desperately need help!

[stressesmumandwife]

i need some advice. my 13 year old dd has suffered from constipation most of her life. she can go weeks without going. i have tryed on numerous occasions to try and find help, but she just refuses to open up to anyone! she has now gone into puberty and i feel she could do without this problem too. i also see a personality change in her when she has this problem, very moody and angry towards the family. please if anyone has any advice, i would be very gratefull

I honestly have no experience, so probably not much help, but if it was my 13yr old dd and because you say she has problems opening up to anyone...I would possibly try and find some family therapy for us to go to. She might find 1-1 overwhelming, but be willing to go along as part of a family group? Has she seen the GP at any point, or been referred?

My friends' dd has same problem, but she's much younger - she had all the usual laxatives, but the real key for her was play therapy organized by the hospital. It really really helped and she's fine now.

Good luck, hope someone can shed light for you!

oh no
constipation is miserable.
Has she seen a female doctor - it might make her feel more at ease?
I'm assuming you've tried excluding things from her diet etc?

our doctor is female {not a very good one} we have also seen dietician but was told not alot they can do!

I listened to something on the radio about this. The key was a nurse-led clinic, where they took the child and parents through a healthy eating plan step by step. One of the key messages I got was that what we think of as the right amount of veg is nowhere near enough. Ditto water to drink. We need loads.

The poor children on the programme saw their lives changed. Some had had 'leakage' but all were miserable.

Stressed m&w - would it help to keep going back to gp until you get a referral to someone who can help. And I don't believe your gp / dietician that there's nothing they can do.

Good luck - and I think you're right to tackle it when she's about to hit puberty.

my problem is dd hides away from it, she doesnt open up at all. our diet is quite healthy, but she doesnt drink as much as she should. i feel such a terrible mum through all of this as i just leave it till its bad! i dont mean to just with two other kids and a time demanding dh its hard!

i know its not the same but ive been suffering from it for a bit due to my iron tablets and i get really moody and upset at everyone if i cant go, and the thought that its going to be difficult makes you not want to go as well! lots of water helps, as do linseeds on my porridge and lactulose from the chemist to make it softer and more comfortable iyswim and all bran cereal.

good luck though i hope you find a way!

Perhaps she has a toilet phobia? If she's not drinking much as well, it could be the problem. Therapy may be a great idea.

I've just remembered that a pregnant friend had great success with reflexology. but this is a short term solution.

Hi not sure if this is any use, and whether you are looking for advice on the phsycological side of things rather than the physical...

But I just heard about a friend of a friend who suffered horribly with constipation, to the point that the er, backlog (pardon the pun) actually started to poison her body.

She went to see a Chinese Herbalist and he gave her some stuff to take that she said has honestly changed her life, she looks really healthy and personality wise seems a different person too. Don't know the name of it, but not sure it's relevant as remedies are prescribed differently to individuals at the consultation I imagine anyway.

Just thought I would mention it. Good luck.

Have you seen this page from the Eric website?

Maybe you could print off some of the faq's and give them to her to read or read them together.

Could you just get her to agree to a few steps to start off with.e.g. drinking 8 glasses of water a day, eating x number of portions of fruit/veg a day, introducing even more high fibre foods into her diet.

Maybe she could decide which ones she wants to start with.

I rally feel for her, she must be mortified, I would have been at that age.