Toddler Constipation - desperate for advice please

[CrownDoesntFit]

Hi, new to the forum so I haven't seen previous posts. Can anybody recommended something for a 2 year old (not a great eater) who is very constipated? Tried movicol and dr prescribed suppositories which get pushed out immediately. Any advice would be appreciated please. Thanks in hope!

How much movicol are you giving and how many days have they been taking it for? When was the last time they did a poo?

Two and a half weeks since last virtual marble. Child only drinks water and is now complaining about 'medicine' so can't use in every drink. I'm adding lactulose to food too. Always been really difficult pooping. Seen the GP many times but they don't seem to think two or three weeks is such a problem but poor child is feeling really unwell now and I'm at my wits end.

Screaming the house down when I try to use a suppository now. Only the first one ages ago stayed in and helped but no luck since.

I've just found previous posts relating to the same possible. I really can't thing of anything different now. I can't get lactulose taken off a spoon but am adding to food where it can be disguised.

Will he not drink anything else?? Juices of any kind? I would think that getting the movicol in him is probably the best bet.

Movicol can be mixed with water and then added to almost anything even vaguely liquid.

Have you tried tinned pears?

when were they last seen by a medic? If they are now feeling unwell I think they might need to be seen sooner rather than later.

a warm bath, lots of fluid, fruit pouches particularly ones with prunes in might help.

at this point if they’ve got solid dry poo in their rectum then not much might help.

are you in the uk and can you call 111 for advice? Particularly as they are feeling unwell and haven’t has a bowel movement in a good while.

I don't have any particular advice (other than make ice lollies and jelly with the Movicol as we're massively struggling too!

Can I ask what the suppositories you have tried are called? We were prescribed an oral stimulant and he absolutely hates taking it, it makes his tummy hurt as he writhes around all night sleeping terribly, and it has a terrible record of actually helping him poo!

Thanks

It’s usually glycerin suppositories. https://amzn.eu/d/1Uufd43

They are the glycerine suppositories mentioned above. She is a really picky eater, doesn't eat sweets or chocolate by choice but likes fruit. No veg to our despair although some hidden included in food. Only drinks plain water. Has strawberries every day and some apple. Took her to urgent care yesterday (possibly five visits to the GP over 18 months about this) only to be told give her more movicol and suppositories which I know but getting them in her is impossible. Examination showed she's badly impacted but he didn't suggest an enema which I was hoping for. At a loss now. She's so uncomfortable.

Sorry to hear that MovicolHelpPlease.
We are at the point of despair now.

Fruit pouches, long warm baths and try anything possible to get the suppositories in. Bribery, distraction, as many pairs of hands to help.

if you can’t get the suppositories in I think you’ll just have to keep going back to medics. Be the squeaky wheel.

Can you wait for your little one to be in a deep sleep and using plenty of gel put the (cut into 2 suppository) in . We have done this for my DC and it's worked a treat . Good luck @CrownDoesntFit

What stage are you at with potty training ? My DS was constipated once, just after we’d dropped nappies (about 18 months), so I chucked a nappy back on, took him for a walk, and he sorted himself out.

Constipation can be psychosomatic, have you thought about it? Might worth exploring

Can you make fruit smoothies or milkshakes to hide the movicol in? Or mix it with fruit juice and syringe it in whilst they watch tv?! It’s not going to get better until the movicol gets in.

Fruit. If he won't eat fresh fruit try dried apricots, dates, even fig rolls.

They think hes impacted but just left it there?! We have lifelong poo issues with dd3. Movicol alone doesn't work and suppositories are a joke, straight back out again (her muscles must be insane from the holding it in). We have senna prescribed, max dose of that plus lots of movicol when she's having issues seems to do the trick. She's also a picky eater, but mainly fruit based, I've no idea how she's holding it as its not typical hard constipation poo.

How much movicol are you getting in each day? 2.5 weeks is insane but also happens here. She basically stops eating.

So awful for you both, went through it with our daughter. She was on Lactulose and senna also extremely rigid and restricted diet. Movicol was a huge help and she was on that for years.
When we had to go to hospital she had an xray followed by a manual evacuation.
We used to have nurses visit from the continence team. She named them the “ Constipation Crew”
On a practical level
check out ERIC website
Have a bottle of bubbles next to the potty toilet. If she can blow them it really helps.
This is extreme ( and sounds gross) but sometimes you are literally desperate. Would she poo in a warm bath? Be on standby with a fishing net.

Thank you for all the suggestions. All good but I feel like we are wanting a miracle really. I realise everything suggested would help but she has got to the stage she goes berserk if we suggest trying the suppository. We'll try more varied fruit. It's sad to hear of so many other little ones struggling to go too. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. She's still in nappies, fully aware when peeing and needing to poop. Only sits on the loo with her nappy on so far.

Thank you FurForksSake
Called 111 yesterday and they sent us to another town for urgent care, mentioned above. Zero help.
I think tinned pears suggested will be the next step.
Yes NowIveSeenEverything Dr said she's impacted but there's no blockage. This was from physical exam and her rectum is full too. It's heartbreaking. He was just saying keeping giving her Movicol and senna and suppositories but that's ok your child will take them.
Warm bath a good idea 24Dogcuddler.
but she terrified herself when some poop came out involuntarily once and she won't let that happen again. Sounds like you've been through the mill with this too, sorry.

@CrownDoesntFit I tell my dd it's fine to poo in the bath I'm afraid. When you're at that stage, poo in the bath is better than no poo! She prefers to poo in there, i guess it's more comfortable, though it usually alarms her too (it can be quite dramatic after so much senna!)

When DD was constipated we had to get her to sit on the toilet for extended periods of time. I used to put a movie on the tablet and sit with her. Sometimes this was an hour before anything happened.
This went on for weeks. She was on quite a bit of movicol as well, can’t remember how much. It took such a long time before she was fully clear, her body was holding onto so much!

Would be thrilled if she'd do it in the bath @CrownDoesntFit. She disliked it herself when she did once sadly and only a teeny bit, though we were casual and said that's fine she got upset about it and didn't want to get back in the bath for days.