It's true!!
DD1 has been constipated for 4 years [shes 4.5]. We did a lot of potty sitting and straining and withholding and then passing stools up to 10 inch long and as wide as a toilet paper cardboard tube. She has been lethargic and appetite surpressed for about 3 years.
It makes me cry to think of it.
Movicol started last summer - that got us down to a movement to every 2 days, lots of it but soft and passable. But she got very little warning, mad loo dashes, it stank, soiled her and underwear etc. Still - much better than before. We tried weaning her down or off them a few times,and recently too - but she needed the movicol. And occasionally lactalose over 2-3 days.
Now I took dd2 to a chiropractor for colic - and mentioned dd1 problem. Chiro released dd2 neck over 2 sessions.
Since then, she has had one sachet in 3 weeks and now opens her bowels every 1 to 2.5 days. I forgot to give them to her for 3 days due to illness - and we realised we didn't need them!
It's like a freaking miracle!
My moral of the story - keep hunting for a cure, no matter how 'normal' the life style with chronic constipation seems from the sheer regularity of it. Our dc's wont make a fuss, they just want to play. Interesting I took new baby dd2 for her colic at 10 days - I couldn't bear the screaming. DD1 I left for 4 years as she never screamed, just sat on her potty trying her best.
The guilt.
BUT - we have a cure for now. Lets hope it lasts. Would recommend giving it a try if you haven't already. Can't hurt!