Withholding constipation- how long does Movicol take to work?

[squizita]

I know there are other threads but often they are about very impacted kids, or kids for whom movicol did not work and they are making me very anxious.

Have a 2 year old with generally slow but not shockingly so digestive transit. A bit of lactulose and prune would fix it before potty training. Would usually poo every 48-36 hr. She's physically small (not a health concern, I'm very small too).
Anyway started witholding when potty training. Not impacted - but got herself in a cycle of holding because they hurt and then they hurt more. More chronic mild constipation - pebble poos!

Eg. She pooed Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, skipped Fri and Mon. Sort of average for her - none on Monday... Then Tues but Tuesday the GP gave us Movicol.
How long will it take to kick in? Giving 1 sachet a day ... and don't want to panic (thanks anxiety) and up her to 2 or 3 assuming impaction when the 1st is still brewing... cause we'd be in what DH suggested would be a "tidal wave of toddler s**t".
I have lactulose and prunes too- so could give these too?

She's parking and saying she needs to go soon but nothing squeezed out yet.

Should I wait 24hr from 1st dose before upping it ... or longer. If she's slow to digest I guess it could take a day to fully get into the poop zone and soften stuff up?

Apologies for the mundane post but Dr google comes up with movicol not working, terrible runs, hospital level impaction etc and I don't want to catastrophuse ... next thing for us would be 2 sachet a day not 1!

Thanks

[Germgirl]

I take movicol regularly. I find it tends to work within 12-18 hours.

[PacificDogwod]

Movicol works within a day or two - don't worry too much!

BUT - retraining a sluggish bowel and a possibly reluctant-to-poo-toddler can take many months, so don't stop the second she does a nice poo. Keep going, even if with a reduced dose of whatever laxative keeps her going.

I'd second the ERIC website - brilliant advice.

[FuzzyPillow]

For DS it took about 48hrs to start working. We were told there is no upper limit to the amount you can use on a short term basis (scarily!).

I'd suggest just waiting it out?

[squizita]

Sorry to drip feed - am dosing her in liaison with ERIC helpline emails anyway.
Am mixing correctly.
No intention to stop.

Just amazed how much mine seems to need to produce a daily soft poo.
Yesterday she did 2 perfect ones having been on 2 doses a day for 48 hr. Nothing yet... waiting as she seems to poo about 5.30 or 6pm!

[squizita]

...I'm stirring and shaking for about a minute before I add it to squash or milk. I only stop when its totally clear - the sachets say 62 ml - should I go with 68 then? That's confusing if they're saying the wrong amount of water!

[FuzzyPillow]

2 sachets a day is not a lot!! 12 sachets a day is a lot!! You really can give unlimited amounts, short term.

[squizita]

Thankfully I don't think I need to ... about 20 minutes ago we had mousse texture 24 hr after the last one.
Evidently she was coming up to speed!
Phew.

2 a day looks like a good dose to go with for the foreseeable future.

[sijjy]

Hi my son is 5 and we have huge problems with pooing. He is also on movicol and has been for quite a long time. He was on lactoloose before that. He probably pops twice a week and that is hardly ever on the toilet. It's normally in his pants or in the bath when he relaxes. Can anyone contact Eric and what is it pls? He's in f2 at the minute so in school full time. He often comes home with small bits of poo in his pants. He will move to yr 1 in September and I don't want him to be labelled the smelly poo kid.

[FuzzyPillow]

OP, hooray! Glad to hear it's on the move!

[FuzzyPillow]

sijjy

www.eric.org.uk

[sijjy]

Thank you for the link