3 year witholding and in pain

[Allthatjazz234]

I would be extremely grateful for any advice as we are really at a loss for what to do with my 3 year old. She is 3 and 2 months. She had a bout of constipation last weekend whilst also being very sick with a horrible virus. She has only ever had constipation once before this.

She eventually did her poo but she screamed in pain whilst passing it. She did that poo last Saturday and then couldnt go again until Wednesday. I had been giving her lactulose and she also had glycerin suppository. This second poo came out okay, no pain just came out.

During this whole time my daughter has been complaining of pain in her bum. She can't walk. She wants to be held all day. Clenching her legs, standing on her tip tooes and at times screaming with the pain. She seems in a lot of pain it is horrible. She now hasn't pooed again since Wednesday.

We had to take her to a&e yesterday because she said she couldn't wee. She was holding it in whilst in hospital but did eventually do a wee. The hospital gave us a prescription for movicol and went home. She weed during the night in her nappy. She is still in so much pain. She is refusing to take the movicol. We have it mixed in a fruit shoot but she is refusing to drink.

She is now again holding in her wee and her poos. She doesn't have any fever or any other symptoms but obviously im worried it could turn into an infection. Plesse any advice on what to do. Its very distressing for us all. She's clenching her legs every couple of minutes in pain. I hope my post makes sense I'm trying to write it whilst my daughter is on my lap fidgeting constantly.

Please any advice, am I missing something..is it the witholding that is causing the pain. Why is she holding her wees now? Is there anything else we could try to help?

DD2 was like this, the screaming was when she was actively trying to hold the poo in, it was awful 😢

It took us months to find a way to get the movicol in but it works. You need to persevere with it, try mixing it with different things. Once you have mixed the movicol with the water as per the instructions you can mix this into anything else. We used to make smoothies with mango and kiwi, or mixed it into thick yoghurt. DD will now have it added to milk.

It was a really tough time for us and she is still on movicol 4 years later but no more screaming.

I hope this helps and you find a way to get the movicol in.

I wonder if she has internal piles, maybe? Explains the screaming.

I would phone your GP up on Tuesday and ask for a referral to your local childrens incontinence nurse, considering the difficulty weeing and pooing. Or you might be able to self refer. Hope it gets better soon!

Movicol tastes less chilled
Mix with water and add to neat Vimto or Ribena
We found fresh orange worked too

It tastes slightly salty. You can mix it up and add it to food. Try choc mousse or savoury things may disguise it.

You can give a dose over a number of hours eg 6.

We used tea sets and a baby bottle and a straw, (all worked), but we were having to get lots of sachets in.

Agree Kiwi, try Ella’s or Tesco prune pouches. Fresh pineapple juice (the fridge one) helps too.

If poss get ready for bed early and dressed for the day late to give a bit extra nappy time just for now.

So much sympathy for this OP. Things to know: this is a slow steady game. The ERIC website and helpline are fabulous. Encourage her to drink lots and lots and lots and lots. And then some more. If the movicol doesn't help speak to your GP about a stimulant, and referral to specialist nurses for bladder and bowel. There is a Facebook group called movicol mummies but it scared the bejesus out of me. Best of luck

we also had this problem. I ended up making the movicol up with water and putting it on her weetabix. Fresh orange mixed well too.
Is she potty trained? We also let our daughter sit with an iPad on the potty for ages and practised ‘blowing out’, which did seem to help.

@Geminio Yes my DD is the same, she will complain of a sore bum but was screaming when she seemed to be holding her poo, clenching her bum together. Its just horrible. I will try again tomorrow with a smoothie which she refused yesterday. She refused everything today. Did it last long for your DD? I dread to think of this carrying on much longer.

@MargotMargot123 this is what I'm worried about. She eventually let me have a look at her bum today and there was a purple/blue colour around her bum hole which I've never seen her before which has me worried it could be piles. She has previously complained of being itchy before the constipation and the pain. Don't think there's any treatment for her age though?

@Pammela I will try the chocolate mousse and the ribena aswell. She is quite strong willed and seems to be able to detect even the faintest taste even mixed into others thing but will keep trying!
@Wishona thank you! It has been the hardest thing we've ever gone through with her. We can't do anything as she is in constant pain so we've essentially been household. She needs to be held all day as she's in that much pain!

@cailinvelo she isn't potty trained. We have suggested to her sitting on the potty to help her but she won't. So horrible to watch her in so much pain

The witholding is because of the pain. You need any poos to be soft and squidgy, so they don't hurt coming out, so she losing the association. Movicol really is the best stuff for this. It can basically go in any non boiling liquid. Agree with a poster above that you taste it most at room temperature, so either fridge cold or hot drink (hot chocolate tends to work well). If using it cold, can she use a straw? Bypasses a fair few taste buds. I've known parents mix it in yoghurt, instant whip, jelly (dissolve jelly cubes in hot water, movicol in cold, mix together), and even gravy.
www.eric.org.uk well worth a look.

@Allthatjazz234 its been ongoing since she was 18 months and she’s just turned 6! Currently on 3 movicol sachets per day. Stools are very soft but she still holds them. She is very strong willed. I can tell when she needs to go as her mood changes and she gets stroppy but will deny that she needs to go 🤦‍♀️ Usually she’s running to the loo within 10 minutes as she can’t hold it anymore. I find it infuriating!

She saw the paediatrician and they said it’s behavioural so just have to make it so soft she can’t hold it.

She’s not screaming, crossing her legs and arching her back anymore so life is a million times better. I think the screaming stopped within a couple of weeks of getting the movicol in.

We did try an app called poo goes to Pooland. DD likes it because it makes fart sounds it didn’t really help us but maybe worth a look.

If this is just due to a single, recent episode of constipation rather than ongoing, then I would be inclined to ask the GP to examine her. She may have piles or an anal fissure or something which could be causing pain all the time, not just when she's actually trying (or not!) to use the loo.
In the meantime, Calpol for the pain and try a warm bath.

Yes, you can get treatment for piles at this age from your GP.

The treatment for piles at this age is softening the poo enough that they can heal up naturally. So back to movicol.

We had this problem and Dulcosoft was the only thing that worked for us as daughter couldn't taste it. Everything else she wouldn't drink as it was too flavoured. We could mix this with a glass of milk and she didn't notice

Try putting sudocream on her bum it may help alittle bit..

Can anyone clarify for me. Do you have to mix the movicol in water first and then add to something else or can you add the movicol straight into say a glass of orange juice?

@Allthatjazz234 you need to mix it with the water first.
The movicol binds to the water to prevent the water being absorbed by the body, the water is then carried to the bowel so it can soften the poo.

How are things going?

@Geminio thanks so much, just wanted to make sure! It's really not good 😞she hasn't pooed in 4 days, been giving movicol and a fibre tablet (can't remember the name) as instructed by the doctor but it doesn't seem to be working. She is in a lot of pain everyday, getting worse with everyday she doesn't poo.

Poor thing. What Movicol dose? You might need to increase. Keep in touch with your GP. They might also consider adding a stimulant.

If she’s really bunged up you might need to get up to 6- ask them.
https://eric.org.uk/childrens-bowels/parents-guide-to-disimpaction/

8 even

She's on 2 movicol sachets a day and then the fibre tablet once a day. She is in a lot of pain and we are basically stuck in the house....its so bad. We have felt very fobbed off by doctors to be honest.

Ring the Eric helpline and the speak to your GP after

@Allthatjazz234 how many sachets of movicol is she having?

Sorry somehow managed to miss your update. It does sound like she is going to need a higher dose to get things moving.

I really feel for you both, it really is miserable, hope you get some help and relief soon.

She still hasn't pooed. We have upped the dosage to 4 sachets. We are going to the doctor tomorrow. Should I give her a suppository? We have used these once in past and it worked immediately but very upsetting for her

If hold off the suppository as you don’t want any more negative associations.

Keep upping the Movicol re the disimpaction regime I linked to above. Remember it doesn’t count as fluid intake- give drinks too (it binds to water to keep it in the bowel so body doesnt re absorb)

Ask GP about Senna or Sodium Picosulfate..can be a shortage of Senna in pharmacies but you can track down on line. See which they’d suggest.

Consider a bit of Calpol, as things unblock can be a bit uncomfortable.

Warm baths.

Don’t panic it will work.

Thanks so much @Wishona and @Geminio for all the advice and support. It has been the most stressful thing I have experienced thus far as a parent!