Have any of your kids had to have Picolax? Can I pick your brains please?

[mummyplonk]

Hi, ds has had overflow problems for years and they have now advised a course of Picolax to clear him out. Wow, this stuff works fast he is on his second dose today and without too much info not a lot left to come out, loads came out yesterday including four large lumps which he said hurt him a bit. I
He only managed a potato and a few mouthfuls of meat today and it went straight through him. I am no expert but it sounds to me like he is clear? However, he has been given a prescription for the hospital to take it for ten days! He is going to lose so much weight and I can't find any evidence of anyone who has taken it for more than 2 days, am very reluctant to give him his third dose in the morning. What is the most you have heard of? He is 6 btw. Thanks.

I am a bit shocked to read he has been prescribed it for 10 days! My DD2 has had picolax on two occasions, both times before bowel operations when she was aged 3 and aged 4 - it was to ensure her bowel was completely clear. For the two days before the ops we were completely house bound due to the endless loo trips once it kicked in she was literally on and off the loo constantly with hideous watery explosive diarrhoea, she had to keep extremely hydrated due to endless fluid loss. She wasn't allowed to eat, but I can't imagine the unpleasant results of eating and taking picolax.... I would phone your dr tomorrow to check.

Of course it may be that the dosage your DS is taking is less than my DD had so possibly not comparable, but it certainly sounds like a similar reaction and I cannot imagine coping with that for 10 days. What does the leaflet say? I do seem to recall it had some notes on treating chronic issues (e.g. your DS) and some for pre op situations like my DD

Thanks Nelly, yes it is very explosive and scary for him. He is meant to have one sachet a day for ten days, and I have 4 boxes of movical as well (I haven't dared start him on that as well) It seems too much for a young boy I think I will call the hospital first thing to check.

Oh my goodness I had it when I was around 16 before a colonoscopy it was hideous !! Poor poor boy !! surely after 10 days he's going to have lost weight and all the nutrients from his body ? Poor thing

Who prescribed it?

I'd look into that dose tbh - that is a whole lot. If it was the GP ring the clinic and ask them to ring you back, this should be no problem. If a consultant then ring the hospital and ask for the secretary and tell your story.

Better safe than sorry.

Do you have any follow up meds as well? Movicol or lactalose?

I had a one day / three sachet course for a colonoscopy last year. Believe me, that cleared me out and left me wiped out.

10 days would be dangerous for an adult (surely) let alone a child.

I've just run it past DH who is a dr, he said he knows nothing about paediatrics (he's a cardiologist) but that sounds like a pretty aggressive course of treatment and suggests you check it again with the hospital/ dr.

It was prescribed by the professor and Dr we had a meeting with at the hospital on Thursday with treatment to start over the weekend, even the dispenser at the hospital double checked it as they only had 6 sachets in stock. We also have the Movicol to give 3 sachets a day, He is a very skinny little boy so this will make him really underweight.

Definitely picolax and not picosulphate?

Hi Yes it is
Picolax oral solution sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide light, citric acid.
Gosh I am so pleased I ran it by you guys before I put him through hell again tommorow ;[

What happened? Did you find out about the dose?

We are also on 3 movicol a day, as well as 20 ml of lactalose and 7.5 senna as and when required (about 50% of time).

It's a very very very long road to a 'cure' but at least we are managing it ok now. dd is 7 and has been treated since about 4 but has been constipated nearly all her life She was also always very skinny and got everything going. As we have seent he constipation improve she has chunked up a little (25th centile now) and seems more robust. It's great to see.

So you are not alone, by anymeans

Thanks treedelivery, After the messages last night DH and I decided not to give him the 3rd dose this morning, it is so powerful and there was definately nothing left inside him as for the first time in 6 years his nappy was clean this morning . I spoke to childrens ward at the hospital and they said they have never heard of more than two doses of Picolax and were quite concerned, I then received a phone call from the pharmacist there to advise the final 4 sachets of it were in stock for me to collect. So I questioned him and he asked if the blockage had gone, then advised to stop the treatment straight away as it was very aggresive for a young boy. So far today he has had a clean bottom, 2 doses of Movicol and just going to see if by some magic we have something normal this evening on the toilet where it should be.
Am so pleased I didnt finish the course of treatment I dread to think what would have happened.

Gosh. You need to bring this up you know. I seriously wonder if it was an error.

My advice to you is this - do not under any circumstances be tempted to finish the movicol sooner rather than later. Keep going and going and going with it, we have been going for years. The stretched intestine that has had to hold the blockages has to now begin shrinking down to a normal size and that can take months (actually even years].

As soon as we wonder if it's all ok, and reduce or withdraw, she becomes clogged up and the old problems come back.

Just keep going. Well done! I'm really pleased you have had a good response.

Thank you for your advice, much appreciated, glad to hear your dd is now putting on weight. Will definately continue with the Movicol (that is so much easier to disguise too), still nothing today (just a small overflow after dinner, sob) so I may enquire into adding Lactalose as you do daily, I guess its juggling the dosage daily. I have never heard of Senna does that do anything different to the others?

Senna works as a stimulant, which my dd needs as her bowel just doesn't really know how to handle poo. Her peristalisis is probably weak or knocked off. It is for older children though - generally.

You can also give more movicol - although your health people may not have told you how and when and how much as yet. We sort of have free range to up and down meds as required. 3 is the standard, it might go up to 4 or 5 if she is busy or travelling or ther eis any change in routine or diet.

Lactalose great BUT it must be with fluid or it is pointless, and it takes weeks to truly kick in and make a sustained difference.

Long term. Think longterm. Treatment may well be for as long as the problem has existed and perhaps twice that.

You're getting there though. On the road. Interesting the overflow has retuned. Just shows his bowel is stretched and holds poo as there are 'holiding bays' that just aren't there in those with no constipation. That will take time to overcome.