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Food intolerance? Allergy? 2yo constipated for over a year and now has a prolapsed rectum. HELP!

7 replies

workingmumuk · 26/08/2022 20:42

So DD is 2, almost 3 and we have had doctors fob us off for ages. Can't seem to work out what's going on with her.

As the title suggests she's been having constipation for over a year and doctors just keep giving her laxatives.

But she can't live on laxatives forever and I need to get to the, er, bottom of the issue (excuse the pun!).

We feed her raisins and prunes every morning at breakfast. But if she misses a dose of laxative, the constipation is back - even with the extra prunes.

It has got so bad that a couple of months ago we rushed her to A&E because of a rectal prolapse following a very hard poo 💩

(TMI - a rectal prolapse is when the tube inside your anus comes out).

No major damage, says the doctor, the prolapse went back in by itself. Gives us more laxatives and we are sent home.

We have had 3 months of laxatives and still the occasional prolapse incident happening and doctors have said we can't refer you to the hospital to see a specialist because we need to 'wait and see'.

I'm at my wits end. We asked if it could be a food allergy or intolerance causing the constipation but he said no, you'd have diarrhoea with it, which we don't. So no referral to a specialist.

That said, I'm convinced there must be a food intolerance somewhere otherwise why would she be so bloated and constipated?

Has anyone else ever had this happen? What was the issue?

Any help hugely appreciated!

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nocoolnamesleft · 26/08/2022 21:43

Sounds like not enough laxatives. I presume it's movicol/laxido. Usually need to do a disimpaction regime (steadily increasing the doses over a week until the child poos copious quantities of gravy), to get rid of the old hard rocks of stool, then give enough sachets for months to have pooing every day of soft squidgy poo with no pain and no straining. That let's the rectum gradually recover from having been overstretched all the time that the constipation was going on.
Have you had a look at ERIC

endofthelinefinally · 26/08/2022 21:49

www.thepoonurses.uk/

endofthelinefinally · 26/08/2022 21:50

Watch the poo nurses video, it is very good. Also the ERIC website is good and they have a free helpline.

endofthelinefinally · 26/08/2022 21:54

A good rule of thumb is that is she has been constipated for a year and has rock hard poos and prolapse it will take a full disimpaction programme and at least 2 years to retrain the bowel. It is really important to stick to the regimen religiously and never miss a dose. Plenty of fluids is really important too when giving movicol or similar.

workingmumuk · 27/08/2022 12:39

Thanks for all this extra info, I'll have a look. Doctors haven't been that helpful!

OP posts:
Biatapoyata · 07/11/2022 12:09

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worriedaboutrash · 26/01/2025 23:27

Hi there, we are having the exact same issue. Did things resolve for your child? What about the prolapse? I realise this is an old thread but I hope you see this message

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