How long before I should ring OOH (if at all)?

[doughnutty]

DS is constipated. He is screamimg in pain because he's holding it in. Started in earnest yesterday afternoon so by the time I realised it was too late to call gp/hv. But only then realised I couldn't remember the last poo. Might have been 3/4 days. He normally goes every day or twice in a day if he has one poo free day. He's 2.3 and has good vocab and understanding but he obviously doesn't understand the concept of "no pain - no gain"

He's passing liquid which soaks straight into his nappy, but what's left is like sand! Really gritty. DH and I have been trying to pull it out when we can but it's really difficult and we're scared of hurting him more.

He had a bout last week but he was ok in himself. This time he's lethargic, shivery and hot while he's straining/holding. Hasn't eaten much today and can't force him to drink much. I have got some orange juice in and a wee bottle of flavoured water (won't drink it straight).

If not doctor worthy, what else can I do. I'm almost as distraught as he is.

Haven't had time to get back before now.

He's in bed but not sleeping yet, though quiet-ish. I think he's still cramping as I hear a wee moan occassionally but I just changed him and there's no change.

Will phone doc in the morning if the gritty poo is still there. On a positive note, (I think) he farted a few times after his bath. He's normally very prolific but haven't heard him fart in days.

Think he's going to end up in with me though as he's still awake.

Night all. Will post again in the morning.

How is he doing today?

Didn't sleep til gone midnight. DD woke at 2.30 and didn't go over til gone 4. Up at 6.15.

He's up for his nap now. DD at nursery (it's only her second proper day - first full day). He's shouting every ten minutes so no rest for me either.

He's had some food today though. Half a weetabix, a few grapes, and at lunchtime he ate a quarter of a small baked potato with a spoon of beans and a pinch of cheese. Drank a fruit shoot watered down with the movicol and a smoothie. Probably more than he's had in total since friday. But he won't sit on his bum. Had lunch lying face down on the rug in the living room.

Last nappy change was very slightly less gritty and definitely less watery.

But, he's in pain and the calpol is not touching it. Worried about giving him nurofen in case it upsets his tummy even more.

I'll call gp tomorrow if no change. Do you think they can give him anything to help him sleep. Pretty sure he's waking now through overtiredness.

If he has still not done an actual poo I really think you need to get him seen again, he's had a few days with the movicol and no result. How much movicol is he taking?
Plus if he is impacted high up and now eating again it could block things up further.
Has he a temperature?

No temp. Movicol - had 1-2 on Sun, 4 on Monday, 4 yesterday and (i think) he's halfway through the second one today.

Going to phone now. He's in so much pain.

I'd nearly be tempted to go to a&e now with him.

I second fanny, A&E. Honestly, they will not even raise an eyebrow at you taking him. I hate the thought he can't sit on his bottom properly.

I wonder if they would give him an enema? You must be so desperate to see a proper poo now.

Good luck.

Yes, I would go there, they can hopefully get the poo out and end his suffering

Wrote a long post which I managed to delete. Doc saw him this morning cos I had an app. He was writhing and crying then, so when she asked me to take him round I said no. He was partly crying cos he was scared. He remembered being there on Monday and being examined. She is leaving a script for a different laxative and a stool softener but not sure how I can get it. No one local to go for me and reluctant to wake him - he's just fallen asleep. But cramps are so regular he wakes up after 15minutes. Been in bed like this since 1pm.

Dh home soon, he can get dd. I'll take him to a&e. Wont be long now. Should have done this on Sunday. I am exhausted. God knows how he's feeling

Asked you to take him round? To a&e?

Asked to take him round.

He's up from his 'nap' and happy watching a dvd
I changed him when he got up and for the first time we've had more than grit. Only a smear but consistency is better.

The fact he can be distracted, and my sleep deprivation is making me doubt myself and lose any decision making skills I may once have had. I guess that's obvious or I wouldn't be posting on here, would I, asking complete strangers what to do with my child.

Dh just in the door, back out again to docs to pick up script, hand in to chemist, pick up my meds from this morning, to nursery to pick up dd, back to chemist to get ds's stuff then back here for dd's tea.

We have poo

Not much - about the size of a squashed ping pong ball, but at last, something.

Never, ever thought I'd be so happy to be cleaning up shit.

Still gritty behind it but finally feel that the poor wee buggers pain has some gain.

Just need some sleep and all will be well. Thank you all so much for your support, advice and reality checks. I'll keep you posted tomorrow and onwards if only to keep this in active convos in case someone else needs it too.

Hurrah! May that be the first of many dirty nappies over the next couple of days!

I hope you all get some sleep tonight, you must be completely exhausted, the worry on its own is draining.

Morning. DD woke at 2ish but by the time I'd psyched myself up to get up she'd gone back over. Result. Woke at 5.30. DS is still sleeping!

Pil are coming round later to help. Might get a sleep myself if I'm lucky.

We'll see how DS is when he wakes. Hope he sleeps and sleeps though. He must be exhausted.

Oh I really hope he's ok and manages to clear a bit today. I have read this thread as though it were my ds and I feel your pain and send (((hugs))) as I'm sure you must be exhausted too. My gran would have said an appropriate saying for this occasion 'this too shall pass'. Hope she is right and it's sooner rather than later!

Woke at 6.30. Had a smile even when daddy left for work. Fought his nappy change initially but did lie down fairly quickly.

Back to watery grit but his bum looks so much better. Think his sphincter is closed properly for the first time in days. He's still cramping but I guess there's still lots more to come.

Had a dose of lactulose this morning. Not sure if I should give him the movicol still since he had some dulcolax last night??

Any suggestions??

Very little sleep last night for dh or I. DD woke at 11. We'd been in bed for an hour maybe. Left her to cry. Not what I'd normally do but knew she wasn't hungry and couldn't drag myself out of bed. She settled herself after a short time. Just got back to sleep myself when DS woke around midnight. Was in and out about a dozen times til he finally crashed at 3am. DD woke at 3.30. Dh got up to her. She finally went to sleep at 5.30. DH up for work and DS up for the day at 7.

DS was cramping in the night. No poo before, during the night or this morning.

I had written a post yest which I managed to delete and was unable to redo.
In short, doc has just reiterated to keep an eye on him. Phone them today if I'm concerned about getting through the weekend. I am. I am concerned about the whole family's lack of sleep. DH is under real pressure at work atm so can't shorten his day today, although I suspect he'd rather be at work even though it is stressful. I am most concerned that DS is still in so much pain and we still haven't seen more than a tiny bit of poo. It's been 11 days since he had a po that could be called normal.

I'm just going to call now. I'll be back.

In kids ward now.

What a rotten time you have been having of it! Hope they can sort it out.

My children have suffered constipation and my top tips are

prune juice (but only half a cup not the whole bottle as dh once did resulting it it coming out both ends bright purple)
lots of fluid
massage his tummy
get him to stand then squat, up and down however many times and as often as you can without being over the top, make it a game.
If he is ready maybe sit him on the potty and read him a book or two
when in pain rub his back, it's calming and soothing.

Apart from that the movicol/ lactulose will help.

My daughters both grew out of it but both had very bad phases, dd1 was under the hospital for it and it lasted about 2yrs, dd2 was just under the doctor as I was much more forceful with them and had experience and her's lasted 8mths. hth

Your poor DS :(

We had similar with our DS... we realised the gritty stuff that seemed to be making him so sore was made lots worse by weetabix. When we switched to Oatibix/Ready Brek it really seemed to help him. He was on 3 sachets of movicol for days and days until the blockage finally shifted, he's still on 1 a day a year later.

Agree with massaging his tummy too.

Doughnutty, at least they should sort him out now. You must feel utterly exhausted. I hope he is soon on the mend, poor boy.

Hope the doctors get him sorted out today

They've told us to keep to the picosulphate for the next 2 doses, so tonight and tomorrow morning then go back to movicol. 2 tomorrow, 4 the next day and so on till he's on 8. Keep him on that til it's cleared then wean back to 1-2 a day for up to 3 months.

Hopefully we'll have a poo filled weekend. And, pray none of us needs a doctor because I think that fear will possibly be the long term effect.

Slept through in a fashion last night. Woke at 4.30am!!

He's off his food again though today. He's moving around better but still won't sit down as his bums sore.

We had a little more poo this morning (it may be what woke him)and some more just before bath tonight, but still nothing significant. He cramps every few minutes, even during sleep, and it's killing me watching him like this.
Paed said that it's "not pain, per se" but just his gut contracting.

I've never worried about him being off his food as he's a big boy, but he's now starting to look gaunt. Pale skinned and his eyes seem bigger, which I assume is because he's lost a bit of his chubbiness.

I'm exhausted for him and just want it to be over for him.

If anyones still reading this, how much longer might he be suffering like this? I understand that it might become chronic but presumably this level of pain can't last. At some point it has to just stop???