Toddler constipation/ withholding

[TOWGA]

We are really struggling with my 2 year old with constipation and withholding her poos, we would like to potty train her as she is ready but can't until this gets sorted. Any suggestions? All the Gp says is keep up with the laxido but it's really working, she is currently on 2 sachets a day but hasn't been for 5 days!

I’d get back to the gp for something different or guidance on how much extra of her current meds to give her as it looks like it’s currently insufficient.

There was another thread on here recently about a similar thing you might want to check out.

Thanks @Elieza I have been 2 different gps in the last month, we saw one last week in out of hours as she had been crying out in pain needing a poo, they just said to up the laxido which we have, today while she isn't screaming like she was last week, you can tell she is in discomfort! She has been on and off with this since birth.

Up the sachets, honestly we went through the same thing. We ended up at a&e and they said we could give her more sachets. We ended up upping them to about 5 a day until she was having diarrhoea, from then we reduce down slowly and if she didn’t poo one day we Increased again. I rewarded her with a smarty or two when she pooed. It’s took us two years to get her normal. For potty training we gave two smarties for a wee and three for a poo, she now just does it without any incentive and no sachets. I was at my wits end with all.

Thanks @Sinner10 it's so hard, especially when she is in pain!

Have you disimpacted her? Ideally need to completely disimpact then gradually reduce sachets as above PP describes.

Check out ERIC website and give the helpline a call if not clear. Movicol mummies fb group is good support too

You up the sachets until you are getting poo the consistency of gravy. Then reduce slower than you think is bearable.

She has learnt that doing a poo is painful so doesn't want to do one. So you need to be in a situation where the poo is runny enough that 1. She can't withold it and 2. it doesn't hurt and kick off the whole cycle again.

You will need the laxido for a long time.

We was concerned about her becoming reliant on the medication and kept the dosage low, when we upped it was when it made such a difference. I think having the runs made her realise it does actually hurt and she stopped holding it. We’ve only just combatted this in the last two months and he had been going on since she a baby.

Doesn’t hurt not does.

We've had 2 years of constipation problems. We are under the incontinence team and they have moved us off Laxido as it just wasn't working for us. There are other medication options available but you need to push for them. We now have sodium picosulphate and a massive push on drinking lots.

Thanks everyone, she is asleep now, but had this evening of her crying as she needs to go and holding her bum, hoping that she finally poos in the morning as otherwise I think she will be in pain again tomorrow.

Agree with comments above about needing more of the laxido. Aim to clear out with gravy like poo, then reduce to the amount that gives daily soft squidgy poo.

www.eric.org.uk is well worth a look.

Will she go in the bath? DS went through a stage of pooing I’d fill the bath up with nice warm water, fairly deep, and he’d squat and poo. You need a sieve though, he did this for months at the time he didn’t want it in his nappy and also not being able to do it on the potty.
I make sure he drinks plenty by giving out Capri sun pouches, orange squash cartons, fruit shoots etc.