Psyllium is an herb whose seed and outer husk are used to make medications and other products, such as thickeners for frozen desserts, according to the National Institutes of Health's website MedlinePlus. It is commonly used as an herbal supplement to treat constipation, especially in patients who have hemmorhoids or anal fissures, or who are recovering from surgery on the colon or anus, according to MedlinePlus. Psyllium can produce a number of side effects, including nausea, according to Drugs.com. Always tell your doctor about the supplements you take and the conditions you take them for.
Identification
Psyllium, also known as blond psyllium, comes from a shrub-like plant whose Latin name is Plantago ovata, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. The plant is most common in India but can be found in many countries worldwide. Each plant produces more than 15,000 tiny seeds, which are ground up to create the mucilage that is used in psyllium herbal supplements and as a stabilizer for processed foods, reports MedlinePlus.
Side Effects
Psyllium can cause a number of side effects, according to Drugs.com. Many people who take psyllium experience nausea, reports MedlinePlus. If you have nausea when taking psyllium, it may be your body's reaction to the psyllium supplement. MedlinePlus recommends treating nausea by lying down until the feeling passes, or using an over-the-counter medication like meclizine.
Gastrointestinal Conditions
If your nausea does not subside, it may indicate a more serious problem, reports MedlinePlus. In rare cases, patients who take psyllium may experience serious gastrointestinal problems, including esophageal impaction and duodenal bezoars, or stones, according to Drugs.com. These side effects can also produce nausea. To reduce these risks, MedlinePlus recommends taking psyllium with plenty of water.
Drug Interactions
Psyllium can interact with a number of medications, according to the UMMC. Because some of these reactions may be dangerous, you should not take psyllium with any of the following medications: carbamazipine or Tegretol, lithium, diabetes medications, or warfarin, also known as Coumadin.
Contraindications
You should not take psyllium if you have a history of impacted bowels or an impacted esophagus, reports MedlinePlus and the UMMC, as it may increase the risk of impaction. Also, you should not take psyllium if you have had an allergic reaction in the past. Although allergic reactions usually involve either a skin breakout like a rash or respiratory problems such as difficulty breathing, nausea may be a symptom of an allergic reaction, reports MedlinePlus. If the nausea becomes bothersome or leads to vomiting, see your doctor. Finally, psyllium may lower the blood sugar of people who have diabetes, so monitor your blood sugar if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia and take psyllium, even if you are not on any medications for these conditions, advises MedlinePlus.
Member Comments