Movicol and stomach ache?

[bear1991]

Hi all. My 3 yo has been prescribed movicol as he’s constipated (he goes once every 2/3 days, really struggles to go, withholds it - when he eventually does go they are absolutely huge and quite hard - we’ve also had a few ‘overflow’ incidents where he’s had an accident in his pants). We’re on the second day of taking 3 sachets a day and the last 2 nights he’s woken up crying with stomach pain. Has everyone experienced similar? He’s been saying on and off his tummy hurts for a couple of weeks (I assume due to the constipation) but nothing like this. Is it a side effect that will pass? TIA from a worried mumma

Probably doing its job and he needs to go to the loo.

3 sachets a day - oh blimey. Poor little mite, that is going to be quite an evacuation! Maybe see if he will have a sit on the toilet with a book or something and see if anything happens.

DS was only on one a day, even that we reduced to half once things became regular, or else he had explosive diarrhoea.

It sounds like he could be impacted in which case he might need more than 3 sachets. My son has had impaction a few times but has needed laxatives as well as movicol. If he's overflowing it generally means he's impacted. Can you go back to whoever prescribed it and ask if he might need a laxative as well.
The movicol softens it but you need to make sure he's drinking lots of clear fluids.
It's a very fine balance to get right.

Back to GP.

Poor little thing, and poor you, it’s so bloody stressful.

I agree with a PP that he’s probably impacted and will need a disimpaction regime. This involves going up to 8 sachets a day, with a stimulant laxative, to clear him out.

Go back to the GP and discuss this. It would also be worth you looking at the ERIC website to get your head around impaction, disimpaction, overflow etc.

What did your GP say? It sounds like they are ill informed about movicol treatment.

This website is really good:
www.eric.org.uk/pdf-a-parents-guide-to-disimpaction

Thanks all. I do think it sounds like he’s impacted (I’ve been reading up on the Eric website - thanks for the advice). GP said 1-3 sachets a day but start him off on 3 and see how we go.
I’ll see how we go over the next day or so and then give the GP a call I think if things still haven’t improved. So bloody stressful and I feel so sorry for him 😣

It is incredibly stressful especially when they're obviously in discomfort but the medication is out there and does work when given correctly at the correct doses. Some GPs aren't especially clued up though (I was originally told by 2 different GPs to put his movicol in yoghurt or milk, noooooo, do not do that!) so keep pushing to get the right help and if necessary children's bladder and bowel specialists and nurses are amazing.
Hope he's feeling better soon.

I would talk to the ERIC advisers & watch their podcasts & never assume your GP knows anything about how to use movicol.

Good luck op but I would reckon on a full disimpaction first of all x