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Children's health

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Original poster

Experience with movicol in 13 yr old with SN please??

45 replies

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 06:12

Iv just found out my poorly 13 year old is completely chock full of poo. He’s been ill all year, has bloods and stool samples, severe diarrhoea and only find out yesterday after an X-ray he is severely impacted. Had already made a complaint through pals. He also has a prolapse so things have been very fraught.

I am very glad to hear it’s nothing sinister which was my fear all year so things could be much mush worse. However he has adult dose movicol to take for the next 4 weeks. I only have experience of a baby on movicol so please can anyone share some tips or experiences?

He has SN so I’m worried about how he will cope with this? The paed said 3 sachets Monday to Friday when he’s at school and 4-5 at the weekends. I queried this with the pharmacist as I said that was a lot andhe agreed. He said start on one sachet and see how he reacts to it. Iv never had movicol but I know its rank and I don’t know how to get that many sachets in him?! Paed said give to him in the morning but pharmacist say that’s ridiculous when he’s going to school as it will work once he gets there so I will be giving it to him when he gets home. He travels in a taxi to school so I don’t take him..... I can’t really drive him myself so that isn’t really an option.

Can anyone tell me how this is likely to affect him? He already has diarrhoea and I’m worried this will make it worse and he won’t be off the toilet and soiling himself? School have been great and spoken to him and given him a private toilet the kids don’t use and I will put spare pants and wipes in his school bag. Can anyone help advise me please? How do I get it in him if it’s rank??

OP posts:

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AngelaScandal · 01/10/2019 06:16

My 3 year old was severely constipated and we put it in squash. No problems taking it. Also don’t know if you pay for your prescriptions but there’s a generic called laxido which was cheaper than movicol

Difficultcustomer · 01/10/2019 06:20

I have taken movicol, btw there is another brand if the taste is part of the problem. I would contact the paediatrician to ask why they are suggesting those timings and dosages. They do seem strange. You can decide to go with pharmacist, but make an informed choice.

I hope it gets better soon.

ticking · 01/10/2019 06:21

I think you need to check again with the GP. Advice for impaction is to do an increasing dose. With my DS we did this in half term/holidays usually, or kept him off school. It is something like 1 pack day 1, 2 packs day 2, 4 packs day 3, 6 packs day 4, 8 packs day 5, 10 packs day 6, 10 packs day 7. NOTE this is the advice for child movicol, and is on the instructions in the box.

You have to be near a toilet. School would not be an option.

You put it in squash and it's not so bad.

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 06:34

I didn’t agree with the paed but didn’t want to say why in front of ds hence why I asked the hospital pharmacist? This is adult movicol as he is over 12, that’s what worries me as I’m guessing it’s stronger?

The school nurse also didn’t agree with giving him it in the morning before school.

It says on the box under faecal impaction adults, adolescents and elderly: 8 sachets daily all of which should be consumed within a 6 hour period. Treatment can be taken for up for 3 days.

He is having this for four weeks?!?! He told me 3 sachets Monday to Friday and 4-5 at the weekends for 4 weeks??

I’ll try to speak to a gp but very very unlikely I’ll get a phone call for weeks....

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Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 06:35

I can’t keep him off school for four weeks!!

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Groovee · 01/10/2019 06:48

I was impacted after surgery and got lactalose and movicol.

I had to take double doses for the first 3 days before it worked with lots of water. I did need to be close to the toilet and once it started I did panic but as long as I was near the toilet it was better.

When I was away on camp, I had a child on it and mum mixed with diluting juice to make it taste better for her.

Hoping it works for him as there is nothing worse.

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 06:53

Is he going to be in pain? Like when you get a d&v bug? How bad are we talking here, liquid poo pouring out every hour or is it going to be like when you’ve had an enema (bitter experience many moons so and don’t wish that on anyone!)

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Groovee · 01/10/2019 07:02

Mine was like a slow moving 💩 it took time over the afternoon evening.

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 07:10

So what will happen to his current diarrhoea (the over flow) will his be worse?

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Landlubber2019 · 01/10/2019 07:15

my 10 year old refused movicol as he explained that when he needs the loo, he has little time to make it. Once I knew this, I never asked him to take ugly before school .

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 07:18

Yes no way am I giving it before school definitely. So how long does it take to make things move? He gets home 445pm if I give it then, he won’t be still on the loo at 11pm will he? I really want to try to make it as stressless as possible for him as he’s really struggling.

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Nogodsnomasters · 01/10/2019 07:24

My 5yr old took it for 2 weeks last month, a much smaller dose as he was not considered impacted just yet as we caught on to it early but he was already have many many bowel movements each day and straining with them even though they appeared soft so clearly the start of an impaction. Anyway he drank his in squash to take away the taste (he also has asd) and its not a massive quantity of water they go in so he was able to drink the whole satchet within 5 mins or less. They started working the next day as he was on 1 satchet a day. I was also expecting massive diarreah like a d&v bug but it wasn't quite like that thank goodness.

Jent13c · 01/10/2019 07:33

I'm not a peads nurse and only deal with faecal impaction on a ward level (admittedly old peoples bowels rather than kids) but I would follow the consultants advice. Keep him at home a couple of days and get it all out of his system. He must be so uncomfortable and I would have serious concerns about him having overflow for so long, that means that the muscle that holds his poo in has been stretched open for a period of time. He needs to get all this hard stool out as soon as possible. If it was an adult we would be hitting him with 3 different oral laxatives and an enema!
Theres excellent advice online from Eric and also NICE guidelines you can access. But you are aiming to have some good bowel movements going into watery poos containing solid chunks by the end of the week.

One sachet a day is a maintenance dose and will do nothing for such severe constipation. It's likely he will be on a maintenance dose following a good clear out to stop him having the issue again.

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 07:36

Thanks jen nice to have a medical opinion. I don’t know what’s caused it and I’m pissed off they left him so long. I can’t keep him off school as if he has time off it’s hard getting him to go back. Is he likely to end up leaking/soiling?

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Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 07:37

Will there be anyway to get another X-ray to check it after 4 weeks? I won’t be able to get an app with the paed no way. He has no follow up booked at all, nothing. Paed said wait for surgeon to contact but could be 3 months?? What do I do in the mean time?

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sorrythisusernameisinuse · 01/10/2019 07:45

I use this- it's the best tasting one out there tbh. My specialist says his young daughter takes it with squash so maybe do that? I agree with your doctor to take it before school as it can take a while to work. I'd do one in the morning and one in the evening to begin with then you can reduce/increase when necessary. It's the best one that I've found to work. There's also Lactouse. It's basically a golden syrup laxative. If he's really struggling with the movicol I'd try that but brush teeth extra well and don't take it long term as it really is just pure sugar!

Starlight2004 · 01/10/2019 10:07

Overflow might be worse as it starts working but if impacted usually you would gradually increase the dose from 1 up to 5 sachets per day. Which can be given all at once or split into 2 doses. I give this at night not on a morning. They may need to add in a stimulant laxative such as picosulphate if it doesn't seem to be working after 5/7 days.

BabyST · 01/10/2019 13:27

Movicol isn't actually that bad. You can mix it with Squash as someone mentioned above. Delaying giving him the movicol could cause a complete block but I agree that the does is not the best. Although on the back of you give him the recommended does he will have very loose or watery poo. It shouldn't have baby vomiting unless it's 💩 vomit when then you have a serious problem

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 01/10/2019 14:48

I will be mixing with his drink but I’m more worried about how he will be on it when he already struggles and I don’t want him soiling/messing himself at school as I will never get him back in. Iv got a gp phone call tomorrow to ask them about it as Iv had conflicting advice on when to give him and how much.

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Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 02/10/2019 16:11

Ok so he had two sachets at about 215pm and he’s had ALOT of diarrhoea. I spoke to the gp earlier who said he won’t get diarrhoea and how it will flush through but taking solid poo with it, which it isn’t.

I’m trying to keep him upbeat about it, I said just try to think each time you’re going is one step to being empty etc.... this is going to be a hard slog...

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Grammar · 02/10/2019 16:19

Movicol isn't a bowel stimulant like Sennakot, so shouldn't cause stomach cramps. I would keep him at home for 2 or 3 days and keep with the paed's dosage and instructions.
He has a lot of stool to get rid of and the diarrhoea is just fluid bypassing the solid stool.

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 02/10/2019 16:36

He has cramps? Is that a bad thing? Not needing pain killers but he says it hurts....

When is he likely to do a solid normal poo?

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NorthEndGal · 02/10/2019 16:45

At this point it is most important to get the poo out, so time off school may have to be a possibility. Its better to deal with it at home than have to go to the hospital and do it there.
Hopefully he will be feeling much better soon!

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 02/10/2019 16:52

Yeah as I said I think tomorrow and Friday off.... it’s annoying as he only has 2 weeks until half term and then he’s off for 2 weeks so it’s such a shame I couldn’t start him then but this needs sorting now.

OP posts:

Original poster

Wonderingwhyme · 02/10/2019 16:58

He’s back on the toilet again. Is 2 hours about right for it to work? Maybe for the next 4 days (if I keep him off school) he could have them in the morning? I just hope he isn’t woken in the night to go...

OP posts:

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