Worried about constipated DS 12

[StressedCod]

Sorry posting for traffic as I know it's not an AIBU...
DS 12 told me 4 weeks ago he'd been covering up that he's been constipated as he was afraid to go to the GP. He said it has been going on for around 8 months / since lockdown where he'd be fine for 2 weeks then be constipated for 3 or 4 days where he wouldn't go at all. He's never done number 2's daily but used to go every second day. Anyway he woke in the night 4 weeks ago with stomach cramps and said he hadn't done poo for 6 days! I was shocked as had no idea and I think I'm a shit Mum tbh for not realising. He's never liked questions but maybe I should have kept asking him over the years if he'd done poo, I don't know! Do other Mum's ask their 12 year olds this question regularly? That night I gave him some sliced fresh apple and warm water and miraculously he went to the toilet half an hour later and there was a lot of it. We eat fruit and veg daily but I think during mid term break there was too much junk food with parties and Halloween etc and not enough fruit and water so I feel guilty about that. A week later all the DC (including him) had the D&V bug for 3 days and he's had constipation episodes twice since then. I really want to take him to the GP but he doesn't want to go as he remembers going there with the same problem 4 years ago (which cleared up btw) and he was given suppositories which he hated. I've given him a mild laxative called Dulosoft occasionally which does work over a day or so but I'm worried that he will become reliant on it...

Can anyone offer advice please or have you been through this with your DC? What would the GP be likely to do or what kind of tests would she send him for? Could it be a symptom of some underlying condition? I know a lot of adults say they became sluggish during lockdown with all the sitting down, working from home and lack of exercise. I guess this would apply to kids / teenagers with too much time gaming and online classes...

No experience with children, but have chronic constipation myself.

Is he loose-limbed/double-jointed? There is some evidence that too much collagen which causes loose joints also means the peristaltic action in the gut is looser/weaker too.

Personally, I have to drink 3 pints of like warm water every day, and the vast majority of what I eat needs to be fruit/veg. I’ll be honest, it is a bit of a chore. Porridge helps me because it is soluable fibre, which helps water into the gut (as long as you’re drinking enough). Eat prunes (1/3rd of a can a day) or drink prune juice. Big Tesco’s do it for 90p a litre.

The doctor might give him Fibrogel, which is a revolting fibre drink. Does work though.

I suffer from IBS and one symptom can be constipation. I would recommend keeping a food and drink diary and seeing if there is a link. I know my triggers are onion and some green vegetables.

Oh and Lactose is great, you can buy it from the pharmacy. It’s a sugary solution that helps a bowel movement

For a quick solution in our house I offer a tin of warm baked beans and if still needed a handful of prunes.
However, when younger my DD had similar issues more regularly and it took over a month going from one doctor to another to find the fix which turned out to be movicol (worked straight away).

Have a look on the ERIC website for some advice, things like dulcosoft and movicol are fine to use long term, they don't have any effect on the function of the bowel or make it lazy, they literally just take the water you swallow it with or the water you drink daily and put it back into the poo to keep it soft and easy to pass. My daughters only 2.5, but we have been on a daily sachet of movicol now for a couple of months as she has been withholding after a painful poo that was difficult to pass - the movicol (same ingredient as dulcosoft) just keeps her stools easy to pass so she doesn't start withholding again - it has been a lifesaver. In answer to your other question, my son is 10 and I never ask him if he's been for a poo! I would expect that he would tell me if he's having problems. I think I have asked him maybe once or twice in the past how often he goes a week though.