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American Heritage Dictionary:
psyl·li·um |
[New Latin, from Greek psullion, diminutive of psulla, flea (from the plant's use against fleas).]
Related Videos:
psyllium |
Oxford Food & Nutrition Dictionary:
psyllium |
Plantago psyllium, also known as plantago or flea seed. Small, dark reddish-brown seeds which form a mucilaginous mass with water, taken medicinally to assist the passage of intestinal contents.
Drug Info:
Psyllium |
Brand names: Alramucil®FiberFiber Eze®Fiber PowderFiberall®Genfiber™ SFGenfiber®Konsyl®Konsyl® Easy MixKonsyl® for KidsKonsyl®-DKonsyl®-OrangeMaalox® Daily Fiber TherapyMetamucil®Modane® PowderNatural Vegetable®Natural Vegetable® LaxativePerdiem® FiberPerdiem® GranulesReguloidReguloid®Serutan®Uni-Laxative®V-Lax®Wal-Mucil™
Calcium Carbonate, Psyllium Oral capsule
What is this medicine?
PSYLLIUM; CALCIUM (SIL i yum; KAL see um) is a bulk-forming fiber laxative with a calcium supplement. This medicine is used to treat constipation. It is also used to add calcium and fiber to a healthy diet.
This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
•change in bowel habits for more than 14 days
•blocked intestines or bowel
•stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting
•trouble swallowing
•an unusual or allergic reaction to psyllium, other medicines, dyes, or preservatives
•pregnant or trying or get pregnant
•breast-feeding
How should I use this medicine?
Take this medicine by mouth with a full glass of water. Follow the directions on the package labeling, or take as directed by your health care professional. Take your medicine at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 12 years old for selected conditions, precautions do apply.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
What may interact with this medicine?
Interactions are not expected.
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medicine?
This medicine can take up to 3 days to work. Check with your doctor or health care professional if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse. See your doctor if you have to treat your constipation for more than 1 week.
Avoid taking other medicines within 2 hours of taking this medicine.
Drink several glasses of water a day while you are taking this medicine. This will help to relieve constipation and prevent dehydration.
What side effects may I notice from receiving this medicine?
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
•allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
•breathing problems
•chest pain
•nausea, vomiting
•rectal bleeding
•trouble swallowing
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
•bloated or 'gassy' feeling
•diarrhea
•headache
•stomach cramps
This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Where should I keep my medicine?
Keep out of the reach of children.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Protect from moisture. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
Last updated: 7/1/2002
Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.
Leung's Encyclopedia of Natural Ingredients:
Psyllium |
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Read More |
| Prickly Ash | |
| Purslane, Common (Machixian) |
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary:
psyllium |
A fecal softener made from the seeds of the plants Plantago psyllium, P. indica and P. ovata. The mucilloid portion of the seeds of P. ovata is used to make psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid which is a bulk aperient to relieve constipation caused by a low residue diet.
Rhymes:
psyllium |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Plantago |
| Plantago | |
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| Greater Plantain (Plantago major) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Phylum: | Anthophyta (Flowering plants/Angiosperms) |
| Class: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Subfamily: | Plantagineae |
| Genus: | Plantago L. |
| Subgenera | |
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Plantago |
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| Synonyms | |
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Psyllium Mill.[1] |
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Plantago is a genus of about 200 species of small, inconspicuous plants commonly called plantains. They share this name with the very dissimilar plantain, a kind of banana. Most are herbaceous plants, though a few are subshrubs growing to 60 cm (23.5 in) tall. The leaves are sessile, but have a narrow part near the stem which is a pseudo-petiole. They have three or five parallel veins that diverge in the wider part of the leaf. Leaves are broad or narrow, depending on the species. The inflorescences are borne on stalks typically 5–40 cm (2.25-15.75 in) tall, and can be a short cone or a long spike, with numerous tiny wind-pollinated flowers.
Plantains are used as food plants by the larvae of some species of Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on plantains.
They are found all over the world, including America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Europe. Many species in the genus are cosmopolitan weeds. They are found in many different habitats, most commonly in wet areas like seepages or bogs. They can also be found in alpine and semi-alpine or coastal areas. The cosmopolitan weeds can be frequently seen at the side of roads.
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008) |
Plantago species have been used since prehistoric times as herbal remedies. The herb is astringent, anti-toxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, as well as demulcent, expectorant, styptic and diuretic.[citation needed] Externally, a poultice of the leaves is useful for insect bites, poison-ivy rashes, minor sores, and boils. In folklore it is even claimed to be able to cure snakebite. Internally, it is used for coughs and bronchitis, as a tea, tincture, or syrup. The broad-leaved varieties are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable for salads, green sauce, et cetera.
Plantain seed husks expand and become mucilaginous when wet, especially those of P. psyllium, which is used in common over-the-counter bulk laxative and fiber supplement products such as Metamucil. P. psyllium seed is useful for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, dietary fiber supplementation, and diverticular disease. Plantain has been consumed as human food since prehistory. For example, archaeological recovery along California's Central Coast has demonstrated use of this species as a food since the Millingstone Horizon.[2]
Psyllium supplements are typically used in powder form, along with adequate amounts of fluids. A dose of at least 7 grams daily taken with adequate amounts of fluid (water, juice) is used by some for management of elevated cholesterol. There are a number of psyllium products used for constipation. The usual dose is about 3.5 grams twice a day. Psyllium is also a component of several ready-to-eat cereals.
Mucilage from Desert Indianwheat (Plantago ovata) is obtained by grinding off the husk. This mucilage, also known as Psyllium, is commonly sold as Isabgol, a laxative which is used to control irregular bowel syndrome and constipation[3]. It has been used as an indigenous Ayurvedic and Unani medicine for a whole range of bowel problems.
As Old English Wegbrade the plantago is one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in the 10th century. In Romania and Bulgaria, leaves from Plantago major are used as a folk remedy to preventing infection on cuts and scratches because of its antiseptic properties. In Slovenia and other Central European regions, the leaves were traditionally used topically as a cure for blisters resulting from friction (such as caused by tight shoes etc.).
There may also be a use for plantains in the abatement of enteric methane from ruminants,[4] as the natural compounds present (e.g. condensed tannins; ~14g/kg DM), affect the acetate-propionate ratio in the rumen which is a primary mechanism by which methanogenesis is restricted.[5] Currently this is not a viable option in any significant scale due to agronomic difficulties.
The boundaries of the genus Plantago have been fairly stable, with the main question being whether to include Bougueria (one species from the Andes) and Littorella (2–3 species of aquatic plants).[6]
There are about 200 species of Plantago, including:
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Plantago alpina
Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Plantago nivalis
Ribwort Plantain flower spike
Buckshorn Plantain (Plantago coronopus)
Plantago media stepposa
Plantago maritima
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Wikispecies has information related to: Plantago |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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Copyrights:
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 | American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Oxford Food & Nutrition Dictionary. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Drug Info. Gold Standard. Copyright © 2008 by Gold Standard. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Leung's Encyclopedia of Natural Ingredients. Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Copyright © 2010 by Wiley-Blackwell. Wiley and the Wiley logo are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Used here by license. Read more |
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| Saunders Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Rhymes. Oxford University Press. © 2006, 2007 All rights reserved. Read more | |
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| Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Plantago. Read more |
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