Trapped gas-can’t do this anymore

[Itneverends77]

Dd is almost 4, she’s had stomach pains since January. We’ve been to the doctors and hospital numerous times, she’s had various blood and urine tests-all negative.
Two eco scans have showed gas and one x ray has shown she’s impacted with poo and air.
We've been disimpacting with 8 sachets a day of Movicol for almost 9 weeks and started pico drops last week. Nothing has changed. Her behaviour has completely changed, she’s currently running around, shouting, tormenting the dog, she jumps around, throws things, sometimes hits me.
She has tummy ache from when she wakes, and on and off all day.
I feel like I’ve lost my little girl, so frustrating and upset to see her in pain everyday and not be able to help her, feeling so exhausted dealing with her behaviour, we can barely attend friends parties or play dates anymore, it’s impacted our life.
She’s due to start school in September, but I don’t see how she can, she’ll disrupt the class and teachers with her behaviour, when it’s not her fault, others would see her a just a *Naughty girl, but she really isn’t.
We’ve tried stomach massages, hot water bottles, gas drops, paracetamol medicine…nothing works.
I feel like the doctor has just sort of come to the end with it and really can’t offer me any more advice now…feeling quite desperate.
Has anyone been through similar, at my wits end

@Notodaynotever The x ray showed poo and gas and the eco scan just gas.
The dr said she has child patients on it for years and it’s fine, but I don’t want her to ‘Just be on it for years’

@Poppyseed14 Thank you, I read and had wondered about fructose too, that hasn’t been mentioned by the doctor

@Shiningstarr She occasionally has a solid poo but i’d say it’s mainly watery and splattery poo (sorry tmi) if it’s overflow, how do we stop that? And make sure the real poos get out?

@Onlyforcake What do you mean by mask noticeable changes?

@itsgettingweird I'll try that, thank you, she tends to run around and jump onto the sofa on her tummy when it’s bad 😞
How long did it take for it to work for you? Was it fine afterwards?
Dd is on 8, it’s the maximum for her age

My son has long term issues with constipation - the best thing we’ve found is a supplement called Oxypowder and one called Caricol, which is a papaya purée that comes in a tube. He still takes Movicol but only one sachet every other day now.

My DS's constipation was being treated with movicol for YEARS until we discovered he was lactose intolerant. We switched to lactose free and he's not had any problems since.

@Itneverends77 what’s a typical day of food like for her?

For babies you can use Frida windi, I just checked and looks like there is no age limit. Could be a solution to freeing the gas.

@Glitternails1 Well, now it’s all over the place…previously a very good eater, no issues, ate everything. Now, she won’t sit properly for a meal as she tends to feel uncomfortable so darts about after eating. She eats a small amount then doesn’t want more, then will eat more throughout the day. It’s hard to stick to proper meals as she wants to snack now. I don’t push her to eat more and just let her go at her own pace.
She generally has wholemeal toast and fruit for breakfast, sometimes a yoghurt a bit later-she picks at all this but would have eaten it all for breakfast before. We’ve been advised not to have cereal so there’s not many options, we sometimes have eggs. For lunch some salad veggies cut up, she likes this as it’s snacky, maybe a sandwich/wrap or soup or pasta-again she’ll only eats bits. Dinners at the moment are salad based with maybe chicken & potatoes or tuna, or she had fishfingers with peas and wedges today, followed by fruit. She has ice cream now sometimes and a few crisps etc. We eat a real balance with no good or bad foods. she’ll hardly eat any of the meals though, whereas she ate a good amount before. If she eats more I notice she’s worse the next day

@ClaryFairchild We cut out milk for weeks and no difference, the Dr said no need to cut out cheese, yoghurt etc as it was in such small amounts 🤷🏻‍♀️

You need to:
Google the poo nurses website and watch the whole video.
Speak to the ERIC help line.
Get a second opinion, privately if necessary
Regular glycerine suppositories are an essential part of disimpaction
Investigate dietary intolerances
Be aware that this can be a psychological problem, it is a family problem and it is worth examining family dynamics and relationships.
It is an awful, but common, problem. It needs the whole family on board with treatment and maintenance. This aspect is often overlooked and IME is vital.
I feel so sorry for you because i have been through this.
I was warned that it takes at least twice as long as the problem has existed to fix it. It is a long process and has to be consistent. Every time you deviate from the routine/treatment you go back to square one.

@Kona84 I've thought about that but not sure as she’d hate it and everything is already such an issue for her

Havent read it all but just a note to think about-coeliacs disease. Fits all the symptoms. Look at Coeliacs uk for info. You can test negative on a blood test and still have coeliacs disease- they need to do coeliacs gene test not ttg. And also endoscopy.

@Itneverends77 it’s quite alarming that she used to eat proper meals (which is good) and now just snacks. Her tummy will hurt if she is accustomed to not eating a lot and then starts eating normally.

Are the sachets you’re giving her high in fibre? Too much fibre can hurt your tummy and make you gassy and constipated. You could also cut back on the fruit and raw veggies - maybe one a day. Serve cooked veggies instead as this is much easier on the stomach.

www.healthline.com/health/low-fiber-diet#what-to-eat

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+poo+nurses+youtube&docid=607989115468067984&mid=49DD2E849274B7DB613B49DD2E849274B7DB613B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

@endofagain Thanks so much, I’ve done the majority there aside from the glycerin suppositories. Would they be ok to do aswell as the Movicol and pico? It seems like such a lot.
How long did it take you? Was your dc ok once disimpacted?
I’m hoping it’s not psychological, she was a great eater, great on the loo, then it just happened 😔

Just looking at your OP. Something happened in January or just before. It is worth thinking about that.
So, if this is witholding/impaction, you are looking a a year of treatment/management.
So it is really important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment program and stick with it.

Oh man. Your daughter sounds how I was as a kid. Your doctor is fobbing you off. She has allergies and is constipated and just movicol won’t work. I have gluten intolerance and a lactose intolerance and all my bloods came back normal. The only test that proved it was an endoscopy and biopsy.

take your daughter to the hospital and demand she be seen. It breaks my heart knowing how uncomfortable and in pain she will be. Liquid stools aren’t enough she needs to go properly. The hospital can run scans and give better treatment.

@Glitternails1 The sachets are medical sachets designed to make her go.
She’s only eating a bit at a time as it hurts her tummy and I’m assuming makes her more full. I’ve told the Dr all this, but she only weighs her and says at the moment she’s within range and that’s ok.
Dh and I have noticed her legs are slimmer, she’s always been slim, but she is slimmer, it’s all so worrying and making me so upset, shouldn’t they be sorting it!

@endofagain She started to complain of tummy ache in October but it was only occasionally so we weren’t sure. In Jan it became more frequent and she was passing a lot of gas so I took her to the doctors & hospital then.
In the September she started a pre school part time and was v unhappy, it ended up not being a great place and I took her out. She also got funny about the toilet around that time and when I went out with her to places, she didn’t want to sit on public toilets (I’d always held her if a big toilet and she was fine) looking back it must’ve started here and gradually built up, but I had no idea and feel so horrendously guilty about it. I feel I’m letting her down but am pushing so hard with this.

@CharlotteRose90 I’ve been to hospital numerous times, am paying private also, she’s had two eco scans and one full x ray (showing being impacted) the Dr told me to carry on with the sachets. All results of blood tests are negative, they haven’t suggested further testing

It took two years. My child's problem was caused by giving piriton during chicken pox. The impaction was massive and agonising. It was horrendous. Luckily my GP was great and knew how to deal with it. It was really tough though.
One thing I learned is that once the bowel stretches it takes a long time to recover and the worst thing you can do is give high fibre.
Small amounts of porridge, stewed apple, prunes, well cooked carrots. Lots of fluids along with the movicol. No bran or fibre/roughage of any description, or you just end up with a large impaction again. Daily glycerine suppositories because the bowel loses sensation and needs the extra stimulation to evacuate. Very difficult with a 2 year old, but actually, my dc realised that the pain got better after the suppository.

A friend suggested seeing an oesteopath today, does anyone think that would help at all?

@endofagain I can’t do this for two years