Citrucel is a soluble fiber supplement made from methylcellulose, a type of plant fiber. It is considered to be one of the more gentle types of fiber, and can work for both diarrhea and constipation. For diarrhea sufferers it can add bulk to the stool, making movements more firm; for constipation sufferers it can make the stool softer and easier to pass.
Citrucel is gluten free.
Recommendations
Review by...Ione
Citrucel is great stuff! I had earlier tried Metamucil which left me as constipated as ever and feeling even more bloated and bulked up. Because of that bad experience, I avoided Citrucel. Despite the side effects, my diet is high in fiber because the healthy food I like is that way. I figured I was probably getting enough bulk and didn't need a supplement if it just compounded the bad side effects of all those beans, grains and veggies in my diet. It didn't help that I thought Citrucel only came in the artificial Tang flavor.
Finally, after a few years and more urging by my doctor, I decided to try Citrucel. When I looked for it I discovered that the powdered version comes in an unflavored form which (unlike Metamucil) has absolutely no effect on the flavor of whatever beverage I add it to. After putting it in my breakfast fruit juice for a little while I had regular, softer stools that came out without effort. It didn't add to my usual gas or feeling of bloatedness (the cramps had already been taken care of by low-dose amitriptyline).
In the meantime my husband has had problems with stools that are too lose and hard to control. I suggested that he try Citrucel and voila! His stools were no longer so loose and he had better control over them. Citrucel became our breakfast ritual, including when we traveled. We even enjoyed our smooth, thickened breakfast juice.
I highly recommend the powdered form of Citrucel. At least for my husband and myself, it worked on our two distinctly different problems.