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Movicol, toilet anxiety, totally lost!

1 reply

NDBoyMum · 13/05/2025 18:30

Desperate for some advice, just don't know what to do and affecting my son's schooling and causing anxiety for him (and us).

I have a summer born boy (late August) at school in reception, was potty trained at 2 and picked it up really well, especially with poos. Typically left wees to the last minute as always busy but he recognised the feeling for both. Started to have more accidents last year as he was coming towards end of nursery (I was also pregnant so a lot of big changes for him). Once he started school, he refused to use the toilets to start with, rarely puts his hand up or initiates going himself, it's always teachers reminding him and he'll often say no even when he's already had an accident. He has wet accidents most days, often more than once, and have had to pick him up due to soiling himself quite a few times now. There was regularly skid marks or small amounts and other times it was just a full on mess. He would say he didn't know it was happening.

Dr checked his stomach in March and found he was impacted so started on Movicol. Got up to 8 sachets after a week and this seemed to completely clear him, Dr checked stomach again and couldn't find any more hard lumps. Came down to 4 sachets for 3 or 4 days but still very loose so came down to 2 sachets and been on that since. However from last week he's started soiling himself at school again, have to pick him up and shower him etc.

He's also become very resistant to go to school and join in with stuff, sometimes he'll go to the toilet when he's told to but he just stands in the cubicle and doesn't actually go. Then ends up having an accident anyway! He won't tell us very much - me and husband both neuro divergent so I suspect he's got ADHD, but he's also very young and I think is struggling with the structure of school and being told what to do. Absolutely heartbreaking, as he copes with everything else - the learning, friendships and so on, he's doing brilliantly with all of that. He started school the same week his baby brother arrived so I know it's been a lot of change for a little person and some big emotions to figure out.

Saw the Dr yesterday to check stomach again and no signs of impaction or hard lumps. He's recovering from croup so wondered if the loose poos are to do with not feeling 100% or if the Movicol dose isn't right.

Feeling completely lost with all of this, and trying to remain calm and patient with him but so frustrating at times. I have an 8 month old too so it makes spending time with them both a real struggle as sometimes all we do is sit in the bathroom and clean up poo!!

Looking for any advice or reassurance. From an ADHD mum who is overthinking everything and has no idea what to do 😥

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Kaleidoscopic101 · 13/05/2025 19:12

4 years with continence service here! It's likely stool withholding that is causing the problems likely due to a painful poop at some stage. This then causes the colon to become a bit stretched and exacerbates the problem and reduces the urge to go.

Check out book Stool withholding - Sophia J Ferguson

Don't stress about the movicol just adjust based on the consistency of the stools. Check out the Bristol Stool Chart, he wants to be doing a type 4 or 5 most days ideally. Viruses and hot days can impact how effective the movicol is. Eg. He might need more when it's hotter weather, my DC needed more during viruses.

Get a step or stool for the toilet so he sits so knees are elevated.

Get him to try to do a poo half an hour after dinner or a meal. We put an Alexa timer on and DC can sit there with a tablet for a bit and if they don't go it's not the end of the world it just helps.

Make sure he drinks enough throughout the day e.g. 5 X 250ml

Regular 'clear outs' with the movicol might be necessary, it's better that than a more stretched colon. Over time the colon can become mega stretched (mega colon) and then becomes a long journey to put right with laxatives.

The wetting can be linked to the bowel issues as bladder sits so close and becomes restricted/hard to feel the urge to go. The urge to go both poo and wee is diminished by constipation so try not to be too hard on the fella as he likely can't feel the smears/nuggets...this is basically looser stools bypassing the harder stuff!

The regular 'sits' 1/2 hour after meals are a must and be confident with the movicol (too little movicol is worse in a way than not enough).

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