Movicol - side effects?

[jacquiaki]

Hi all

I would be grateful for some help/advice. My daughter has had all sorts of constipation/impaction problems over the last 7 months, which has resulted in her taking Movicol every day which has been a massive help. She has been taking it for about 3 months, and we are now down to half a sachet every morning and doing 2-3 small soft poos in the toilet every day. She is much happier and relaxed about doing them - to the point where she shouts 'surprise' every time she has done one! (bless!)

However, over the last week I have noticed she has (warning of tmi!) quite a lot of moisture leaking out of her bottom, to the point where it is coming through her pants and trousers. This is occasionally accompanied by some (very soft, porridge-like) poo, but more often that not, just a watery, slightly smelly but not offensive, discharge.

Has anyone else had this? I have a follow-up appointment with the paed but not for another 2 weeks, if in the meantime anyone has any similar stories I'd love to hear them. Not sure if it is the Movicol adding too much water into her colon, or where I have reduced the dose down it is now causing more problems and I have been too hasty!

Eek help! Was beginning to think I had left the dark days of poo-ey pants behind me.

Oh, she has also become rubbish at going to the toilet to have a wee and now keeps trying to hold on to her wee, which is causing another wet patch (and yes, I know the difference between the two!!!). I dont think it is connected, but if anyone can tell me differently I will gladly listen!

Thanks for reading my post, any help gratefully received!

Jacqui

It could be that she doesn't need the help of the medication so much and that what you're getting is a sort of diarrhoea. If someone with 'normal' bowel movements takes laxatives then the gut contents will dash through rather too quickly and come out the other end quite watery. The 'porridge' effect often happens if there is a lot of gas in the mix. Does she complain of a 'bubbling' tummy? Gas pains?

Well she is only 3, so it is difficult for her to articulate what she is feeling. I asked her today if she had tummy ache and she laughed and said no. however there has been a lot of wind today, and it has also been especially bad with watery discharge - hard to tell if it happens at the same time, as she tends to run away, but I think the wind could be when she has 'leaks' (also why she runs away!). She also goes quite red in the face, which I have always put down to her 'holding on', however it could be that she is having stomach gripes. It's weird that it is only happening now, when she is on a much lower dose than when we started.

She will need lower and lower doses the longer she is on it. Eventually she shouldn't need it at all.

You need to lower the dose again as it's too strong for her - that's what the leaking is. I don't know whether the wee is connected or not. Ds always became slightly incontinent when his constipation was really bad but never noticed it the other way.

How much is she taking? If it's one sachet then do half of one. If less then you can move to giving it every other day.

Ds paed always made it clear that we could adjust the dose depending on how he was - gave us a max limit but that was it.

Ds (5yo) is finally off the stuff after being on it since he was about 18months/2yo. I still have a box and a half hanging round in case he ever needs it again.

it sounds like a dosage issue as others have said. Don't want to hijack, but just curious as to whether any of you were given a cause or a reason why your DC need movicol (DD is 18 months and has been on it since May - 2 sachets a day, although we have just stepped it down to 1.5). I know it's safe and all, but at some level I don't like her having to have it, and I don't like not really knowing why she needs it where other kids (who often eat far crappier diets) don't.

Any ideas? Was wondering if it was worth asking to see a dietician...

My DS been on it since about 18months old. Had a phobia about pooing (right about the time we started potty training - apparently it's quite common). Doctor said it could be something as simple as doing one that was uncomfortable and meant tried to stop himself from going after that. At one stage he was on 3 sachets a day but now down to just 2 a week with the occasional "blip" where we have to give an extra one!! I was told there are no long term side effects. As others already said, I would just reduce dose again and see how it goes!

Thanks for your replies.

Armadillo - she is down to half a sachet a day, so I guess its going to half every other day - just enough to help her to go, but hopefully will stop the leaking. Good to hear your son is finally off it - did you find since he came off it you have had episodes where he has had to go back on it? I am scared of going back to the nightmare of her holding on (the longest she went without actively going for a poo was 4 weeks!!!!! ) once she comes off the Movicol completely.

Drivingmisscrazy - the reason why my dd is on it is because like usedallmyideas she had a phobia about going - she has always passed very large poos which used to hurt and as soon as she realised she could hold them in that was it! The Movicol helped to loosen everything and stimulates her to go, so she can't hold on, but when they do come out they are soft and don't hurt - thus over time eliminating the fear! It is brilliant stuff, and I dont know what I would have done without it - I have finally got my happy little girl back after months of having a miserable, stroppy, constantly tired child with a massive, bloated stomach!

Thanks for your replies - I am new to the forum so it is lovely to have support.

xxx

jacqui it could be that your dd needs the dose upped for a couple of days if the blockage is building again. The leakage could be from around the blockage. I would up it to ensure clear out and then reduce the dosage slowly again. This is what we have had to do with our dd at times.

It sounds like she is impacted - I would up her dose for a few days to clear out her bowel again,

This is a good website.

My DD was on Movicol for 4 years so this is what used to happen to us occaisonally.

Oh and I was told not to do every other day by paed as it gives time for a blockage to form, Better to reduce the daily dose. But as I say I think she is impacted. Water/poo leakage is a symptom of a blockage and so I htink you need to increase the dose for a few days.

Thanks for your advice cece and juule. Could she still be impacted if she is having frequent bowel movements though? She had a poo this morning, and whilst it wasn't very big, I would have thought that she wouldn't be able to pass anything if she was impacted? i find the whole issue such a minefield in terms of trying to establish what exactly is going on inside her!

If there is an impaction then the bowel swells to accommodate it but very runny, watery poo can seep out of the sides of the bowel and stain underwear. This may be what is happening even if you think she is doing poos. If they are very runny then yes she could still be imapcted.

Well she is definitley not impacted as still been doing normal sized formed poos. yesterday I gave her a whole sachet in case she was getting bunged up again, and it has just aggravated the problem - the liquid (which is clear) has increased lots and now we are getting lots of staining of pants as she isn't in control anymore. Am therefore thinking that it is a dosage issue and it needs to be decreased!

can someoe tell me if th
their child is extreme thirst
on movicol