How to get 27 month old to take Movicol

[Totality22]

Been GP and we've been asked to give him a high dosage as he hasn't been for 6 days (ongoing issues with chronic constipation - not needed medication for some time but this is the longest he's ever not been for)

He's refused it in his usual cup and is now refusing all his drinks. Ive added a touch of dilute to it.

He hasn't had so much as a drop of it. No drinks since 8am today either. He is usually ok with fluids but has cottoned on to the fact there is medicine in his drink despite me not telling him

[Picklesauage]

Can you used bribery? Each sip gets a chocolate button, not stellar parenting, but needs must?

I sympathise with him, I am taking some each day at the moment as pregnant. It's horrible! I make mine up less dilute than recommended so there is less to drink, then make sure I drink afterwards too. This does make the taste worse though, but there is less to drink!

[VeronicaCaCa]

I just made it up with a bit of water then added it to a cup of pure orange juice. Always made sure dd had a drink of squash or water soon after too.

[happyelf]

We add it to yoghurts. My dd was on 10 a day at one point so we had to get creative. She takes it fine in yoghurt but we found if we put it in juice, like your dc, she would stop drinking. Which just makes the constipation worse.

[seaoflove]

You don't have to mix each sachet into 62mls if that's too difficult.

What I sometimes do is mix a sachet into a really small amount of water, like a few tablespoons, stir really well and leave to dissolve. It looks kind of syrupy. Then you can add that to absolutely anything - food, yoghurt, custard, etc (just make sure you follow it up with plenty of liquid throughout the day). I usually add it to a smoothie or pure orange juice because it disguises the flavour better than squash. Although my DD is so used to the stuff, she drinks it in squash most of the time. I give it to her first thing when she's really thirsty so it goes quicker and she can move into nicer drinks.

[Totality22]

The yoghurt is a great tip. Thanks.

[Totality22]

Well the yoghurt didn't work. Bribing with buttons isn't working. Begging didn't work. I've actually never had my DS be as difficult as he has been today.

I'm stuck. I don't want to force it on him as he is likely to need a course (for at least a month)

[VeronicaCaCa]

Would he take it made up in a strong tasting drink? Fruit juice or strong squash? Followed by plenty of other fluids during the day. I second what a pp said about doing it first thing in the morning when they are more thirsty too.

You have my sympathy

[Mummytogoldie]

I just put mine in dd's glass of milk on a night, she doesn't even know it's there. Have you got the plain one , not the flavoured one ? If you have the plain one you can mix it with anything and it just dissolves and it doesn't taste of anything, milk, juice, squash, yogurt even custard and ice cream

[pudseypie]

Mix with milk. My ds drinks his in milk. When he's been really obstinate during a hospital stay the nurses made him up his in a chocolate nesquik milkshake with lots of straws which got him to drink it all.

[Onesliceortwo]

Apple juice seems to mask it here ..... Not a huge amount and it just goes in her cup and she drinks it over time rather than all in one go. Good luck!

[Samcro]

i put it in milkshake

[redstrawberrypie]

I've never used movicol so unsure if this would would but could you freeze it into ice pops? Then follow with drinks.

[redstrawberrypie]

I've never used movicol so unsure if this would would but could you freeze it into ice pops? Then follow with drinks.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

We've struggled to get it into ds but orange juice seems to working. We have a special cup that he likes that he only has for his poo drink

[middlings]

A tiny drop of elderflower cordial seems to work well at masking the taste. Other juices get rejected but I give her an open beaker with a straw, and wait until she's likely to be a bit thirsty, so mid morning or mid afternoon, and then she takes it in one go. But it took quite a lot of trial and error to get us there and I'm willing to bet that tomorrow she'll go off the Idea.

Good luck - is so horrid when they're like this.

[middlings]

Oh, also, elderflower is what I drink - and sipping some of mummy's drink helped get her onto the taste of it so she thinks she's being a 'big girl'

[Totality22]

Still no real joy.

He had maybe half a beaker during the night (which contained 1 diluted sachet.... he needs two a day)

He has drunk a full beaker of normal fluid though - he was refusing all drinks yesterday.

I tried yoghurt. I tried a fruit shoot (damn me for never giving him a fruit shoot before as he has no idea what they are so doesn't see it as a treat?). He doesn't like cartons of juice or icecream!

He slept ok and seems less miserable than yesterday so I'm going to let his uncle take him to softplay this afternoon. I'm only going to send a beaker with his diluted Movicol in it? Hopefully a bit of running around and no other choice will get him to drink it? Of course his uncle can give him an alternative drink if need be..... but I need to get this medicine into him. It's day 7 of no poo!

[Quiero]

I resorted to fruit shoots. Would just pour a bit out and add the movicol. Fruit shoots are so strong there's no way they can taste it and their crazy little brains associate them with being a treat.

It has also had the longer term benefit that once they cotton on (which they will) they will be puff fruit shoots for life

[VeronicaCaCa]

Are you sure you have the plain one? Depending on which pharmacy I went to I would get different ones. One pharmacy gave me movicol half, another was movicol paedatric plain. Same strength just one was not flavoured. Might be worth speaking to the pharmacist or your gp.

Disclaimer - dd has not had it for 3yrs so may be outdated info

[Totality22]

Tried the fruit shoot yesterday. He has never had one so doesn't know its a treat? By this point he was pretty distrustful of everything I offered him as well.

I've used 6 sachets so far and he has had - at best - half a sachet that has been heavily diluted.

[mayaknew]

Came on to say yogurt too ! That was the only way I could get ds to take it af first . Then I started adding at a bit at a time to his bedtime milk and he takes it fine in that now . Good luck !

[Quiero]

putt off ffs

[Quiero]

Have you been offered lactulose? My DD was given Movicol straight away but a different GP said they should try lactulose first. I found it easier as it's medicine. It tastes like sugar but DD liked it. On days she refused I'd put it in her porridge.

[Totality22]

We have the pediatric plain one.

Lactulose didn't work at all for us at all. He didn't mind taking it though!

[DeeWe]

DD2 used to take it with nearly 50/50 squash/water, in a wine glass with a straw.