So in general should i be takign fiber if I am

Fiber is an individual choice with Uc'ers. Some take it religiously because it helps with their symptoms and others can not so much as look at it without it making them run to the bathroom. Fiber in general (if you are in the former category) can help keep you regular by binding your stool. However, if you are not eating any fruits or veggies, you still need to supplement what it is that you are missing by taking a good multi-vitamin. I can not take fiber supplements - I have tried on numerous occasions and all it does for me is give me the most horrendous D. But I do eat a salad every day - not Iceburg lettuce but Romaine. I know a few Uc'ers that can't tolerate Iceburg but have no trouble with Romaine. So you might want to give that a go to see if you can eat Romaine salads. But that is just a suggestion, because you won't know if fiber is going to be a good thing or a bad thing for you unless you try.

it is a benefit to a lot of us. i found that i could tolerate it when i couldn't eat salads. now i can do salads and i still take the fiber.

i use plain ground psylium husk mixed into dilute juice. many folks like the benefiber too. i tried the metamucil and it worked fine but i got sick of the insane amount of sugar that was in each serving. if you don't like the texture of the drink, you can find capsules as well.

START SLOW. the psylium i take says to do like 1 tsp in a full glass 3 times a day. when starting out, i think i started with 1/4tsp. and worked my way up.

it can give you gas initially but that should go away after your body gets used to it.

but just like sherry said, some can't tolerate it and you just have to try it and listen to your body. if you keep a food journal at all you'll be able to track how it's making you feel and affecting your BMs.

I went to my gastro doctor Tuesday due to what I feel is a small flare possibly without diarrhea. Some small amounts of brighter red blood are however present on the tissue at times. I was put back on Rowasa enemas and asked about using Metamucil and they said it was fine to use it, even with me having occasional rectal bleeding going on. I use the Metamucil powder and mix a heaping teaspoon in 8 ounces of water and drink it. You can use it 3 times a day. If it gets thick in the glass though, you need to mix more water with it. It can make one's throat swell. They said it is only fiber, however, I have had on and off bouts of gas for so long, the gas drives me crazy. But I need to use it anyway to get me back to normal.