My 8 year old is really constipated

[bookworm1982]

Please help, my 8 year old is really constipated, we’ve been giving him movicol for the past few days and it’s not helping, plus there’s only so much he can drink as he doesn’t like the taste (even mixed with juice), he has a belly ache and really needs to go, plus we go on holiday on Monday so are desperate to get him sorted before. Can anyone recommend anything else we can give him? I’m talking medication, not a natural laxative as they don’t seem to work and we need something that will work fast. Something like that Ducolax chew for kids looks perfect but they don’t sell it over here. I take the adult version every now and then and it works in like just a few hours. Gutted that they don’t sell the kids version over here.

in case anyone asks, this is an ongoing issue and he is being referred to a consultant, in the meantime we’re just being told to give him movical when he gets constipated 🙁

It does taste rank

so many kids refuse /don’t want it

For getting movicol in, whilst the ideal is water, you can basically use any non boiling liquid. Taste buds work best at room/body temp, so fridge cold can help. As can using a straw. Milk shakes, hot chocolate, jelly, I’ve even known desperate parents stick it in gravy! At 8 you could phrase it as a scientific experiment, as to what makes it least disgusting.

There are also orange and chocolate flavours available, though we have never risked it as didn't want to be stuck with something awful for a while month.

I have used glycerine suppositories for my daughter a couple of times and within half an hour she was feeling so much better.

Another vote for the glycerin suppositories.

Work so fast.

So why don’t doctors give glycerin depos rather then movicol

It's a good question. OP NICE guidelines here - see para 1.4.3 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg99/chapter/Recommendations

It definitely doesn't say "just keep trying movicol".

Lactulose works really well and quickly. Not a long-term solution but you can buy it in the pharmacy and it solves the initial problem.

My son was severely constipated at the same age and had been for two years at this point. After two years of to -ing and fro-ing to the GP and a toilet training clinic, on huge doses of movical, he was eventually diagnosed with crohns disease.
Obviously there were other symptoms which I didn't realise were part of the same problem, like massive sores around his mouth, ulcers inside his mouth, severe stomach pain, and many more. But I am not medically trained, and it still the doctor didn't link any or these symptoms for two years until I insisted on other tests.

I am not saying this is what your child does have, just keep an open mind, and maybe ask for other tests to be done to rule anything else out.

I’ve got Crohn’s disease, I’m currently sat here psyching myself up for another laxido 😞
you are right to flag this up because a lot of GPs will not consider this. And some people will blame diet when the real problem is inflammation and high fibre can aggravate the inflammation.

There's all kinds of things but you need to see a Dr
Movicol will work but it can take a while
My son has chronic constipation and has movicol ,sodium picodulphate ,and Bisocodyl suppositories
Unfortunately it can take a while 8f he's impacted.

Glycerin suppositories are not very effective ime ,and movicol is used more as long term thing to keep on top of things or for a disimpaction,regime.

He doesn’t have any other symptoms other than the constipation, but I will keep this in mind xx

Thanks everyone for all your help. We saw the doctor today, he checked his stomach which is not hard or painful, and the fact that he is breaking wind is apparently reassuring! So docs advice - more movical!! Up to 12 sachets over 24 hours if we need to to clear him out, although there’s no way I’ll be able to get him to do 12, he was heaving on the last dose before bed 😔 Hopefully the poo will come in the morning 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 thanks again all xxx

Lactulose works wonders for one of my kids who has problems with constipation.
Plus oj and plenty of water

I know it's frustrating but it will come eventually movicol works really well
In my sons case he's severely autistic with severe learning disabilities so getting movicol down him is an issue he also with holds his faeces
But assuming your son is typical and will drink the movicol you should see some results
My advice would be don't make any plans for the next few days ,stay home near the toilet as he might make frequent vists there good luck👍

I echo all the previous posters who say glycerin suppositories! You don’t need a prescription for them (you can even get them on Amazon!) and they work very quickly. My dd had a severe
impaction and even after a full disimpaction regime with movicol she was not going regularly. It ended up being senna, lactulose and glycerin suppositories which were our winning combo but the suppositories are still used occasionally now she’s no longer on the oral laxatives!

Have you tried a glycerin suppository? My son is on regular Movicol. When he has a real blockage, a suppository really helps. He says it doesn’t hurt to insert, it pops in really easily. It usually gets him going within 30 minutes.

You can purchase them over the counter in Boots pharmacy, or on Amazon if you have time to get them delivered before holiday.

Oh, I should really learn to read all comments and not filter by OP’s post 😂 I had only checked yours to see if you’d found a solution yet or not.