I'm posting this here and in Health - I'm not sure it's an SN issue but know many of you have experience of DCs with bowel problems.

DS1 (7) has always had a problem with pooing. Will only go about once a week if left to his own devices - maybe three times if given daily prune juice. It's a big deal to him - he's frightened of it, so withholds etc etc.

The problem is that he is SOOO flatulent! He farts all the time - really loudly and pongily. Being 7 he thinks this is highly hilarious but I'm pretty positive he's not doing it on purpose. In fact, much of the time in the evenings is spent fidgeting, squirming and generally jiggling in the effort to hold the poo (and presumably the farts) in. I'm sure he must do this at school too - and although most children of his age think farting is the funniest thing out, I think that there might start being some social repercussions soon. He sometimes does it when we're out - even though he's well aware it's anti-social - and I just find it embarrassing.

Any ideas about anything I can give him to improve this? Or foods that would make it worse? He has an OK diet - cereal or toast for breakfast, sandwich, fruit+ yoghurt + treat for lunch and meat/fish with veg + potatoes, pasta or couscous for dinner. Supper is usually another bowl of cereal. I'm wondering if it could be a wheat/milk issue.

Bump - don't tell me this is something peculiar to DS1!

possibly, as carbs feed candida, you could try less wheat and maybe a probiotic

whats his fluid intake like?

He;s taking a probiotic, though I sometimes forget to give it to him .
His fluid intake is a problem Manxmum - he definitely doesn't drink enough. Milk on cereal and maybe half a glass of water with meals+ a small glass of prune juice - rarely anything in between.

His behaviour is a bit off the wall atm - he's very 'scattered' and a lot of the AS type traits that he had a year ago, which then faded, have come back. Poss the two things are connected?

I'm def going to cut down on wheat and see if that makes a difference.

It's easy to cut down on milk if you want to try him temporarily, though takes a bit of label reading to cut it out entirlely. If you have no issues with soya, then the alpro "yoghurts" and long life desserts really are delicious and those along with fortified soya, rice or oat milk on cereal in the morning would provide the calcium he needs while you try him out without dairy.

I have just been given a good tip for my (also very windy) DS. If your DS has marmite on his toast, break up a charcoal capsule into the pot and mix it in. Not too much of the marmite goes suspiciously black. If not marmite, you need to find something else dark in colour (choc spread?. I got Holland and Barret activated Charcoal which is easy to break in half and pour out as a powder and it has definitely helped. I also use an anti-candida probiotic in his juice, called Threelac, and only available on line. My boy poos three times a day, but with these two tips he is ALMOST back to a normal poo-er!

Ah now AncientMMM - (btw I am an AMMM too ) - I have some activated charcoal! Will definitely try it - won't have to persuade DS1 to take it as long as it doesn't taste awful, as he's v good about stuff like that.