A bulk-forming laxative called psyllium is used to alleviate constipation. In the intestines, it takes up fluids, expands, and transforms into a bulky stool that is simple to pass.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you’re interested in using this drug for any other conditions.

The oral forms of psyllium include powder, granules, capsules, liquid, and wafers. Typically, it is consumed one to three times each day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions you do not understand, and carefully follow any instructions on the packaging or on the label of your prescription. Follow the psyllium directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Just before usage, the powder and granules must be blended with 8 ounces (240 milliliters) of a tasty beverage, like fruit juice. Swallow wafers whole. When taking psyllium, you must consume at least 8 ounces (240 milliliters) of liquid in order for it to function properly and prevent side effects.

Unless your doctor instructs you to, do not take psyllium for longer than one week.

Additionally, your doctor might advise psyllium to treat diarrhea or high cholesterol. The potential dangers of using this medication for your illness should be discussed with your doctor.

Before taking psyllium,

• If you have any medicine or psyllium allergies, inform your doctor and pharmacist right away.
• In addition to vitamins, be sure to let your doctor and pharmacist know what prescription and over-the-counter medications you are taking. Within three hours of taking psyllium, avoid taking digoxin (Lanoxin), salicylates (aspirin), or nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Furadantin, Macrobid).
• Inform your doctor if you have ever experienced difficulty swallowing, rectal bleeding, high blood pressure, heart disease, high blood sugar, or renal illness.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while using psyllium.
• Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you follow a low-sugar or low-sodium diet.
• When preparing a dose, exercise caution to avoid breathing in psyllium powder. When unintentionally inhaled, it may result in allergic reactions.

Drink lots of water, work out frequently, and eat a high-fiber diet rich in whole-grain foods like bran cereal, fruits, and vegetables to avoid constipation.

Take the missing psyllium dose as soon as you remember it if you take it on a regular basis. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Psyllium could have negative effects. Call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following signs or symptoms:

• Having trouble breathing
• Abdominal pain
• Having trouble swallowing
• Skin rash
• Itching
• Nausea
• Vomiting

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and other places with excessive heat and moisture.

To make sure that pets, kids, and other people cannot take leftover pharmaceuticals, they should be disposed of in a specific manner. You shouldn’t flush this medication down the toilet, though. The best option to get rid of your medication is instead through a medication take-back program. To find out about take-back initiatives in your neighborhood, speak with your pharmacist or get in touch with your city’s waste/recycling department. If you do not have access to a take-back program, you can find more information at the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

If you have any concerns about using this medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.