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Original poster

Teen Constipated

32 replies

MumoftheIrish · 10/08/2023 22:01

Im new here first post and not sure how this really works. I am also in Ireland (Republic) so can't ring 111. I have contacted our out of hours but waiting for the call back "within the next 4 hours"

My daughter is just 13 and over the last week with stress hasn't been going to the toilet as much. It's been 4 days since she last had a poo and tonight she is crying with pain saying she feels the need to go but can't. I have given her a child suppositories but that seems to have made the cramps worse and has made her poo very little. she is normally not constipated but we have had a very stressful week. my father in law (her granddad) died Monday.

Is there home treatments we can do for the moment until we get something from the doctor? I have given her paracetamol and a hot water bottle to help im running out of ideas. I didnt even know this website was a thing but i hope it can help

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Mumof1andacat · 10/08/2023 22:05

Prunes or orange juice

2Hot2Handle · 10/08/2023 22:06

Sounds awful for her. Is she drinking lots of water to help make it easier for her? Gentle massage around the stomach may also help and walking around the house might help distract her and encourage bowel movement.

User17865 · 10/08/2023 22:06

If she would drink it I’d try coffee and a walk and then a bath. Then try the suppositories again. Then tomorrow buy some Movicol or Laxido. They are macragol laxatives so just stool softeners. They draw water into the bowel but can take a day or two to work. You could try senokot as well or instead but that’s more likely to cause stomach ache while it works than the Movicol is. You could also look up stomach massage for constipation on you tube. That’s worked on my DC in the past. Also she should put her feet on a stool or a box when she’s on the toilet, so that her knees are slightly higher than her hips, in a squat position. It straightens out the colon so it’s not so bent. Lastly she needs to drink loads of water & eat some fruit.

TappingTed · 10/08/2023 22:07

Warm diluting juice can help- also walking… and prunes!!! Also four days isn’t that long tbh so maybe she needs to calm down a bit and relax and it will happen.

Gobimanchurian · 10/08/2023 22:08

You can buy over the counter laxatives - senna, fybogel. Lots of water and fibre.

My daughter has chronic problems going and has Cosmocol or movicol sachets on prescription, or do usage tablets. See if your pharmacist can help with any of those over the counter.

Gobimanchurian · 10/08/2023 22:09

Docusate that should read!

Original poster
MumoftheIrish · 10/08/2023 22:13

thank you Ill run her a hot bath then try suppositories with running her belly. I have send my husband and son to the late night pharmacy and late tesco to try and get buscapan or something over the counter. Ireland is a bit backwards and most things are on prescription like the movicol and laxcido.

can I ask what "DC" means?

OP posts:
Soonenough · 10/08/2023 22:14

You can get Movicol OTC in Ireland. Ask pharmist what is the highest dosage you can give . Maybe lactulose as well. Plenty of water. Prunes .

User17865 · 10/08/2023 22:14

I’d be wary of using Docusate personally if she’s not been for 4 days. I nearly went to A&E I was in so much pain when I first took some after days of not having gone. If you’re in a big city you might be able to get something in an all night chemist. Then it can be working overnight.

User17865 · 10/08/2023 22:15

Also she needs to keep the suppositories in for at least 20 mins. Best to lie on your side with your knees up and watch tv to try to distract yourself. It’s hard to keep them in that long but they need that time to work properly. Also at her age I’d use 2 child ones unless she’s tiny for her age.

itsgettingweird · 10/08/2023 22:16

Do you have a gym ball?

My ds suffers and we found laying over the ball with his tummy in the ball and rolling back and forth helped to move it.

He also has movicol but it may work for now.

Also agree with lactulose and coffee. Also fig roll biscuits and liquorice!

User17865 · 10/08/2023 22:17

DC just means “dear child”.

User17865 · 10/08/2023 22:18

Definitely get her to use a stool or box for her feet as well when she’s on the toilet and do that every time until things settle down.

ChrisPPancake · 10/08/2023 22:18

Dried dates work for teen ds.

User17865 · 10/08/2023 22:19

Like this.

Original poster
MumoftheIrish · 10/08/2023 22:49

thank you she is currently in the bath which she says is helping a little. when she gets out ill give her another suppositorie and lay her down with her iPad. The box says try hold it for up to 30 minutes she managed 12 minutes or there about with he first attempt. she is normally pretty good at drinking the water she is sporty and has been good today as far as i am aware. She drinks about 2L a day on a good day

@itsgettingweird I did not think of that thank you i will try her on the gym ball too maybe before the suppositories to get things to move. i have been googling so much. my husband is on the way home with more suppositories and buscapan. The pharmacy wouldn't give him anything else they said everything they had was for 14+ over the counter. He has gotten Prune juice and orange juice too.

I am going to make her a coffee and see if she drinks it. she normally can't stand the smell but hopefully

OP posts:
User17865 · 10/08/2023 22:54

If she can drink the prune juice that might be enough to work by morning and hopefully the buscapan will help the stomach pain so she can get some sleep tonight.

Original poster
MumoftheIrish · 10/08/2023 23:17

she has had a small poo they look like pebbles. google tells me that's very constipated. she feels sick now too but im not sure if that's a combination of pain, hot bath and strained to poo. Thank you for all the comments

OP posts:
PrimalLass · 10/08/2023 23:19

Pears and oranges. And Fybogel.

continentallentil · 10/08/2023 23:20

Fruit juice, coffee, a walk and a bath and repeat

continentallentil · 10/08/2023 23:21

MumoftheIrish · 10/08/2023 23:17

she has had a small poo they look like pebbles. google tells me that's very constipated. she feels sick now too but im not sure if that's a combination of pain, hot bath and strained to poo. Thank you for all the comments

Oh that’s good

Lots of fluids as well as fibre - it might be dehydration.

SM4713 · 10/08/2023 23:24

I too was going to suggest the exact same as the pic above with raising her feet up when on the toilet. A 'squatty potty' is a brand of one, but anything to keep her feet up- bricks, very large tins, stools etc will help. You'd be amazed that just lifting the feet up, can have an even bigger effect on easing the poo process, over all the meds etc. I'd certainly keep the fluids, movement, suppositories etc up, but please try the lifted feet method too.

KnickerlessParsons · 10/08/2023 23:31

Prunes!

Mmhmmn · 10/08/2023 23:38

MumoftheIrish · 10/08/2023 22:01

Im new here first post and not sure how this really works. I am also in Ireland (Republic) so can't ring 111. I have contacted our out of hours but waiting for the call back "within the next 4 hours"

My daughter is just 13 and over the last week with stress hasn't been going to the toilet as much. It's been 4 days since she last had a poo and tonight she is crying with pain saying she feels the need to go but can't. I have given her a child suppositories but that seems to have made the cramps worse and has made her poo very little. she is normally not constipated but we have had a very stressful week. my father in law (her granddad) died Monday.

Is there home treatments we can do for the moment until we get something from the doctor? I have given her paracetamol and a hot water bottle to help im running out of ideas. I didnt even know this website was a thing but i hope it can help

Sorry for your loss.

She needs a succession of hot drinks like tea or hot water to replace fluids as the longer it's in there, the more it's absorbing water in the large intestine. Also definitely get her to squat which opens up the tubes. Walking could help if it's not shifted by tomorrow.

After this episode is sorted, if she isn't already, get her on the brown seeded bread for breakfast to keep the bowel muscles squeezing.

Original poster
MumoftheIrish · 11/08/2023 08:21

Thank you. She’s had a restless night but hasn’t gone much. We are hopefully going to see our GP today. The out of hours doctors haven’t called back. She did drink the prunes juice and had tea. Coffee tasted horrible. When she gets up the gym ball seemed to help along with the Bath.

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