constipated baby for over a year, please help

[crazylegs312]

I'm writing this out of pure desperation now as doctors have refused to listen to me. My baby is formula fed, everythinf was fine until he hit around 4 months old and he would go a week without pooping. This only got worse as he was weaned, however when he does end up going, he's not actually constipated. I've tried explaining this to doctors because my main worry is how much pain my child is in. Whenever people see it they're in shock that doctors haven't helped. He'll strain for up to an hour, going red in the face, screaming in agony. Its the worst thing to watch, only to pass a stool that shouldnt be hurting him at all??? im hoping literally anyone will have a similar experience. Im convinced he has lazy bowels or something wrong with his canal as this just isnt normal. He's nearly 17 months old and things aren't improving.

Have you given him
medication for it?

Sounds silly to say but is he drinking enough Water?

My DS was constipated at about 14 months and we were prescribed Movicol or Laxido- can't remember which. It worked the next day and no issues since. What reason have the doctors given for not prescribing him anything?

Ring ERIC helpline but sounds like he could be impacted with straining like that but soft poo
Look up Bristol stool chart so you can quote that

Doctors are useless when it comes to constipations (it's everyday life for us due to medical needs) but read the help on ERIC website

You may need to do a dis-impaction with movicol/laxido
But the ERIC nurses will hopefully be able to help

thank you!! im gonna look into this. Because thats what the doctors aren't understanding, hes been on laxido and movicol, and yes they all make his stool soft and slightly easier to pass, but hes still screaming in agony for ages, its not the consistency thats the issue

yeah i make sure he gets lots of fluid...like i said its so weird because its not the consistency thats making it an issue as even when its very soft, hes still in so so much pain

The soft poo can be because it's coming round a blockage

Dis-impacting will end you giving him 8-12 sachets a day till it runs clear .. it's not fun but works

But not without medical help - don't listen to me on the internet :)

Sounds like you're on top of it though just GPs dismiss things sadly

Good luck

Hi my son had bowel issues for many years and this sounds familiar. Can you afford to go private… if so you need to get seen by a paediatric gastroenterologist. Take a video of the screaming and also take photos of the poo to show them, it really helps x

sounds like he may need disimpacting and what is coming out is overflow. It can take up to 12 sachets to fully clear the constipation Have you looked at Eric website? Do a diary for a week and take it to the gp.

did your son get diagnosed with anything?

You need to film him when he's pain so you can show what is happening to the doctor. That might convince them.

A referral to dietetics would be helpful too. My daughter has suffered since birth. With involvement from dietetics she follows a non dairy based diet and it has made a huge difference.

We also see an osteopath about every 6 weeks which keeps things regular.

I was going to suggest trying a no dairy diet along with the ERIC website too.

Allergy UK have some information on CMPA here.

My daughter had something similar around the age of 24 months. She was withholding after having had a period of hard poo’s that made her scared it would hurt the next time she Poo’d. The GP prescribed her Laxido and it did soften everything down & work for her.
what does your sons stomach look and feel like? Is the stomach bloated and hard? Could it be wind / gas? I’d also look into the blockage issue with soft poo moving around it. We learnt the hard way that you need to keep going with maintenance sachets of laxido each evening or they will withhold a little each day and it eventually becomes a bigger issue without you realising (because they seem to poo a bit each day)

also recommend ERIC, they are brilliant and can help you structure approaching your GP.

You say he’s formula fed, at 14 months he doesn’t need to still be on formula, have you tried cutting that out?

Have you explored cmpa?

Are you sure he is actually trying to go? It sounds to me like he might be trying to stop it / withholding. If he had a time of it being hard and hurting or not liking the feeling, he may have developed a fear. You would need to disimpact first, then keep the movicol at a high enough level that he has no choice in going. That needs to continue for a long time. Withholding is very common, if upsetting for both parent and child.

My baby is on anti reflux milk and was always constipated and in tears all the time. Skip to now we asked for Lactulose from Boots pharmacy and he takes 2.5mls twice a day, bowel movements are so much better. Paediatrics says he can be on that for as long as he needs, he’s just over 5 months. I was able to get a prescription from the GP after I told them it was helping him.

I work at a vet hospital and we use Lactulose for patients too, it’s very safe- and cheap!

Apologies if this has already been suggested, but my daughter (now 13) went through this - she was in so much time when she pooped it was awful - but then she was prescribed Movicol - OMG - what a difference!
I wasn't super keen on giving it to her, but soon learned that I didn't have to use the whole packet every day, I could just use 1/3 to keep things moving - honestly - saved us at the time.

Good luck - it does get better xx

At 17 months he doesn't need formula anymore... why haven't you moved him on to milk?

sorry i actually meant to say he was formula fed up to a year, hes now on blue cows milk. Hes had blood tests done for gluten allergy and cmpa, im currently waiting for those results back :)

his tummy is always very soft, the gp has checked him after even a week of not going and they say there's no issue there. I honestly think yeah it may be an issue of being frightened to go, but i just have no idea how that even started as he was 4 months and struggling! he has lots of fibre in his diet too, weetabix most mornings, cucmber and apple, lots of prunes

Not all food allergies show up on blood tests. Immediate allergies that cause rashes, hives and anaphylaxis show up on blood tests. Delayed allergies that cause gastric symptoms like discomfort, loose stools or constipation do not. These can only be diagnosed by removing the food for about 6 weeks seeing an improvement in the symptoms and then readding the food to see if symptoms return

Hi @crazylegs312, may I please ask if you have any update on your little one? What you are describing sounds similar to my little girl, except she doesn’t appear to be in pain.