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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To defy DH over toddler's medical treatment

48 replies

Bringmewineandcake · 08/02/2015 21:57

Our 2.3 year old daughter has been prescribed movicol for the last 3 weeks to help with chronic constipation. Prior to that she took lactulose for 6 months which did absolutely nothing for her. Since starting on movicol she is happily and easily pooing every day, whereas before she could spend all day in pain and tears, knowing she needed a poo but not being able to get on with it.

A few times over the 3 weeks DD has behaved like a crazy thing. Bearing in mind she is 2 and so likely to act out and push boundaries right now.
DH has searched online for evidence that movicol is linked to behaviour issues, and is using a thread on netmums as support for his argument that we should stop using it. There is no medical evidence of a link, and for each mum saying their child had issues, there are 3 saying their kids were fine.

I don't want DD to suffer with her bowel movements and right now there's no plan for it to be a long term measure. I've told DH that she will continue taking the movicol and so he's gone off in a huff because "his opinion doesn't matter".

AIBU? Does anybody else have either a good or bad experience of movicol? Just to put it in context, DH comes from a fairly hypochondriac family where no one ever has a cough/cold, it's always a chest infection etc. My family are more the kind to downplay illnesses and just get on with things. I don't want to underestimate the possible impact of movicol, but at the same time I don't see the point in jumping to conclusions.

OP posts:

Caronaim · 08/02/2015 22:00

Being distressed and in pain isn't going to help her behaviour long term, is it. yANBU

Fairylea · 08/02/2015 22:01

If its helping her I would continue with it and just try to cope with the craziness. To be honest at 2 I'd be unsure how much of it is just "terrible two's" anyway. My ds is 2.8 and is a nightmare most days at the moment! It may be nothing to do with the medicine.

CoolCat2014 · 08/02/2015 22:02

I've no experience of giving it to a kid, but when I've taken movicol it's not had any odd side effects. Could you do a test week to show him it's not the drugs?

DoJo · 08/02/2015 22:02

Is the occasional bout of manic behaviour worse than the daily stress of trying and being unable to poo? Because even if he is right (and of course I'm not saying he is!) then surely any decision has to be made in her best interests rather than not taking something which has been prescribed by a medical professional on the basis of an unsupported scare from Doctor Google!

DixieNormas · 08/02/2015 22:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DoJo · 08/02/2015 22:03

Also, if he's not prepared for unexplained oddness from a toddler, then he is going to have a shock - movicol or not!

TheGirlWhoPlayedWithFire · 08/02/2015 22:04

Movicol is used in our house for a child who has taken it daily, for several years Fantastic stuff (if a bit icky tasting).

It definitely prevents serious impaction, and gets everything moving more easily.

Could it be that your DD is more active because she's no longer feeling so constipated? It's not necessarily the ingredients in movicol - more that feeling better means she has more energy to run around?

Please don't give up the movicol without discussing it with the GP. If your DH has concerns he can go with you to discuss these.

katandkits · 08/02/2015 22:04

I guess his opinion is more informed than that of the doctor who prescribed it, with 7+ years of medical training? No, he is just going off somethin he read online. If he is concerned he needs to raise his concern with her doctor in my opinion

mousmous · 08/02/2015 22:06

the package leaflet doesn't mention behaviour changes at all.
your dd is 2. 2 year olds are world famous for being challenging. it's the 'terrible twos' for a reason!

ChippingInGluggingOn · 08/02/2015 22:06

My friend has to give her older DS Movicol,everyday. Has done for a couple of years. Occasionally they 'have a break' to see if his body is coping better or not. He's no different 'on it' or 'off it' mood wise... Well, possibly happier on it, because he's not in pain or having 'horrible hurts poos'.

He doesn't drink much and I think that would probably help him a lot though.

DH is being 'odd'.

PintofCiderPlease · 08/02/2015 22:06

Movicol has been a god send for my DS.

It is one of the best ways of dealing with constipation, all it does is redirect water towards the bowel, to make the poo runnier. If she's been constipated for a long time she may have distended bowels, so will need to take movicol while her bowels shrink back to normal size.

HumphreyCobbler · 08/02/2015 22:06

I too was going to say perhaps your DD is more active and pushing boundaries because she is no longer in pain/horribly constipated?

GetSober · 08/02/2015 22:07

If "his opinion doesn't matter" it may be because he has based it on ONE thread on ONE Internet parenting forum...it may carry more weight if it came backed by even a single actual medical professional. Talk to one of them before you change your DD's treatment. Hardly any drugs are entirely free of the risk of some side effect or other. Treatment nearly always involves some cost/benefit analysis on that score.

It sounds as if your DH may have pre emptively decided he didn't like the idea of the movicol, then gone looking for evidence to support his view.

To answer your actual question, DS1 was on movicol for several months last year, and we didn't notice any behaviour change.

Finola1step · 08/02/2015 22:07

I'd carry in with the medication.

Her behaviour could be linked (highly unlikely) or could just be a touch of what can happen to 2 year olds.

She may also be experiencing something else. Sheer joy, relief and a level of physical comfort that is just fab. She may be a bit "giddy" because she's no longer uncomfortable and in pain. If so, she'll settle soon enough. Leave her be.

codandchipstwice · 08/02/2015 22:09

Just to add my dcs behaviour when impacted was far far worse than any medication side-effects (and I've never noticed any effects fro me or dcs taking movicol, and I normally get every side effect going us a few extras gor good measure).

Is it possible she could have been subdued die to being bunged and she's 'normal' now as she's not so uncomfy?

HappySeven · 08/02/2015 22:09

My DD was on it for almost a year and I didn't see any change in her behaviour. (I've also been on it and didn't notice any in mine either!)

gussiegrips · 08/02/2015 22:09

we love movicol here.

TBH, when they're off it, MY mood goes squiffy.

Drink lots, eat well, take two sachets mixed in yogurt every morning and mum's happy...

evelynj · 08/02/2015 22:10

Is she behaving out of character? Normally I'dsay he's just hypochrondriac butwould be worried if she didnt seem herself. My ds had an awful reaction to some medicine for opening his airways a couple of years ago. He became intensely afraid of clocks & radiators & heard noises. very scary stuff for a 3 year old. We thought it was just being unsettled from a hospital stay them few weeks later, I researched the drug more & found a lot of children with bad reactions to it, some suddenly after using it successfully for months/years. There was one report of a 5 year old who said he wanted to die. I stopped using it immediately & he was changed back to his old self in 2 days.

Marchhairy · 08/02/2015 22:11

Movicol isn't absorbed into your system - just stays in gut to pull in water and soften everything up. So it won't cause bad behaviour.
I have a 2 year old and the only time he isn't caising trouble is when he's ill- so the movicol has probably just made her feel well enough to behave like a normal 2 year old.

DishwasherDogs · 08/02/2015 22:11

Ds2 had rare side effects to a drug (not movicol though), and he was a crazy thing all the time.
If the crazy times is new behaviour, I would suspect side effects, and I would do as someone suggested and do a test week or so, to prove it or not. It may just be normal toddler behaviour, but I would want to rule out side effects.
Having manic episodes will probably not be nice for your dd to experience, if indeed they are caused by the movicol.
If it looks like it is the movicol, I would then discuss with your GP if there are other options to try. I would also fill out a yellow card form for adverse reactions to drugs.

youarekiddingme · 08/02/2015 22:11

I've not known it to have behavioural side effects and I've given it to at least 35 children over the past 10 years regularly.

Constipation however does have an effect on behaviour and sleep.

I'd continue giving it personally - but then I also give it to my ds!

BMO · 08/02/2015 22:12

Can you both go to the GP and get their professional medical opinion?

DishwasherDogs · 08/02/2015 22:13

Evelyn - x posts - singulair?

JustWantToBeDorisAgain · 08/02/2015 22:14

Have 2 children on movicol for many years ( unrelated problems) absolutely no problems with behaviour issues, agree with marachhairy movicol just draws fluid into the gut to soften the stool.

If she is pain free keep going!

Original poster

Bringmewineandcake · 08/02/2015 22:14

I love you guys
I'm also aware of the irony of using one thread to support my plans, whilst ignoring DH's thread of choice.
I will take the craziness over her suffering any day! It's been 3 weeks, we're due back to the GP in 3 weeks time so I'm just gonna keep an eye on the situation.

OP posts:

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