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Original poster

a few questions about movicol

30 replies

drivingmisscrazy · 31/05/2010 17:58

Have just been prescribed this by a consultant paed for DD's constipation (she's 16 months old). He wasn't super-informative and I'm wondering how best to administer it as the consensus is that it tastes vile. For now I've mixed up a sachet with the recommended amount of water and plan to add that to her bedtime bottle. Is this OK? I assume I can put it in any liquid (juice etc). Could I mix it directly with milk and then put it on her weetabix? Can I put it in yogurt?

She's much too small to be persuaded to take it because she needs it....

Anyone had success with it? (I've had positive reports on my diet thread here if anyone is interested

TIA

OP posts:
Original poster
drivingmisscrazy · 31/05/2010 21:06

bump

OP posts:
Amester · 31/05/2010 21:11

Hi, yes we just mix it with the 60 ml's of water and then add it to dd's bottle, but we add it to her morning bottle. We have also mixed it with the water and then added it to juice in a beaker.

It is very good stuff - just be prepared for some huge (but soft) poo's! Dd took laculose for a year and this is much better.

Goodluck!

Original poster
drivingmisscrazy · 31/05/2010 21:13

thanks - we have our fingers crossed (and are steeling ourselves for messy poo - the only upside of constipation is that the poo is easy to deal with once it's out ) - good to know that it worked for you

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BeautifulDisaster · 31/05/2010 21:14

Didn't work the way it was supposed to for DC2. We added it to juice (couldn't have done milk because of dairy intolerance)

Original poster
drivingmisscrazy · 31/05/2010 21:19

beautifuldisaster - not sure what you mean. Did it not work at all for DC2? just curious about what we may (or may not) expect

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Tras · 31/05/2010 21:23

We mixed it with juice and my son always took it. However my friends son refused it in juice and mixed it directly in milk (which he loves). It worked a dream for them.

KickButtowski · 31/05/2010 21:27

We mix it into a cup of orange juice as it is the only thing that dd would drink with it in - water wouldn't disguise the flavour.

Initially we mixed it in the morning and she sipped at it all day until it was gone and this didn't really work.

Now she drinks it in one go each afternoon and then she is regular as clockwork - it has been a miracle for us.

BeautifulDisaster · 31/05/2010 21:36

DC2 (5) didn't have constipation. We were to give him 2 sachets before bed and sit him on the toilet for at least 20 minutes when he woke to get him to stop soiling himself several times a day. It didn't work, he soiled more than ever and we were all so stressed with it we went back to having him soil a few times instead.

Maybe that was they intended outcome

FiveGoMadInDorset · 31/05/2010 21:37

DD gagged on Movicol, she is now on Lactulose and Senokot. Good luck.

2shoes · 31/05/2010 21:38

dd (sn) has it in a milkshake

Original poster
drivingmisscrazy · 31/05/2010 21:40

beaut - so why was it prescribed? as far as I know it's only for constipation/impaction...odd. It did do what it's supposed to then, but not what you needed. Oh dear. Fivegomad - she's just been taking lactulose for a good while - it helped a little, but not enough. Time will tell I guess.

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FiveGoMadInDorset · 31/05/2010 21:42

Well done for getting an appointment, I remember you are overseas and didn't know what you wre going to do. DD is still not right and still soling constantly, think we are in for a very long haul.

BeautifulDisaster · 31/05/2010 21:45

DS2 had been soiling 2/3 times a day. Movicol was supposed to make him 'go' at a regular time - in our case it should have been first thing in the morning. It just made him go more in teh day and therefore go thru more paints and sometime have several shower a day. It wasn't loose but they didn't believe that it wasn't impaction.

There is a whole long story here but thats just the movicol bit.

pooka · 31/05/2010 21:45

With ds1 we mixed the sachet with neat ribena and then gave in a syringe. He wouldn't have drunk the volume of squash/juice/milk that would have been required to make the movicol palatable/undiscernible.

Original poster
drivingmisscrazy · 31/05/2010 21:47

fivegomad - well, over one sea - in Ireland. We have an insidious 2 tier system - have private health insurance and got a cancellation. Paed was supportive - did make the point that it can become very difficult to handle. How old is your DD? it sounds very tough and I hope it gets better soon

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FiveGoMadInDorset · 31/05/2010 21:48

She is 4.5, started last November, dreading September when she starts school and seriosuly considering deferring.

Original poster
drivingmisscrazy · 31/05/2010 21:58

do you have good support? someone on another thread mentioned that they had a team, including a dietician - working with them - child was about the same age, I think - it seems very variable what is provided. And is she distressed by it too? the poor little girl, and poor you

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FiveGoMadInDorset · 31/05/2010 22:09

We now have a paed but that has taken some getting, she is and she isn't upset by it, she tells us when she has done a wee but she hasn't pooed on the loo for nealry 8 months, my brothers girlfriend has given me the number of a cild psychologist friend of hers, and I am going to call her after half term, preschool are getting fed up with changing her which doesn't help.

BigWeeHag · 02/06/2010 22:50

DD suffered from constipation for over a year (initally misdiagnosed as toddler diahorrea due to overflow, nasty it was.) Lactulose did SFA, when we eventually saw a paed he diagnosed impaction, large dose of movicol in orange squash for a week or so got it moving, then a maintenance dose for a year, then we just keep an eye on her. So there is light at the end of the tunnel! She couldn't taste it in the juice.

katiepotatie · 02/06/2010 23:09

Our DD has been prescribed Movicol, (she suffers constipation due to holding on to her poo) after no success with lactulose, then sodium picosulphate (which gave her diarrhoea)and made the holding in worse. Slowly but surely she is starting to go more regularly, athough is still in nappies..but I can see a small light at the end of the tunnel. For us it has been a miracle drug. I am worried about her starting pre school though and still being in nappies. She takes it with squash, and downs it in one, she's 3 I think it's ok to mix with anything though

lou031205 · 03/06/2010 04:05

DD1 doesn't drink enough, so gets constipated. She actively asks for her 'special drink'. 1 sachet in around 40mls of squash.

feelingpositivemum · 03/06/2010 07:43

My DS drinks it in juice at breakfast time. He is six, and has been on it for 4 years and it is brilliant stuff. We went through traumas to begin with with soiling, withholding, impaction etc but have settled into a routine, he goes at 8.30 every morning!

I can't imagine us ever being off it!

Original poster
drivingmisscrazy · 03/06/2010 14:12

well...it's working! no screaming, no crying, no red face - and 2 big squishy poos. I am cautiously optimistic, partly because we initially had some limited success with lactulose and then it seemed not to do very much. Though DP and I are glad it doesn't hurt her, we both slightly lament the solid, easy to flush away poos of old. TMI, I'm sure, but you guys are pros...

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pooka · 03/06/2010 22:07

Movicol worked a dream with ds1. He was about 3 when he had it prescribed and was on it for about 9 months in total.

Still watchful for reoccurance, but was finally potty trained (impossible before when he was leaking) at about 3 and three quarters and seems fine.

I think with ds1 the combination of not drinking enough and being an immensely fussy eater was the problem. INterestingly he has become a more adventurous eater since the constipation was resolved, which might be down to age, but could just be that he feels more comfortable now.

katiepotatie · 03/06/2010 23:08

Pooka - After dd went on Movicol her appeite improved too. I'm hoping if we can get her potty trained things will get even better, but she has a pooty fear too, but hey thats another problem and thread

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