Health worry (odd poo in child with chronic constipation)

[Doable]

My neurodiverse child has a lot of eating and bowel issues and daily medication.

After a 'normal' poo accident this afternoon he had lower tummy pain (reported to me by his Dad) not sure how much later and he sometimes gets uncomfortable. An evening bath seemed to help.

The unusual thing was waking up about 11pm with a very odd poo accident and dark sticky poo.

After emptying his bowels and having a clean up he settled back to sleep and I started to think 'that was really odd'.

I want to go to sleep too, I'm very tired. But should I be worried and phoning 111?

Hmmm. Could really do with a reply if anyone sees this and has experience.

It's not A&E worthy but I'd follow up with the GP or gastro. I think the most likely thing is that it is old stool that is finally passing. Has he been xrayed recently to check faecal loading?

Hi, I have zero experience sorry. I think in your shoes I’d probably let him sleep but be alert for any pain or any further similar poos, in which case I’d get it checked out. But I am not a doctor.

Thank you. Unfortunately we're away from our home GP and not going back until Sunday.
I really need sleep so I'll do as you suggest and think again in the morning. No x rays. The constipation has been treated for years. It had been getting better very slowly over a long time but worsened last term for various reasons. Gradually improving through the school holidays.

If he has a similar poo again, I’d take a photo (sorry!) to show the doctors.

I have a ds who has had bowel issues for 10 years, but I'm no doctor. For some reason this has especially worried you so I'd definitely follow it up when I got home because us parents need to follow our guts (no pun intended). However, I'd be considering what he'd eaten and drunk first as some drinks and foods can alter colour and texture. If you feel it becomes urgent overnight, definitely seek immediate help, but if he's clean, calm and now asleep, I'd just see how he was in the morning before taking him to see a GP whilst you are away.

Sounds like he might be impacted. Have you ever disimpacted him? What’s meds is he on. Seek medical advice but consider disimpacting him and then getting a better maintenance dose to avoid repeat. Maintenance doses never quite worked for us so we ended up swapping to transanal irrigation at 11years old (AuDHD) and that seems to have cured her.

How are you treating his constipation? As the previous poster said, he sounds impacted. Has he been seen by a gastroenterologist?

Thank you, yes treated under children's continence service for many years with daily macrogol and sennokot when needed.
I will follow your suggestions unless worrying developments all of a sudden.
He's been fairly ok today, no recurrence or general unwellness.