'm not willing to take.
Given that All-bran is so very, very fiber rich I have decided to have a modest 1/3 of a cup, or 33g of the stuff in the day time; not enough to constitute a whole breakfast and not enough to be a torment to eat either and with a very respectable 9g additional fiber it seems a good natural way to top up the dose.
I doubt I eat more than 30g of fiber in a day. Heinz Baked beans are my absolute favourite and I will polish off a whole can of those which is a sizable 16g of fiber. But I think I hit a modest 23-25g every day.
But actually (this message is time synchronous) I've found the cumulative figure for my fiber intake today and its pretty generous!
2 servings of Bran-Flakes - 8g
4 pieces of wholemeal bread - 4x2.6 = 10.4g
100g of wholewheat pasta - 10g
1/3 cup of all-bran snack - 9g
2 small granny smith applies - 2x3g = 6g
Total: 43.4g
I'm actually quite surprised at this figure. What typical values do you guys eat on a daily basis for your fiber (not making the distinction at this stage between soluble and insoluble).
-Brendan

But the point should be, to get enough fiber, not too much. Too much fiber and you get bulky stools which may stretch things a bit too much.
I think 43 grams is too much for a smallish person, and may be too much for a larger guy, too. The US RDA is 25 grams. You are almost double that.
I eat an apple, a banana, and at least three or four serving of veggies and a grain-rich high fiber bread/sandwich every day. I have never calculated my intake, but I'd say as long as you're getting some fiber with each meal, you are doing OK.
The problem is with so many people today who lack any real fiber intake, eating too much processed foods all the time.

Well I can guarantee you that wasn't intentional and I was surprised to see such a figure.
As I said before, my calorie intake rarely exceeds 2000 in a day and I've made very basic replacements; I don't eat white bread as I don't really like it that much and I've always chosen wholemeal as a taste preference. The extra 10g which I wouldn't usually have is from the pasta by virtue of my spaghetti bolognese that I enjoyed today!
I might start to keep a diary of this sort of thing in order to maintain minimal variance across a large collection of figures; consistency is key in my opinion.
Might I add that my digestive transit has always been slow and I cannot remember it being any different. As a child and a teenager I cannot remember going to the bathroom on a daily basis and for that matter I cannot ever really remember having a stool that was 'ideal' according to the bristol scale. In order to combat this, I feel that I need to keep the peristalsis in motion if I am going to let this fissure heal.
I'm trying to find my dietry sweet spot I guess.