help!! BIG poo issues

[lucysnowe]

Can anybody help?? Poor old DD had very runny poos last week due to a stomach upset and when it stopped she decided she wouldn't do a poo until it was nice and solid again! It has been more than a week :( we kind of agreed she would poo on Saturday but I think she is changing her mind. What can I do to persuade her? I'm afraid that when she does poo, it's going to hurt her. But i'm also worried that laxatives will make her poor 'too runny' again! We've read 'poo goes to pooland' but to no avail. This is the first time it has happened. Meantime she is pooting all over the place aand is generally very irritable and sleepy. Has anyone else ever had this problem? She is nearly five, by the way.

[pollywollywoowah]

Could you bribe her to sit on the toilet when she shows signs of needing to go? Smarties/stories/trip to poundland to buy whatever she likes? Once she is sat there nature will hopefully take its course.

If not maybe try some lactulose disguised in a drink if necessary. My dd had terrible poo issues but the lac is very gentle and will help her go naturally.

Good luck!

[KarenHL]

DD had many episodes of constipation at this age. A friend recommended eating pears (somehow, that did seem to help a bit). Clearspring do a nice pear puree (DD often has their fruit purees as a quick pud) - used to get them in Morrisons, have seen them in Waitrose. Apx £1 for a 2-pack if you can get them on offer.

The biggest help we found was to get her to drink lots. GP recommended lactulose but that never really helped and seemed to make her more uncomfortable. What we have used more recently is Movicol (most chemists sell it without prescription) - we don't use big doses, just what is recommended on the box - although sometimes we've had to give to her several times in day. We put a little squash or OJ in to make it nicer to taste. Lactulose and Movicol do not seem to make the poo runny (like a laxative would), they seem to coat it a bit to make it easier to pass and help it exit the colon. If it's been a few days it can be uncomfortable - we offer to hold DD's hand while she goes if it is painful - and do give calpol if necessary. The longer your DD holds on for, the more painful it might be. We used to get poos resembling golf-balls initially and then it would get back to normal, but the painful big ones would make her not want to go - so it was a bit of a vicious cycle.

Reading your post again OP, reminds me that I should point out that lactulose and Movicol are ok for children. We found lactulose took several days to work (sometime a week), whereas Movicol usually gave relief on the same day. They don't work in the way that laxatives do, in that although they help soften the poo, they don't seem to cause diarrhoea (although I've heard big doses of M' can have that effect). We also found using wipes post-poo was a more comfortable way of getting clean, than toilet paper alone.

[WandaDoff]

Get her to sit on the loo & blow bubbles.

[trikken]

Bribery is the only thing that worked for us. A lolly after a poo is what happens here. Ds has had chronic constipation so know how difficult it can be.

[BobbiFleckmann]

lactulose and movicol are stool softeners. Movicol's purpose is to literally liquidise the poo, hence why it causes leakage. IT's evil stuff if used when not required - 6 months' of bitter experience here. It took consultant number 3 to throw away the movicol and demonstrate that when kids withhold (as opposed to rockhard poo constipation), they need to be taught / retaught the urge to poo. Senna works on the colon muscles and pushes the poo along - it will demonstrate what the "urge to go" is rather than movicol which they are unable to control at all (yeah, sorry Science Museum for that one... and the tennis club etc etc).
Check the website for the charity ERIC for more hints. Raising feet on a chair / small stool while they're sittin gon the loo helps as does any game / toy involving blowing as it causes the same sort of muscular push

[pollywollywoowah]

We used Fruit Shoots as bribes which were very successful. Haribo currently bribe of choice though.

[BobbiFleckmann]

NB also that Paediatric movicol is prescription only and don't go dabbling with adult doses on a child

[lucysnowe]

Thanks guys. I would like tto hear more about Movical - does it only soften if you take a bit? I just want to avoid runny poos, she finds them very traumatic for so e reason! Thank you for tne bribe idea, she is very very determined (think it is a control thing) so may hve to play it carefully...

[lucysnowe]

Reading Biobbi's post again, does Movicol tend to be a bit, er, unexpected then? I think senna may be better?

[pollywollywoowah]

Movicol wouldn't be my first choice in this instance, definitely try something more gentle first.

[pollywollywoowah]

What I mean is Movicol is an amazing product but I would have thought it was intended for longer term issues rather than a one off.

[trikken]

Senna is much better as bobbi described. Movicol made ds worse but senna was brilliant and has become much better with that and the bribery combined.

[lucysnowe]

Thanks guys!

Well good news, she did a poo today!! I was getting really worried. Bad news - in her pants, despite all kinds of bribes and gentle suggestions. We shall have to see if this is a one off or the start of an interesting neurosis. :) your help has been much appeciated.

[pollywollywoowah]

Good news! Hope it was a one off situation.