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Original poster

Question about Movicol please

24 replies

sunflowervalley · 15/04/2008 14:10

My DS has been prescribed movicol to help clear his system.
He is 6.

Has anoyne given there child this before and how did you go about administering it please?

I don't want to tell him the details about what the medicine is for as he has a phobia about toliets and toileting in general.

I was going to say it was a medicine to help his sore tummy.

The doctor we spoke to was againest decieving children and lying but don't want to scare DS and then he refuses to take it all together.

Also the box said not for under 12'S but he has been given a dosage od 1 satchet a day and understand it is readily used in children.

Any suggestions please?

OP posts:

3andnomore · 15/04/2008 15:20

Hi,
my middleson is on Movicol, he is 5 years old and has longterm constipation problems, soiling himself and like our son has a bit of an aversion about going to the toilet.
He is on Movicol paediatrics, which is the childrens version.
For the initial clear out, we were adviced to up the doses over several days, starting with 2 sachets a day and going up to 10 sachets a day....but the maximum we ever gave him was 6 sachets, and that seemed a lot.

As for what to tell him....we told our son that basically the movicol will make his poo come out really easy and that it won't hurt or anything...and that seemed to be an o.k. explanation for our son.
HTH

Original poster

sunflowervalley · 15/04/2008 15:23

Hi,thanks for the advice.

You say your son has movicol paediatrics,the one I have just says movicol and the box says not for under 12's .

Will check with the pharmacy as think i may have been give the wrong one.

OP posts:

TheArmadillo · 15/04/2008 15:26

same as 3andnomore.

ds is 3.6 and has been on it since june last year.

Ours clearly says paediatric on the box and the sachets. I would check with the chemist - can you phone them?

I told ds his was for his poorly tummy.

Ds had (is now being weaned off it) - 2 sachets a day. Started though with 2 building up to 10 or 12? until he had cleared out.

Original poster

sunflowervalley · 15/04/2008 16:22

Hi,thanks 3andnomore and armadillo-have rung the chemist and they said to check with the doctor.

Rung the doctors and they have left a message for the doctor to ring me back and advise.

Surprised the pharmacy dispensed it and did'nt question it as it says on the prescription master and his age.

OP posts:

bigknickersbigknockers · 15/04/2008 16:38

My DS2 is also on movicol paediatric. He has been in it for 2 years now. (he is almost 4 years old)
He is too young to really understand why he has it, infact to be honest I dont think he even knows he has it every morning in his juice.

Poledra · 15/04/2008 16:52

My dd is on Movicol paediatric also, and it's referred to as 'poo medicine' in our house. She's 4 and, like 3andnomore, we explained to her that it would help her poo come out easily. As she had had some very painful bowel movements, including one incident when she got impacted, she is quite happy with this as she doesn't want to go through that again.

Original poster

sunflowervalley · 15/04/2008 21:18

Well the doctor did'nt get back to me so have left giving DS the movicol until tommorrow when he will hopefully get back to me.

I will add some juice to the mix I think,he will be more likely to drink it then hopefully.

OP posts:

3kidsisquiteenuff · 15/04/2008 21:29

I HAD MOVICAL FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL . DID HELP ME BUT WASNT AWARE IT WAS FOR KIDS ASWELL. CHECK WITH THE CHEMIST

LaDiDaDi · 15/04/2008 21:38

Movical can be used for children.

Some pharmacies only stock the adult version but this is fine for children but they should get half the number of sachets that they would have received if they were prescribed the paediatric version.
If children find taking medicine or drinking a decent volume of fluid in a short space of time then they are often prescribed the adult version so this could be the reason for the doctor prescribing adult Movicol to your son.
You son is on a small dose which is ok for "maintenance" if you like but will probably not clear him out if he is very loaded with poo.
Mixing it with juice is a good idea.

TheArmadillo · 15/04/2008 21:40

we always put it in ds juice in the morning.

He doesn't mind it then.

fleximum · 15/04/2008 21:41

I think you are right to wait until you've checked with GP. I only have experience in using movicol in elderly. Strong stuff - usually works a treat but can work too well!

flossie64 · 15/04/2008 21:42

My DD was on this .I was given the paediatric version ,but once the pharmacy gave me the adult version by mistake as the doc had put the wrong thing on the script.
DO NOT GIVE TO YOUR CHILD.
IT has to be the paed version

flossie64 · 15/04/2008 21:42

Original poster

sunflowervalley · 15/04/2008 22:59

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Will wait and see what they say tomorrow.

If like they have suggested giving him one satchet a day it may not be enough to clear him effectivley (sp) using the adult version.

Gets a bit confusing.

OP posts:

Original poster

sunflowervalley · 16/04/2008 11:03

Well the dispensary at the surgery just called back and the message from the doctor was that the paediatrics movicol is half the strength of the adults and they have supplied the adult movicol one satchet a day rather than the paediatrics movicol which presumbably he would take 3 times a day .

Which is how I interupted it.

So in effect he will be taking in all the salt content in one go.

Don't know why they just did'nt prescribe the paediatrics movicol in the first place.

OP posts:

MrsPuddleduck · 16/04/2008 11:15

DS who is 4.5 takes this for constipation/witholding.

We just put it in either juice or milkshake (as a treat if he does a poo that day) before he goes to bed and don't really discuss it what it is for.

We do talk about poo quite a bit though in our house LOL!

Original poster

sunflowervalley · 16/04/2008 11:20

willmouse-would you suggest taking it before bed rather than in the morning?

He is at school all day so whatever would be better for him when it starts to work in his system.

OP posts:

cece · 16/04/2008 11:22

My dd is 6 and been on it for just over 2 years. She had 2 sachets per day for the first month - it shifted the impaction but my god it was awful. She became incontinent for a bit and had to wear nappys for a week or so... But now she is on a maintenace dose it is fab!

We told her it was poo medicine to help her get them out without the pain and she is happy with that. Like your son she wouldn't go near a toilet to poo.

We mix ours with some squash at bedtime because it tastes foul.

Good look for your boy

Original poster

sunflowervalley · 16/04/2008 13:41

Thanks cece,will try the juice mix.

OP posts:

Washersaurus · 16/04/2008 13:49

DS1 had the childrens version for a while as he had terrible problems with poo (still does occasionally). We used to mix a sachet or half a sachet with his bedtime milk - he always drank it; I can also remember that we mixed it with his milk and put on his porridge or weetabix in the morning (easy to cover up the taste that way).

DS1 was still in nappies when he was taking it, which was just as well because the movicol poo was vile. It takes a while to perfect the dosage, so be prepared for the possibility of soiled pants.

3andnomore · 16/04/2008 13:56

To all those swearing on giving it in Juice...I thought that my son would find it easier if mixed in Juice, but he hated that, and he will only take it in water....

MrsPuddleduck · 17/04/2008 11:23

sunflowervalley.

I always give it (one sachet of paediatric) at night because he has it in his milk drink plus it gives it a chance to work overnight.

I suspect that he needs to go in the morning but usually manages to hang on unil he comes home at lunchtime! (and without having an accident).

Just recently he has started going in the morning so we are slowly getting somewhere.

It is fantastic stuff!

jenk1 · 18/04/2008 10:32

dd has been on the paediatric one for nearly 2 years, she has hemiplegia and has a loss of sensation, she was hospitalised twice for impactation and given enemas, she has one a day in her milk with cereal and then at the weekend we give her 2 a day, she has been ok since taking it, although we have had explosions every now and then which arent nice.

she is used to it now, calls it her "poo sugar and puts it in her milk jug, stirs it and pours it into her cereal bowl.

she is still in nappies though (she,s 4 on sunday) and showing no awareness of toilet training, but her paed has advised us to leave her for a few months as she,s not ready.

Magpie1212 · 27/07/2025 22:36

Hi I have a 5 year old suffers very bad with hold so we just started a programme a lovely ladie on instragram poo on the loo we are doing it privately with her. She is amazeimg and all the pages and little charts and copy book for daughter to I understand. But what I hadent realised is we ware given up to 8 sachet never got anywhere. We are starting at the very start 1st day 2 sachet 2nd day 4 sachets 3rd is 6 4th 8 5th is 10 and day 6 is well and the we add in senocot we keep it all explained to daughter and very happy to help in make it up. I use water our add to milk bit what I hadent realised is that u have to be very persevic with how much water u give per sachet. So 1 sachet is 67.5 mils I need to double check but 10 sachet is 500 mils it can be all done in a jug at nite mixed for next day can be added to juice food water but what ever amount out of jug is added all need to be take so when added to milk our foor she has to drink our eat it all so when made up in jug is great cos u no what has to be given and all need to be used same day and can add as much our as little each time Ince all used from jug by end of day x xx Hope this helps where starting school in Sept fingers crossed she wil be sorted by then.. Contact me if needed xxxxx

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