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Constipation in 4 year old.

5 replies

ohcarriemathison · 26/03/2019 07:29

My DD age 4 (nearly 5) has had almost 4 years of constipation.
She has been prescribed lactulose, Movicol & dulcolax.

She is seen by a consultant paediatrician who specialises in poo 💩 (or lack of).
Last summer she had got really bunged up and we used all the treatments and helped her to clear the blockage, which was very messy.
We seemed to have been moving forward with her managing a poo every 10-14 days (not great but she was doing a poo, mainly through the night).
Then about 4 weeks ago she hadn't poo'd so I used the Dulcolax again and it was helping to shift it.
On Sunday night she was in extreme pain, writhing about, eyes rolling back. I was on hold to NHS 24 and then she fell asleep so I let her sleep as she wasn't in pain, prepared to take her to the hospital if she woke up in pain again.
She slept through the night then woke yesterday morning still in pain.
I took her up to the children's hospital yesterday morning and they had a look in her tummy via ultrasound.
Her bowel is completely packed with poo and starting to distend.
They've given us more medicine and told us to keep pushing the Movicol and Dulcolax and help clear her out.
It is starting to work and she woke up at 4am with a huge explosion in her pull up so it's good the medicine is clearing the blockage and breaking the poo up.

I'm just wondering if anyone's child has experienced similar and now they are ok ? I feel she has had 4 ears of negative experiences and is an expert at holding the poo in.

Her diet is good, lots of fresh fruit and veg, whole meal bread, not a lot of stodgy food, she is always on the go. The poo wants to come out but she will hold it in. She spends time every day airing on the toilet and has a step for her feet. We have books about poo (who knew a whale poo'd pink poo)

Just looking for advice on anything else people in a similar story have tried that has helped them.

I've been signed off for the rest of the week but when I spoke to the medical paediatrician yesterday he said it will take about 6 weeks to clear the blockage. I don't think I will get signed off for 6 weeks.

If you've got this far, thank you 🙏

OP posts:
ohcarriemathison · 26/03/2019 07:31

Sitting on the toilet not airing.

OP posts:
Disfordarkchocolate · 26/03/2019 07:38

Have you tried ERIC www.eric.org.uk, children's bowel problems charity. An ex-colleague was very positive of them and she was a nurse specialising in incontinence.

ohcarriemathison · 26/03/2019 08:23

Thanks Disfor, I had looked at this website before but not for a while. Will take another look today.
My heart goes out to her, we are on the 4th change of the day.

OP posts:
Unevenbeard · 26/03/2019 08:31

DD5 had chronic constipation for around 18 months, feeling your pain op. She was on movicol and Lactulose which made her soil constantly. When we went back to the consultant they think she was reacting to the sugar in the Lactulose and prescribed senakot instead, it sorted her out very quickly and luckily she has been fully clean for around 8 months

ohcarriemathison · 26/03/2019 10:22

Thanks @Unevenbeard, I'll need to ask the consultant if he would Reccommended senekot. I winder if Dulcolax is stronger ? Would be willing to try anything.
So glad that things have moved forward for your DD.

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