DS (age 5) refusing to poo - help!

[ArtyFartyQueen]

DS has suffered with constipation for quite a while now and has been taking movicol and managing too poo fairy regularly albeit massive ones.

However, now we have hit crisis point and he hadn't pooed for prob a couple of weeks and is refusing. We are still giving him movicol which seems to be doing something but he is refusing to even talk about it, let alone sit on the toilet. You can tell he is in pain but he just won't budge and we are running out of ideas.....

Would appreciate any advice!

Hasn't pooed for a couple of weeks??? I suggest you get medical advice asap! Call NHS Direct and get their advice.

When did you last see a dr? I think you need urgent advice, I agree that you need to speak to out of hours.

Agree with previous posters that you need to get professional advice ASAP tomorrow. After you've sorted this immediate issue please ring the ERIC telephone helpline (Monday-Thursday 10-2pm) for further advice about managing this condition in the longer term. They will be able to give you the time to listen to the exact problems your DS is experiencing and can offer some fab advice. They also have some very useful leaflets in their website. Www.eric.org.uk

It sounds to me like even on the normal dose of movicol that he isn't pooing often enough.

I agree that you urgently need to seek medical help. Has it really been 2 weeks since he last did any poo at all? Poor boy, he must be so uncomfortable.

Don't want to frighten you, but this is dangerous. www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/teenage-girl-dies-of-heart-attack-after-not-going-to-the-toilet-for-eight-weeks-10357533.html

Oh, poor thing, please get him some suppositories to make that first, often painful poo less miserable. Paediatric glycerin suppositories are small, don't hurt and do the trick. Keep going with the Movicol too - do not stop as soon as he has a decent motion.
You can also allow/encourage him to poo in a warm bath - warm water relaxes everything a bit and again help with passing a hard stool less painful.
When he sits on the toilet, support his feet with a stool so his knees are higher than his hips, encourage him to lean back, not forward. Rocking can also help.
Be encouraging and supportive and calm. Never tell him off over this - no doubt he'd rather not have a problem either.
The Eric website is great with lots of good advice.

Constipation in children

See if you can give him a big mug of hot chocolate, prunes or dates or apricots or call GP a sap and ask how many movicol you can give to clear the compaction. They will tell you the number of sachets to give him in addition to the norm. Then you can gradually reduce it back to his usual dose. Don't do that without checking with pharmacist of GP though.
Poor little chap....hope he poos soon.