4 year old passing only mucus

[VermillionPorcupine]

Ds2 was a bit off colour yesterday and just not himself, but had no actual symptoms of anything.

He was fine and went to school today, and I got a call to pick him up because he'd had a poo accident. When I turned up to collect him he was in completely different clothes - the teacher said he'd had awful diarrhoea, had tried to clean himself up and managed to get it everywhere (including all down the front of his top!)

Anyway, I forgot the bag of clothes (wrapped in about 100 layers) so I can't even investigate what the 'diarrhoea' looked like (boak, sorry). But since he's been home he'd 'pooed' himself twice and seems astonished because he says he can't feel it coming out - but it's not poo. It's light yellow mucous, quite a lot of it, and nothing that remotely looks or smells like poo.

He's intermittently complaining that his tummy hurts but other than that seems fine - eating and drinking, running around. I've just never seen anything like the mucous. I've googled but the only reference I can find to mucous is babies teething passing 'a small amount' or adults suffering with IBS. This isn't a small amount, it's quite a lot.

Has anyone experienced this? Is it likely to be a 'normal' stomach bug, or is a GP visit sensible?

sounds like campylobacter

If he still has symptoms in the morning, I'd definitely go to the GP.

In the meantime, you need to take care to keep him well hydrated with plenty of water (any sugary drinks will just go straight through so not a good idea).

Mucous can be a sign of certain bowel conditions (I have ulcerative colitis) but I wouldn't expect a condition like that to come on so suddenly and dramatically.

I've had gastroenteritis with no vomiting in the past that did this to me in terms of no warning whatsoever and extremely liquid yellow bowel movement. It lasted 2/3 days and then I was fine, but your DS being a child you should seek medical advice tomorrow morning if he's still unwell. They might be able to give you special re-hydration sachets for kids.

I'm not a doctor though! If you're at all worried overnight, of course call out-of-hours.

Hope he's better soon.

I've no idea but it doesn't sound good, poor little man.

Usually it's just water coming out with that kind of bug?

I'd be tempted to call 101 for a bit of advice by one of the nurses over the phone.

I'm not worried about dehydration at all, he's drinking plenty without too much prompting. He's also eating a bit and seems fine in himself.

It's just so odd, I've never seen it before.

PP - Campylobactus is food poisoning isn't it? It's not something i'd thought of, I just assumed some sort of tummy bug.

Does it smell eggy? Sorry to ask but sounds like rotavirus to me. Hope he feels better - my dc1 had this at 4 and I used pull ups for 24 hrs at home!

Sorry I know it’s been 10 years but this is exactly what my 4 year old is going through at the moment - did you get a diagnosis?

@Luciemum15 - i'm not the OP but my DD had the same when she was little (started around 2yo). Hers would be clumps of mucus. After 4 years of this constantly happening every time she had a poo, she was diagnosed as coeliac. How long has your DC had it? I would ask GP for a blood test to rule out coeliac (my DD also had heartburn, which only developed the year before she was diagnosed, and she was small for her age).

She’s had it for 3 weeks now, it went away for about 3 days & she was absolutely fine but it’s back as bad as it was. She had blood tests at hospital last week but they never mentioned coeliac - I’ll ask at her appointment next week!! Thanks

@Luciemum15 Did you ever find out what this was? My 3 year old is pooping straight mucus for weeks now

@Luciemum15 @Loofah12
Hi, was wondering if you guys got any updates or resolutions? My son is 5 and he’s been experiencing mucus stools and just mucus as well for 3 weeks now.