Help - poo withholding

[Vella56]

Hi,
Posting on here because I’m getting desperate and worried.
My 3 year old has been potty trained for wees fully for nearly 8 months. However, he just can’t get the hang of poos and became severely constipated a few times and now is a serial withholder. We moved overseas just after he turned 2.
We have given him laxipeg (EU) and he’s been on it for 4 months. He had a week where he did poos on the potty abut otherwise just refuses. We’ve been giving him a nappy but it’s a fight to get him to do it sometimes as he just resists.
Occasionally, he will soil himself at nursery.
It’s driving me insane and I have lost it a few times as it consumes a lot of our time.
His behaviour is also awful as a result.
I don’t know how to get him just to accept doing a poo.
I’m also really worried as he will be starting school next year and will on the younger side.
I don’t know if we should speak to a potty training consulting or even a therapist at this point. Our doctor has just told us to continue with laxatives and keeps saying to change his diet (but getting him to eat vegetables is a challenge)…
sorry for the rambling. Any advice will help.

Honestly whilst it might not be ideal to start with, sit him on the toilet or potty with a tablet or some cartoons at his usual time when he needs to go. Leave him there for a good while. As long as hes comfortable and content dont rush him. My kids did this till they got the hang of it and then I weaned them off. My youngest is nearly 4 and now will take books when he needs to go and is usually done in about 5 minutes.

One my mum friends has a talking toilet that says "well done" when you flush or something like that. Perhaps something like that might be needed as an incentive. Have you also tried sticker or reward charts?

Remember that being constipated makes you feel like shit. No pun intended. Get this sorted and so much of the behavioural issues will just disappear.
Do you have the equivalent of a daily movicol dose? The amount will vary depending on him, but my son needed a few sachets a day. We've weaned him off them but they were a godsend.

Check out Poo Goes to Pooland. It’s a story and I think an app. The story worked like magic for my son when he was 3