Movicol...could it have gone fromsolution to part of the problem?

[3andnomore]

MS, 5 1/2 y. is on Movicol due to chronic Constipation and soiling.
Now, it has helped the constipation, but has done nothing to improve the soiling...we have soiled pants most days and often several pairs
We do all the things suggested by Paediatrician and will be seeing a Behavioural therapist or something like that inthe near future!
A friend of mine, a Nurse, told me, that when a person is on Movicol they can't actually feel the bowelmovement.
So now the soiling could be partly Movicol induced...couldn't it?

A few days ago, we realised that ys had not had a Bowelmovement in ages (he doesn't normally have problems) and because he got scared by now of passing it we thought we might give him something to help him along. Naughtily, I know, we gave him a sachet of Movicol and when by the next evening still nothing came, we gave him a further sachet. Whilst he has passed a large bowelmovement several times, he is still soiling and apparently can't feel it until it's to late.

This now made me even more think, that maybe Movicol now has become part of my other sons problem.

I had asked the Paediatrician if maybe a different medication could be used. Something to keep the stools soft, but maybe making them more bulky, rather than thin.
He felt we should stick with Movicol.

I just wonder now if I should try again to get the medication change or if I am totally on the wrong track? Any comments?

Movicol's rather nasty stuff to be honest with you. Have you tried all the natural methods of getting things moving? Prune juice? Soft pears?

have they not just tried lactulose yet or have you done that but it didnt work?

not tried anything like lactulose.
he won't drink prune juice...but eats plenty of fruit and vegetable and drinks plenty of water...

the movicol was given, originally, because he had been constipated for such a long time...and had a blockage with stool leaking past it, iykwim....thing is, whilst I knew that it will take some time for the extended intestine to go back to normal...I thought, that after over a year it might be time to go back to something less extreme....

We only just had a paed appointment, so, it will be a while till we see him again...should I take ds back to gp and see if we could try something else? Or would a GP be unwilling to interfere with paeditricians opinion and treatment?

bT, there is apparently no physical issue...i.e his anus reacts normal...bloodtests have been done to rule out things like thyroid probs, etc....however, he has always had irregular bowelmovemet and never seemed to like it....as a Baby,when exclusively breastfed, he could easily go 7-10 days between bowelmovement. But of course , as long as the child thrives, it is not an unusual thing in an exclusively breastfed Baby...and that Baby's don't like the motion of pooing is not unusual neither.
Than as he got older it never really was that noticeable, because he was wearing nappies....so, I only got really aware of anything being amiss after he got out of nappies at just under 3 1/2 years of age.

that wasn't bT but btw....

tbh i think you should take him back and speak to your gp.i honestly think that lactulose would be better for him.its just a sweet syrup solution so nothing nasty or unpleasant tasting.
im sure your paed wouldnt want you to continue with something which you think is making matters worse.
hope this helps a little.

Oh, I know Lactulose....very sweet, he would love it, lol!
I shall make an appointment with gp and see what he thinks....

I did mention to the paed something at the first appointment...i.e. that ms actually desn't really seem to "open his anus" when having a bm...i.e. his bm is not normal, thick sausage like (sorry for tmi) but it is really thin sausages....and I suppose that is to do with Movicol, isn't it?

Oh, I know Lactulose....very sweet, he would love it, lol!
I shall make an appointment with gp and see what he thinks....

I did mention to the paed something at the first appointment...i.e. that ms actually desn't really seem to "open his anus" when having a bm...i.e. his bm is not normal, thick sausage like (sorry for tmi) but it is really thin sausages....and I suppose that is to do with Movicol, isn't it?

it could also be to do with his anus not being used 'properly'iukwim.his muscles dont react in the same way to yours or mine?he doesnt get that urge so yes whatever comes out will come out of a smaller hole.sorry to be tmi!
make the appointment and ill be interested to hear what happens.i really do think you will have more success with the lactulose!
good luck!

thanks!
aNYWAY....JUST REALISED IT'S NEARLY 2 AM...GOODNESS...BETTER GET MYSELF Off to bed (ooops caps)....didn't realise it was that late...or early

no worries.sleep well!

Oh my your son sounds just like mine. DS is 4 and has had trouble with soiling and constipation since he was born.

We tried lactulose to start with (waste of time) and he's now on movicol. We're seeing a paediatrician on Thursday for the first time for tests to rule out a physiological cause. I'm pretty sure there is no physiological reason behind his problems - when he was tiny he had a bad bout of consitpation which resulted in an enormous hard BM and an anal fissure.

DS is stuck in a cycle of holding on, becoming impacted and overflowing. We haven't found a maintainance dose of movicol that keeps his pants clean - right now we're on 4 sachets a day. Like your DS mine doesn't seem to know it's time to go until it's too late - and like you has "wormy" poos or very soft "cowpat" type poos rather than a nice well formed one Gillian McKeith would be proud of.

Sigh - I guess we will get there in the end!

Just an update...it's namechanged 3andnomore here btw.

Well, I have made a point of really upping the water etc...and ms is now on Lactulose, and whilest we still have pooey pants...he is now able to do normal poos..no more little wormy things...and that obviously reduces how often he will poo into his pants.
And hopefully he will be able to make the connections now, and realise at one point when he needs to go!
Very relieved about it!
Had a bit of shitey weeks (literially, lol), because ys gotten back into the habit of pooing himself, he is now also on Lactulose, but only shortterm....so, both are on track now...I hope!