Fiber question

[JaneG]

Is it possible to be allergic to psyllium or fiber in general? I understand it is a strange question, but here is why I ask. I decided to purchase a type of psyllium fiber that you mix in water, and it gave me immediate headaches every time I took it. I thought the additives might be the issue, so I bought psyllium fiber tablets. Within a few minutes of taking them I had the same dull headache and sore neck. Someone recommended ground flaxseed as an alternative and the same thing happened each time I took it. The headaches are not bad, but I am concerned because I have never had immediate headaches from anything else. I could ignore them and hope my body will get used to the fiber, but they feel similar to the pre-migraine headaches I have experienced with migraines that took months to go away. Not recently, thank goodness, but migraines are something I make efforts to avoid.

Wayne’s newsletter just arrived, and that is also making me think further about taking fiber. I thought psyllium in particular was supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties. The reason I took fiber was to solidify bowel movements- constipation has never been an issue for me- but I was also hoping it would help with inflammation. I am in the stage of avoiding the great majority of foods I used to eat without a lot of progress to show for it.

Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts or experiences with this.
Jane

[tex]

I've never heard of anyone being allergic to fiber, but that doesn't mean that it's impossible.

Tex

[JaneG]

Thanks, Tex. Had tried to find anyone else with immediate headaches after eating or taking something in older posts without success. Was hoping I had missed something but it sounds like that is not the case. Appreciate your response and all of your research.