GP won’t prescribe anything but Movicol.

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I’m really struggling with what to do next, my child has fecal impaction for the past couple month. GP prescribed Movicol which she just will not tolerate. I’ve tried squash, milk, yogurts, pasta sauces, hot chocolate, nesquick, cereal.. basically anything she eats or drinks which is not a lot as she’s a very picky eater and only drinks milk.

I rang the GP today and asked if there was any other things I could try but she says according to guidelines all she can prescribe is Movicol and it ‘has no flavour so don’t know how she can taste it’.

I’m at a total loss of what to do now as she just absolutely refuses anything with it in, I can’t get one down her never mind up to 12. It just won’t work. She hasn’t had a proper bowel movement in weeks and just leaks multiple times a day. I have a referral to bowel and bladder service but there’s a long waiting list.

Is there anything I could buy myself?

Movicol btw is not a laxative- it absorbs water and makes stools easier to pass

It is a laxative - this is how one of major classes of laxative (osmotic laxatives) work. Lactulose is another of this type.

It's a laxative but not a stimulat one, which can give the tummy aches. It's very gentle. Have you seen the Kent poo nurse video? It's excellent. I'll share the link in case it helps anyone

www.thepoonurses.uk/

Has your child been referred to Paediatric Gastrointestinal Specialist? I would ask for referral if not. My DS had long standing issues with constipation, we saw a great specialist, who prescribed Pico sulphate at night & movicol Paediatric in the morning, solved the problem completely, however the initial doses were large. But no problems since. When our GP saw the doses the consultant wanted him to prescribe he said that’s not something I would prescribe but he’s the expert. Good luck OP.

I used to put it in with 50/50 squash in a wine glass and let her drink it with a straw. Once she'd found it helped stop the tummy ache though, she didn't need too much persuading.

Daughter has eventually passed quite a large poo.. does that mean that the impaction could be cleared or could it just be a part that’s came off (to put it nicely).

Similar situation with my boy, he was on laxido, wasn’t doing much for him dietitian advised dairy products and drinking too much milk can contribute to constipation so I have limited how much, he also gets prune juice which helps loads

I hope things are better now. I'd still recommend getting the Paediatric Continence Team involved asap. It sounds like this is ongoing and they would stay with you until she has a good routine and you're confident how to properly use/scale the medication. It was life-changing for us.

If you mix it with apple juice, it masks the flavour quite well!

I don't know for definite that this would be okay but we had severe constipation issues in our 6 week old baby. GP eventually had to prescribe glycerin suppositories. You can buy them OTC. I remember him saying that you can prescribe for kids but its expensive so half an adult one is fine.
Tiny bit of jelly and it should go in quite easily (it was an effort in a baby 😭) she needs to hold it in as long as she can so it dissolves and then it should help x