Basically I am also asking a Benefiber vs Citrucel question. In fact, I'm going to ask my questions and then the rest is background if someone wants it. Otherwise it overwhelms even me to read it! So what is the advantage really to bulking up stools? As opposed to just softening, like with Miralax alone? I don't quite understand why being "bulky" is better- does it make things move along more as a whole and not come out in fits and starts in several times over the day? In other words, does it "regulate" by decreasing frequency? And it seems a lot of people on here have found good success with Benefiber, something I have not tried. I started using Metamucil months ago in the progress of things and it just really tore up my digestive system and didn't work well for me. Then I tried Citrucel for quite a while but had a lot of frequency (5-6 times a day). It didn't seem to bother me as much and maybe I blamed it for some things going on that didn't have to do with it. That said, when I took it last week for a few days, I really had that awful gassy, I may have to go at any moment that I associated with it before. I was really trying way too many things at once months ago, including magnesium and flax oil (which I later have seemed to realize through trial and error really cause some digestive issues for me that are not pleasant). I was taking only Miralax pre LIS a couple of weeks ago with a good balance only taking 1-2 tsps a night in warm water. I was usually going 2- 3 times a day, which I would have liked to change to 1-2, but was afraid to drop it out. Since the surgery, I started taking Citrucel again and then added Colace and upped my Miralax to 3-4 tsps a night (4 tsps is a capful-adult dose). This was because of the advice of the surgery center. My CRS's printed material recommended fiber supplement plus Colace but he was ok with me doing what had worked for me. But because I definitely took Vicodin for a few days, I wanted to offset that. And it was pretty ok for that while I was taking the pain meds. I dropped the Citrucel last Friday because I was going 4- times a day and had gas. I kept the Colace and have gradually decreased the Miralax. So the last couple of days have just been 1 Colace + 3 tsps Miralax.
Today I had a probably too soft BM to start things and during breakfast had a very sudden, didn't quite make it to the bathroom watery poop. TMI alert- could almost see the gel like texture that I assume is the Miralax.
I decided to add 1/2 a dose of the Citrucel in this morning and to drop the Colace tonight and reduce the Miralax by 1/2 tsp down to 2 1/2 tsps.
So that's my plan- hopefully to achieve some balance again and avoid any more alarming and scary urgency. I am not getting too upset by that as I think my ability to hold anything in right now is still impacted by my external muscle just being bruised and confused and maybe still a little swelling down there.