In being at the end of my tether with ds? (Toilet issues.)

[bigflowerdog]

Name changed for this as people on here know me irl but I've been around for ages and promise I'm not a weird poo perve.

DS is nearly 6 and just started school this September. He's been fully potty trained since he was about 2.5 (I think, around then anyway) with no issues.

He's just started pooing himself everyday! Sometimes twice a day. It's been about 2 weeks now. We've been very gentle and understanding but yesterday it ashamed to say I got pretty angry with him. I realised he had poo all over his hands and clothes and was just carrying on as normal! He got really upset and obviously I felt like a very shitty parent.

He's also been hiding his pooey pants in places.

Today I got a call from his teacher, he's done it at school. Is this something I should take him to a doctor about? Could it be a physical thing? I yet can't see how or why it would be psychological.

The other kids are going to start to notice, it's a small community, people remember things kids did 30 years ago. He'll forever be the kid that used to shit himself.

Anyone ever experienced this? Ugh. My patience is wearing really thin with it but I want to be as gentle as possible, going in full steam clearly won't help, especially if it isn't a medical thing.

No pun intended....

More poo! I'm honestly shocked at the amount of tar/ dark treacle/ hell sludge my child is expelling.

The poor wee mite must have been really uncomfortable.

I've actually decided to never send him back to school and keep him home safe for ever. They're so bloody tiny and vulnerable, this transition stage from toddler to big kid is getting to me! He's seemed so small and needy recently.

With all due respect OP it is a,little odd how much you and the drs are willing to treat this as an impaction. Why is that?

@UnderHisEyeBall

Why is it odd to get a paediatric specialist’s opinion plus the results of several tests ruling out other things?

little odd how much you and the drs are willing to treat this as an impaction. Why is that?

Because he’s presenting with classical symptoms of impaction so the relatively harmless treatment of first line laxatives is the least invasive route to go initially.

Why Dr Underhiseyeball, do you have a better solution? Straight to colonoscopy with a small child eh? Sounds fab and not at all traumatic.

My son has cc and similar hiding of pants etc a form of control to hold it etc and I used to get cross with him until I realised I wasn’t getting anywhere. And yes they produce a lot of gross smelly poo with disempaction regime. It’s stopping it from happening again and good toilet habits from here on in; have drs actually spoken to you about that or referring to a specialist nurse who deals with these things? My son calls his the poo nurse she is very good and also good info online @ Eric.

I’ll also add that my son has never been bullied or had anything said to him at school about his issues, small school but he’s really lucky (8) school also aware of potential for something to be said so watch out for it and give him privacy and are very discreet if there is an issue in school.

Sorry, I mean't 'aren't willing to treat this an impaction'.

But, they are treating it as impaction.

We have treated it as in impaction.

He's been through a 3 day clear out routine.

Can you ask them to check his stomach again? It's not unknown to have further blockages I think.

@mankyfourthtoe I think I'm taking him back and asking for an X-ray next week. He had another huge accident this evening.

I'm not sure if that's could be because the nerves are dulled.

There are certain issues that go with CVS which include muscle and tendon weakness. It could be his anal sphincter muscles that are having problems, in which case it's not going to go away without treatment for the underlying cause. Please look at the websites that I mentioned in my earlier post.
Here is a good description of the other symptoms that people with Cyclical Vomiting may have. They include IBS and digestive disorders.
Also, if you have an official diagnosis of CVS, that's a listed disability in the US and would entitle your ds to health insurance under the Medicare/Medicaid umbrella.

This may give you something to think about while you are waiting for your next appointment.

www.fedup.com.au/factsheets/symptom-factsheets/constipation-and-psyllium

RPAH is Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit.

My DD took months to not have a full bowel even though it wasn't proper impaction after the first bit. Now we are on sodium picosulphate which is supposed to give her more of a feeling of needing to go, she's regular in that she now CAN go when asked but she still does have accidents. Just not as disastrous as the ones you are describing!

But please be aware that he may also have wee accidents in the future as if everything gets stretched and/or the bladder shrinks due to not having any room in their little abdomens, this can happen too.

This thread is a great contraceptive

@prawnsword

Agreed!

Can you not send him in a pull up whilst you find out what the cause is?

Don't be disheartened if he continues to have accidents. This is to be expected. It will take a lot longer to retrain his bowel than this and that is assuming that he has no more impaction. My ds took months, if not over a year to become 'normal'. It took me a lot longer to stop being obsessed over his bowel movements though

Sounds as though he is making great positive strides with his diet which is brilliant. For us, it was more trying to get ds to drink much more water

@prawnsword @blue25 I find that comment pretty distasteful and inappropriate. He actually a miracle baby, we had many miscarriages before him and many, many since.

Im actually (quite obviously) struggling and very worried about my child's health. Unsupportive comments just to get a giggle are really 'not in the spirit'.

I'm pleased to see people say it took their children to take a while to return to normal. Well, obviously not at all pleased but hopefully that it won't involve lots more tests and appointments!

@bigflowerdog your post is ringing so many bells for me. I’m so sorry you and your son are going through this. We’ve had three horrendous years of poo problems with my six year old daughter. We are starting to get through it, but it’s so hard on everyone and such a misunderstood condition.

PM me if you’d like to chat.

Oh - and there’s a fantastic group on FB called Movicol Mummies who have been unbelievably helpful with us, well worth joining.