8 yrs old DS still having "toilet issues"

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I know this section is for babies & potty training but I'm still having awful problems with my youngest boy. He's never got to grips with cleaning himself properly after using the loo. And he regularly soils his pants.

He suffers from constipation a lot too (I think thats due to the fact he doesn't drink enough fluids - he comes home from school with his drink bottle hardly touched).

I have older children and never remember anything like this. Once they were toilet trained I never had to see to them. I have to check this DS regularly throughout the day because he doesn't seem to notice when he smells! I'm at my wits end Does anyone have any experience of this ????

I have a lot of experience in this - every day with DS who is 10.He's usually damp as well and stinks.
What I don't have though is any idea what to do about it!
Let's hope someone comes along with a magic wand.

I haven't got direct experience of this, but a couple of friends with children aged 5 - 7 have and they've both got some good advice and support recently from an incontinence nurse which i think one of them found via their GP.

The nurse said that when children get very constipated, their nerve endings stop working properly so they can't tell when they need to go and they also have 'leakage', so will soil regularly even though they're still constipated.

She recommended upping water intake gradually and asking the children to sit on the toilet about 30 minutes after getting up in the morning - for at least 5 minutes - reading a book up there etc.

both friends are feeling much more positive and one with a 5 year old dd noticed a difference after a very short period of time.

It sounds like encopresis to me - where a large lump of poo causes an obstruction. The soiling is the softer stuff that builds up behind and pushes past it - because it's seeping through, he won't have any control over it.

The GP can prescribe stool softeners to help clear the blockage.

Thanks for your quick replies guys. I looked up Encopresis on the web and it definately looks like DS is suffering from it (I never heard of this condition before!). Not knowing when he needs to go is so true of poor DS ..... he truly seems to have lost this ability, hence the leakage.

I'll book an appointment with my GP as soon as possible. If anyone else has any further advice/input, please post. Thanks so much!

We have a few issues with dd1 (7), although they are often intermittent - going through good-ish spell at the mo. I think it is generally fluid intake related. Not enough fluid causing concentrated wee that irritates. Or something like that. I'm having to be quite strict. She has a penguin (or similar, of the choc variety) in lunchbag, but is only allowed to eat it if shes drunk quite a lot of her water bottle. If she doesn't drink, then treat gets removed next day. Also try to give them drinks regularly, that they have to guzzle down IMMEDIATELY!!!!! It's a bit of a pain, but i really don't want her being teased because of the wee smell and I have a tendency to get really about it, which I know is counterproductive, but struggle to not get annoyed.

I hope the GP can help.