Constipated child, desperate mother, please help!

[Mammyofonlyone]

We've just been away for a week and the change in water has caused my daughter to become very constipated. I spoke to a pharmacist when we were away and he says it's a common problem.

She last did a proper poo five days ago. The pharmacist suggested lactulose which she's had for three days. She has attempted to poo for each of the last three days and both times stopped as she was crying and literally screaming in pain. Consequently I can't get her to pass the massive poo (TMI) that's causing the blockage. She always does huge poos (one a day) and this one is almost rock hard so I can totally understand why it's agony for her. I've tried all kinds of bribery but nothing is helping.

Any help please?????

Lactulose won't shift a poo that's rock hard when she's already afraid. You need something more industrial, I suspect, like Picolax. You need to get it right now though. The longer this goes on, the worse it will be. Ring your GP's emergency number and don't be fobbed off with Lactulose or Movicol (these could be used AFTER she has passed whatever is stuck, but are unlikely to work right now, which is what you need).

A glycerin suppository might help ease it out.

Sounds impacted. Needs sorting asap.

How old is she? Try lying her down and moving her legs like she's riding a bike. Prunes are supposed to be good, or prune juice. Loads of water and moving about. I had horrendous constipation when I was pregnant there is nothing worse!🙈

Prune juice and vaseline on the bum , give a small glass every few hours but dont let it go on too long if not passed a movement by morning take her to out of hours

Inserting a suppository when the DC is already in pain and traumatised though is awful (I know this from bitter experience). But yes, it COULD help, as long as she doesn't mind the insertion part (my DS freaked out completely).

Movicol/laxido.

Also here to say movicol to get back in track, and also glycerine suppository for asap-had to do it for my son, we agreed never to speak of it again, got it done, and within 20 mins it worked.

I had to resort to a suppository for Dd when she had constipation. She was so desperate I think she would have agreed to anything! It worked like a dream and she was very very relieved. Your poor Dd, it's horrendous for them

Another vote for glycerin suppositories here. Run under warm water, pop it in, results in 30min or less. Sit on towel while waiting...

I'd also recommend glycerin suppositories.
I had the same conversation with my son Pitminster ;)

Sorry Pikmin... bloody auto correct...

Thanks so much for all the advice, it was soooo stressful for us all. She managed to shift it eventually but not without significant screaming, it's so upsetting. Thank you

Ok, so now she's moved on to pooing her pants twice a day. She was previously fully toilet trained. Any tips on what I can do, I'm worried she might still be having problems when she starts school in September. Thanks everyone x

It might be that she's trying to withhold poo (because she's scared it'll hurt again) but some is leaking out. Talk to her - is she trying to keep it in? Explain that that isn't a good idea. Movicol is also good because it keeps everything soft and they stop being afraid to go - but it might take a good few weeks or even months to break the association.

Mum of a chronically constipated child here.

It's likely that as she was impacted with a hard stool it's stretched the colon. Therefore she's now emptying what was left behind further up but lost the feeling of it being there.

It's a good idea to introduce movicol paediatric for a while as this is a stool bulker. It holds water in the bowel to make the still softer. It should be used daily until she's regained control again as colon stretching means that it'll hold more stool than it should again and d again until it's sorted.

I wouldn't discuss the leakage with her unless she brings it up because it becoming a 'thing' could cause her to withhold and that will make it worse.

Thanks both, I appreciate it. Is movicol definitely better than lactulose for this? I have lactulose as prescribed the the doctor but would get movicol if you think she needs it x

Movicol is better imo. It's because it an osmotive (or something like that!). Basically bulks and softens the stool.

My ds took it for years (was on 10/12 sachets a day at one point ) - should only really need 1-2.
He now takes senna which is a stimulant because it seems his constipation is caused by week muscles in bowel. It took ages to shrink back down to switch so I'd start as soon as you can.

Definitely Movicol, poor kid. Make sure her fluid intake is adequate, and maybe have 'toilet time' where she sits on the loo and has a story to help her relax. Get her feet on something as well, step stool (stool! Ba dum tish) or similar, you can probably google optimum poo position!

Another mum of a child on movicol here. I'd go back to the doctor / nurse with her and ask about movicol. the Eric website can also be very helpful and they have a phone line / email advice service.

Constipation is the pits-we suffered terribly with DS when he was around 3 and then he was fine, and then we had a relapse earlier on this year (now 5) and ended up using the suppositories (yesterday he had a bit of trouble with a reluctant poo at bath time and said 'mummy will you have to put that medicine up my bum again if I don't do it now?!' so the memory obviously hasn't faded as much as I'd hoped!)

Movicol is magical, so get that! But don't stop it suddenly-phase it out. (I meant to say that and forgot!)

Movicol - paedatric movicol. Talk to a doctor. That's what my DC get given. It's on prescription. Ours is chocolate flavoured.