MOVICOL: How long till it "works"

[shhhh]

Been using it for months on/off and can't remember how long it took to work..BUT I know in dd's case it seems to take an age.

She has suffered with constipation now for around 10 months. We finally sought further medical help on monday and the consultant she saw is pretty such she has constipation.

Its now been (possibly) 7-10 days since she last went.
She was examined on monday and advised her tummy is soft. Told to push with fruit and veg (yeah like its easy..) and to give movicol regularly.

So, I started it on tuesday. tue-wed 2 sachets a day, thurs 3 sachets and today 5...NOT one poo.

She did poo in bed last night BUT guess beyond her control. Im now thinking its impacted..

She has had this before, but how long till I see results..?

Im sick of my own voice today (and half expected neighbours to knock on and complain.). She won't poo, says she wont and says it hurts. Says she would rather go to hospital then poo .

Im at the end..............

HELP....

TIA X

Just wondering if anyone has any advice about how to make the movicol more palatable?

At the moment ds only has 1 sachet a day, though I might up to 2 tomorrow depending upon whether he poos today. He is 3 (nearly 4) and loathes the stuff. And is not great when it comes to being receptive to bribery or making the link between medicine and discomfort going.

I mix a sachet with about 20ml of neat ribena, just because it tastes so completely foul. He is getting better with taking it, but I was wondering whether you have any advice for alternative options.

I mix with with cordial as well and dd seems ok with it..TBH, she can be hit and miss as to whether she will have it. At times its because she is being awkward and is not keen on a certain drink...

I just try a variety of drink. Capri sun pre mixed, vimto,robinsons cordial, lime cordial. All drinks she will have BUT has a variety..

Does your ds "see" you make it..? just dd can be fussy if she see's me making it YET there have been times I have been honest and said its medicine and she gulps it down finished with a "yum" . The cheek of it.!

I resorted to plain ol' bribery -I mixed it up in about half a cup of orange juice, then she got something to 'take the taste away' afterwards (usually a handful of chocolate buttons) . She did always drink the lot though, so it did work

I can see that there is a magic mixer that takes the taste away

DS doesn't see it being made. We give it in a shot glass, though have also used medicine syringe, as that's how both of ours tend to have medicine. But in order to make the sachet dissolve, ends up with about 4 5ml syringes which feels like we're pushing it a bit!

right, my advice would be don't make a big deal of it..I found that when I sit there saying "drink it" she won't...so I relax a bit and put it into a non spill cup and allow her to drink it over time..(not hours but maybe 30 mins or so, thats all she needs usually). If she is sat playing /watching tv I find its ideal as she doesn't always realise what she is having.

Try and relax a bit over it as it may be your ds doesn't want the pressure iykwim. BUT then again, im no expect as you can see from the fact I created this thread !

Thanks Shhh - might try the softer approach. I do feel that the movicol seems to be working. He is getting into a more regular pattern. I'm more of an expert on poo than I ever thought or hoped I would be, even knowing as little as I do!

With ds I'm not so convinced that it's diet related - more that he had one bout after an illness and started withholding, which all coincided with the start of potty training. Feel sad for him because he is completely dry day and night but all the leakage and accidents and then nothing has dented his confidence and lead for a while to him really not having a clue about the cues that he needed to poo. So is in pull-ups until we're both feeling more confident. But I can see an improvement already and hopefully with a bit of tweaking of dosage and just trying to get him to drink more (because he doesn't IMO drink enough) will get him sorted.

I do wonder whether is hereditary - apparently I had bouts of constipation at a similar age, and still do TBH.

Well, Pooka, DD1 was sent to a paediatric urologist, as she had recurrent UTIs (linked to the constipation). He reckoned she had an immature bowel, and we would just have to wait for it to mature and kep using the Movicol in the meantime. Something like that does sound to me as if it could be hereditary/genetic.

Her bowel has matured, BTW, (she's 5) and she hasn't had Movicol for about 3 months now, though she does have very occasional 'difficult' poos, usually when she hasn't drunk enough. The irony is that she drinks a lot normally and eats loads of fruit and veg while DD2, on the other hand, never knowingly eats a vegetable and only has raisins for fruit and has no problems with pooing at all!

Hope it all goes well with your DS.

we are well aquinted with poo in this house as well...
Ds was born with hirschsprungs disease (nerves missing from his bowel) and after several op's in corrected surgically BUT still poo's upto 10+ times aday..
Its due to ds that we became so concerned with dd. Ds is younger than dd BUT we thought that maybe she had a milder case of hd thats been undiagnosed (have heard of cases of it diagnosed aged 25..) BUT medics are pretty sure ds case is different.

We are like you pooka in that dd was potty trained without any probs, was fine until she started preschool (last sept aged 3.6 yrs) and thats when it started. Her diet changed and so did toilet habits. Not sure whats happened but im pretty sure she is withholding and this is the start of her problems...

The other point about genetics/hereditory...I as a toddler also had poo'ing issues, mum said she was always looking for toilets only to get there are I didn't need .

I saw a consultant aged 2/3 while living abroard, who straight away said my bowel was immature and he said I had been a pre baby... My mum had been induced weeks before "her" due date BUT medics were adamant she had her dates wrong (my older sis was a big baby..well 8lb lol ..not big compared to babies these days and my dk's at 9lb 4 and 9lb 13.., so they guessed due to my sisters weight she was overdue by 2 weeks..hence inducing my mum 2 weeks early with me..)
So they think that cause my issues..im fine now btw, sorry for tmi..but im not 10x a day or everyday but guess everyone is different..

Thanks for reassurances. Take my hat off to you shhh with your ds's poo frequency. Hope your dd's symptoms settle.

Glad to hear that there is perhaps light at the end of the tunnel poledra.

ds now has a fair and reasonable negative association with pooing, but am hoping that a combination of meds and positive praise will alleviate that in time.

Am so with you shhh though in finding it hard not to get cross at withholding, or, with ds, hiding in a corner and trying to pretend not to be pooing while straining and standing up. Have tried explaining that sitting is best position, have tried bribery, but he is so stubborn. And then will have a good few days (like the last week, with a good normal poo in the potty at least every other day which is fair enough) and then today, just hiding away and generally resisting. I have to admit that I have been cross, and scolded and nagged and generally shown disapproval. Then try to be all positive and smiley so must seem a bit inconsistent really!

Hey ho - it'll all work out in the end I hope, and maybe the immature bowel if that's what it is will develop and all will be well. Am also focussing not on frequency so much as what is produced - i.e. don't mind a 2 day (or greater) gap if the poo is normal. I know from my own experience that people have very different bowel habits!

Hi, I've had a quick scan of your thread, and I'm glad that it's looking a bit more sorted. My DD started on 4 sachets a day and eventually 'let it go' after about a week. We've eventually (7 months later)got her down to a sachet every few days, but \I've just collected a repeat prescription so that I'm ready to go quickly in the event of her starting to withold again.
Just wanted to say that be really really careful when you start reducing the dose, and do it very slowly, if they're witholding, it's really easy for them to slip back in to doing it again.
It's an absolute nightmare, and I live in fear of it happening again.
Good luck

thanks judyblume (btw your name brings back memories.. Do they still read her books at school these days..?)

Well dd today has been on 1 sachet and although gone several times im assuming its from sat/sun. She is in preschool tomorrow so I aim to give it to her at dinner time when home (fear her having no control in front of people..)
Will see how she goes. My prob in past is that as soon as she goes I panic at frequency, don't give more as she goes for a few days and then forget and forget to check how often she goes (easy done with ds's condition) Its only days/week later when I remember.

I WILL NOT DO THAT THIS TIME...

Im hoping as well that she will stop withholding coz atm its painfree, keep telling her that it will stay this way if she goes regular. Also stressing importance to her of eating fruit and veg..

JB, glad your lo is doing well..I guess it gives us all hope.

Pooka, thanks . It hard with ds but I guess im used to it (as much as I can be...) I also fear my home smelling of sh1t which Im sure it does BUT people are to kind to say otherwise .

Good luck with your ds, one thing I try and remember and did infact keep in my mind on saturday is that its beyond their control. They withhold coz it hurts, it builds up, it blocks up and then accidents are beyond their control..its leakage..

Thats what I try and remember with dd, I get so frustrated and annoyed BUT it was actually this thread on fri that made me realise it again.I saw her as doing it on purpose and because she didn't want to go when in fact I believe she couldn't go...

Keep this thread going if needed for support or even CAT/email me and we can support each other..
Keep your chin up and keep positive. We will beat this.
I can't believe the change in dd from fri to today... And looking back at my OP I can't believe the change in me... Fri honestly I was at the end..but today has ben nice. I have my gorgeous, happy, content little baby back . For a long long time I hope .!!

maybe you could up her dose to more sachets a day during the summer holidays so it doesn't matter as much if she has an accident. Ime it's the withholding that makes them have accidents, not the movicol. My dd never actually had an accident once the movicol started working, although I had to be quite responsive to her toilet requests.
Have you seen this book. It is brilliant, and by far the best most sensible thing I have read on the subject.

oh, never seen that book. Off to research it now .

I have given her nothing today as she is in preschool but planning on giving her the doseage once home at dinner. Will prob look at doing the the 2 sachets..will also see how she has been at preschool.

Good idea btw about sorting the accidents now while at home...she starts big school sept so want her much better by then..

shhh, I'm sure you've already thought about this, but it's worth having a word with the class teacher about her constipation. I did when DD1 started school last year, and the teacher was very appreciative (and discreet!). A couple of times at the beginning of the year, DD1 took a while to poo at school, and the teacher knew she has a good reason for taking a while in the loo.

Thanks poledra. tbh I hadn't thought that far ahead..but following your advice, yes I will speak to her teacher.

Thing is, maybe she won't poo at shcool and only at home so hopefully no issues...

Just to update you, dd was in preschool today and planned to have movicol tonight once home.

Pickedher up, got her out of the car, off she ran to the toilet shouting that she needed to go....
Minutes lates she proudly pointed out a perfect poo in the toilet .

[proud mum emoticon] .

She has had the movicol and will continue to have 1 sachet daily..I WON'T FORGET...

So for the time being she:

1. Poo's daily (1-3 times)
2. Has solid poo's
3. Has control..no accidents..
4. It doesn't hurt
5. Is eating fruit Im keeping Tesco in business with raspberries .

Thanks for the support so far everyone..How is everyone else doing..?

pooka,poledra,judyblume..???

Oh well done your dd! That's great!

DS still having 1 sachet a day. Pooing at least once every other day. Not always in loo/potty - still keen on hiding away and pretending nothing going on. And I'm trying hard not to make pooing an issue, so at the moment if that's waht he's comfortable with, then fine. Am praising heaps when he poos in the loo/potty though.

So still keeping an eye on progress - might up to 1.5 sachets if we stall but will see.....

Brilliant Shhhh, it sounds like your dd is doing really well. It sounds very hopeful actually. I just re-read my op on the subject of withholding and constipation here and am shocked by how my memory has failed so dramatically, and how serious the situation was. My DD would not actually poo, EVER unless it was by accident, so it's great that your daughter is actually able to make the decision to do a poo, and will sit on the toilet.
Sorry my earlier info was totally inaccurate. good luck.

thanks for the thread - my DD suffers from same prob and am also at end of my tether having tried everything except suppositories - can you use on a 2;6 yo does anyone know?

I'm sure movicol can be prescribed at that age. MY advice would be to try and see a GP so your concern can be noted, and then keep on at them if you don't feel that the advice given is making a difference.

I saw the GP about 3 times about ds before finally going and in pregnant hormonal state bursting into tears because I was so at the end of my tether with the leakage and smeary pull-ups. Was taken more seriously then and movicol prescribed. It does seem to be helping, but am still watchful...

My mother then recounted the story of when I was little and her HV said my constipation was not a worry. When she went to the doctor, I hadn't pooed for just over a week and he was furious with the HV for suggesting that that was OK.

ok gonna take her next week. She must be impacted because the latest is vomiting after supper. Nice. HV also says not to worry. GP gave us lactulose last year to no avail.

There are paediatric suppositories but I would second pooka - go to the GP and see where they want to go with it. My GP was pretty quick to prescribe Movicol for us but I think that was because we had DH's poo spreadsheet to show how bad it was when we were using lactulose (yes, he kept the poo spreadsheet even before she was prescribed Movicol) and also because they had a terrible episode when DH had the girls up at his parents. Poor DD1 got so impacted (sorry, TMI here) DH had to manually release it for her. He referred to himself as 'Shitpicker' for some time afterwards.....

We tried lactulose for a few months. Really didn't make much difference.

I know just makes them more windy. And probably more uncomfortable as a result

NancysGarden, just wanted to re-mention this book. I found it extremely helpful.
Also, I would say that ime movicol is the way ahead. Stick with it, and start on a high dose to clear the back-log (no pun intended ). Good luck