Constipation and Movicol

[chickiewoo]

Advice needed please! My son who is 3.5 has a history of constipation and has been taking movicol for last 18 months - usually one sachet a day which has really helped with the constipation even though it has made his poo really soft. I have tried to reduce the dosage on several occasions but he ends up constipated again with overflow problems. The trouble is now we have been trying to potty train him and he is doing really well with the wee - no accidents or wet pants, but is continually soiling his pants with poo. Again, each time we reduce his dosage we're back to square one with overflow and a dozen or more pairs of dirty pants in the bucket each day. I'm getting so stressed, which isn't helping matters, but just don't know what to do next. It doesn't help that he won't sit on the toilet to do a poo, though he will tell you when he's done one in his pants! Really worried that we're in a vicious circle and wondering if I should try and get another appointment with the paediatrician who prescribed the movicol in the first place? It's such a shame for him as he is wanting to wear pants when we go out, but I just can't risk it as the overflow problem is such a mess. I've tried to offer rewards for poos on the toilet etc. - but he's not interested. Also getting really stressed out with other Mums who just don't understand and say 'is he still in nappies?' - really getting me down. Any advice would be really appreciated x

That's absolutely fantastic news Poshwellies - thrilled for you too - keep us in touch with your progress.

Will do chickie-glad your clear out wasn't as bad as you expected -stay positive,its great to get support here!

Will do Chickie!

Glad the clear out wasn't as bad as you expected (I was dreaded it tbh!).

Stay positive folks,it's lovely to get the support here.

Blardy posted twice (late and too much wine )

*hic

My 5 year old son had constipation from about 1 year old & it got worse & worse until he was totally impacted & started soiling about 10 times a day by age 3. We finally found out about Movicol & after several weeks of being on it he poo'd about a half a tonne for days on end & seemed to be totally cleared out. We also had problems with the maintenance dosage, but we found that we had to let his bowel heal a bit (as it was so stretched from the years of constipation) so we put up with the very loose motions for another month on the Movicol. We then switched him to a daily dose of parachoc which had a more subtle effect on keeping his stools soft (not so loose & diahorrea-like) and he loved the taste as it is chocolate flavoured & much better than movicol. After a year of maintenance, I have now taken him off parachoc & we are maintaing with a sprinkle of Benefiber on his cereal each morning & a 1/2 cup of pear juice every day. Also lots of water & limited milk. He is now regular (well, 2-3 times a week) but is still prone to constipation if I get slack on the benefiber/pear juice. My youngest son is now 1 and has just started down the same path of chronic constipation! Aaaagh - at least we know what to do this time around. My advice is to hang in there as it is a long process of 'healing', but in the end they do come good.

I'm pleased to have found this thread. My DD (20mo) has been constipated pretty much since she was born. I give her lactulose when things are really bad and I try to deal with it just by diet (lots of fruit, brown bread, prunes, lots of water) but she still seems to be in a lot of distress sometimes. She's generally a clingy tearful baby and I sometimes wonder if she's constantly uncomfortable/in pain and if that's what's making her "difficult".
I might ask the GP about movicol.
Is it worth trying to get a referral to a paediatrician? My GP hasn't been very helpful so far.

We're in a similar boat, but in the early stages I think. Ds is 16 months and has suffered since he started solids, when he was just bf he was absolutely fine. He is now on lactulose, which is helping, but he still can sometimes have 10 dirty nappies a day, just overflow (really stinky and rich, making him sore). If I forget to give him his poo juice for a few days he really suffers, until he eventually (after about 2 days of straining) gets a poo out that is about the size of 2 bananas and rock hard - it's horrible to see him in so much pain. His two sisters never suffered like this. He is a good drinker, has a fair diet and is breastfed still, I feel as thought I'm doing all the natural things I can to help him.

The GP has said that we just adjust the quantity of lactulose to suit us. 10ml per day seems to be optimum at the moment, any less and he really struggles, any more and the overflow is so rich that he has broken skin on his bottom (and I change his nappy as soon as I can after hearing him straining).

GP listens but doesn't seem to want to do anything. I think Movicol is only licensed for 2+, and so they are reluctant to give it to us.

Just wondering how often you would see your GP, when they started to give you Movicol, and at what point they suggested thinking about food intolerances? I'm aware that treating constipation is a long process, and my heart goes out to those of you helping older kids through it. It must be so demeaning for them.

No advice, just want to tell you that I know how frustrating it is. My ms is on Movicol and he is now 6 1/2 and we still are not a step forward to get him to use the toilet for poos....we were adviced to establish loo-time and ask him to sit for a certain time, but he hardly ever poo's in the toilet ...it's so frustrating it really is...
we were under a Constipation specialist nurse, but it didn't really do anything...

my son says he can't feel it coming out, which I can believe, what grinds is that than he will sit in it, unless we smell it and clean him up....

Help! My daughter is 4 years old and has been potty trained successfully since she was 2 but just over 2 weeks ago she suddenly stopped going for a poo and kicked up a major fuss about going for a wee wee. I have been giving her suppositories and lactulose and today the doctor said she had a cut up her anus so we now have some steroid cream for that. Hopefully that will sort out any problems with the pooing if we can heel the cut and keep the poo soft. BUT my main concern now is that my daughter is refusing to go for a wee. I can see her bladder is bulging but she keeps saying she can't go and getting very upset about it. I don't want to force her but I'm worried she's going to get a urine infection. Has anyone else had this problem with weeing as well? Any help desperately needed - I am a single parent and feel like everything I am doing is causing this problem - I have no-one to help me.