Chronic Constipation in 6 year old.

[Alisonjayjay]

To cut a long story short, my 6 year old son has been diagnosed with chronic constipation. We have had problems since potty training when he used to hold in a poo for a very long time until it became hard and difficult to pass. This only added to the problem and started him in a vicious cycle of constipation. The doctor told us he may need to take laxatives for a year or more. At the moment I am at my wits end as the problem has been going on for such a long time and my son soils his underwear several times a day. He is becoming embarrassed and tries to hide it from me. I have been told that the reason he is doing this is due to overflow coming from the bowel which he is unable to control. I encourage him to sit on the toilet several times a day but he does not do anything in the toilet at all and instead soils his pants. I've tried reward charts with very little success. The doctor has now suggested a high fibre diet. Can anyone give me any advice on this topic or have you been through it with your own child? Any tips on high fibre foods for children? Thanks

[Seona1973]

what laxatives is he currently taking? A high fibre diet would be wholegrain foods e.g. wholemeal bread/pasta/rice/cereals, etc. He would need to drink plenty of fluids alongside though or he could end up with even worse constipation.

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

what meds is he prescribed? and how long has he been taking them?

has he had a scan to see how far backed up he is?

have you seen a specialist or GP only?

sorry for all the questions

foods to avoid (anecdotal only):
weetabix
bananas
white bread/pasta

[Alisonjayjay]

At the moment he is taking Movicol paediatric plain and has been taking them for almost 6 months. The gp recently examined him and said he can feel a blockage in his bowel when pressing in his stomach. He is reluctant to give a suppository (I am unsure why). He referred him to a consultant paediatrician in the hospital who also advised me to continue with the laxatives at an increased dosage as well as a high fibre diet and increased fluid. I have been advised that it will take a long time and a lot of patience to resolve the problem.

[Flashfix]

For an alternative remedy try 2 to 4 spoonfuls of the following mixture: lemon including rind but minus pips blitzed in the food processor with some olive oil and sugar once a day, every day, followed by a green apple. Has really helped my cousin's child who had a similar (but admittedy not so severe) problem.