thanks guys! i have actually been eating the ground flax meal that i bought. i make it into a kind of oatmeal with with, butter and some splenda. pretty good, and i used a good 3 tablespoons. still no luck with that, and it's all fiber so i don't get it.

i did try taking the metamucil capsules, since they don't have aspartame. but maybe i'll try the powder drink.

a coworker just now suggested cod liver oil capsules. i'm going to look into that too.

i'm so desperate that right now i am drinking a cup of decaf coffee, even though i *hate* coffee. but i remember, it used to do the trick. we'll see. thanks ladies, for all the advice!