anyone had any real success dealing with constipation (in children)

[fartmeistergeneral]

my 5 yo ds has been constipated on and off for years. Goes through phases where it seems oK, but usually just two poos a week or something. In past have had senna syrup, lactulose, suppositories (don't want to go THERE again!) and movicol. Nothing seems to work to great effect.

Any suggestions?

my 18 mo is off and on "stuck" (not constipation as its soft) and last time it was ginger bread men that got him moving, he's just started the cycle again so we have gone back to lactulose

we've had great success with movicol but ds has had to be on it for a long time.

Licorice worked well with DS1 when he was younger (about 3).

feel like I'm obsessed with is bowels..

HIS bowels

We have movicol. Works great with DS1, who has suffered with constipation since he was wee. He eats lots of fruit and veg, drinks plenty, but still suffers. He has periods where he is on movicol for three or four weeks at a time

licorice was recommeneded to us but ds2 won't eat it and all th eusual prune juice, dried apricots etc etc

general
have you had his overall diet intake analysed?
my dd has this problem at about 20mths and after typical doc response (lactulose) i took her to a naturopath/dietician/peadiatric nurse, and we revolutionsied my dds eating habits and bowel movements.

milk can be a big culprit.

orange juice, baked beans, lots of fruit and no dairy works for us! You can get calcium fortified orange juice from tropicana. Good idea to see a decent naturopath/nutritionist. Mike Ash at Eldon Clinic [Devon] is excellent. Probiotics can help too.

my dd was in rushed to hospital and it turned out to be constipation. it was weird because wshe has never had any issues and always goes fine but not this time. the paediatrician released her after 3 days and advised us to use lactulose. she was having it up to 5 times a day and it really did the trick. we have had to use it a couple of times since and it always gets her moving. Try it again but with bigger doses.

paws, what made you take your ds to hospital? What were the symptoms?

My ds was in hospital anyway when the doctor realised he was chronically constipated (when he was 2) and I hadn't even noticed, still don't understand it. He was obviously in nappies, and I was always aware of his poos, even had just changed a dirty nappy before seeing that doctor! Anyway, that was 3 years ago.

Have phoned a herbalist today, so have an appointment next week. Will keep giving him movicol in meantime.

His diet isn't great - not horrendous, don't give him loads of sweets, waffles etc. Make all homemade food and very organically aware. Me and dh very healthy and ds1 eats lots of fruit etc. Ds2 will only eat a banana if pushed. No other fruit (will eat raisins). I get him to eat veg by making vats of soup and whizzing it up and he does eat that. He's a great water drinker, that's always the first thing people ask, but he drinks more water than me. I remember when he was younger, and on juice cups (with handles) I counted 11 cups one day!!!

This is the programme for chronic constipation in children, given to me by my lovely GP when my dd had a problem caused by piriton when she had chicken pox. she ended up with a huge hard stool, followed by anal fissure, then classic pain/holding cycle.

this really works, but has to be followed to the letter, for the correct length of time - if you stop too soon, the child reverts to previous habit.

1. Dioctyl dose 10mls twice daily until child has a good clearout. Function: to break down the rocks in the rectum.
2. senna Dose: 5 mls at night for 3 nights, then 10 mls at night for 3 nights and if necessary increase by 5mls every 3 nights until child has good clearout. Then - decrease dose to 5mls less and continue on that dose. function: It helps the muscles in the bowel wall to contract. It is therefore essential to continue the senna for many weeks while the bowel is being retrained.
3. Lactulose dose 10 mls twice a day function: it softens the stool.

Please ask yr GP for repeat prescriptions in time so you do not run out.
Many children need to remain on a small dose of senna and /or lactulose for as many months as they have been constipated for.

I have typed that word for word from my GP's letter.

This obviously has to be accompanied by plenty of water to drink, lots of fresh and dried fruit, carrots, prunes, oranges, oats etc. the key is routine and perseverance, don't forget the medication and keep it going for long enough. also allow time and privacy in the toilet.

This is bound to have crossed with lots of other posts, as it has taken me so long to type, so please forgive me if this contradicts or annoys anyone else. It worked brilliantly for my dd.

3littlefrogs - thanks for taking the time to type that. I'm printing it off and will make an appointment with doctors. Have herbalist appt next week, but will make docs appt too, just in case. Never heard of the first medicine, ds2 was never given that.

Wish I could get him to eat all those things on that list! As I said, I am a mega veggie/lentil soup maker these days! At least he'll eat that!!

Movicol is the only thing that has worked for dd

You are welcome fmg. i hope it helps. It is amazing what you can squish up and diguise in lentil soup! good luck.

tried everything mentioned earlier - only thing that worked for my DD was Movicol. She was on it for 12mths though - and you must NOT stop giving it - even if you think you're going through a good patch. My dd had to weaned off it - gradually reducing dosage over a period of time.

Movicol is wondrous stuff imo. It's totally sorted out dd's constipation.

My ds (almost 5) ha ssuffered constipation for years (since first taste od solids - always think its weird as my 2 dds dont suffer at all).

Our big breakthrough came with CARROTS! He has decided recently that carrots are his fave food (leading to dh deciding there is no way in which they are genetically related!) and he eats carrot sticks at lunch and cooked carrots at dinner. Also lots of grapes! Seems to have made a huge difference!

Also - no bananas! Fmg you said your ds will only eat a banana if pushed - well, dont, as bananas are constipating! The only fruit that should be avoided. My ds isnt a big fruit fan though will eat apples, kiwi, satsumas. I push the veg as that is what he eats - he is a 10 portions a day man, eats peas, carrots, broccoli, swede, broad beans, baked beans, squash etc etc ... we encourage that.
Lots of fluuids - i think this is the root cause of my ds constipation - so we insist on a big glass of water ot fruit juice with every meal and snack.
We have used medication on ocasion (ds calls it 'bottom medecine'), we have gone for senokot. Dh (who is a GP) says that most paeds will prescribe this and senna is a natural laxative. Works within 12 hours if he is really stuck, but only do this occasionally.

Have you tried pomegranate juice, I have a friend who swears by it for her ds.