Finally making progress

[Alison000]

My nearly 6 year old son has had problems with his bowels since toilet training. He was withholding and refusing to go. We tried everything possible to help him and it made little difference. All of the rewards, medication, I bought various herbal things. He has an excellent diet and happily munches his way through fruit and veg etc. Still no progress. This was an incredibly stressful time for the whole family, one of the most stressful things we have dealt with! Mostly due to the problem going on for years from around the age of 2. My son would go through up to 8 pairs of pants a day, any heavily soiled I would just bin. I was constantly buying pants and I also got eczema on my hands due to constant hand washing. Just to add my son is dry during the day and wets heavily at night so wears a pull up to bed. Anyway around 3 months ago we attempted our second dissimpactation using movical. I then made the decision once he was emptied to remove movical completely as I felt this made him worse on a day to day basis. I got him into a really good sitting on the toilet routine, every evening after his bath or shower. He was very reluctant at first and I've had to be really firm with him. Initially he would sit for up to 30 minutes but he would produce a lot of poo! 3 months later we still have same routine and he goes easily every evening and it only takes him a few minutes. If I don't think he has gone enough I ask him to sit a bit longer. Sometimes he will take his self of to the loo at other times if he needs to poo, but I always stick to the routine and will continue to, I know if I didn't encourage him to do this he would get back to old habits again. This week he has refused to wear pull ups to bed. He did this the first night by removing it after I was out of the room. When he did this previously he has still wet the bed. However this week he has been dry every night!! I think we are finally cracking this. I am so relieved for him and proud of him. So just wanted to share and say keep going. It is possible they can get through this.

[SKY01]

Thanks for this positive story. Delighted for you that things are looking up and it it always good to hear success stories when you're in the middle of it and struggle to see an end in sight! Would you say the routine was what really cracked it for you? Or stopping the movicol? And how did you persuade him to start sitting for so long? Thanks x

[Alison000 in reply to SKY01]

I would say it was both, stopping the movical meant his poo wasn't so loose and he had more control but the sitting routine is definitely the main thing that keeps him going regularly and stops him getting backed up. With the sitting routine I would just encourage him, i would encourage him by saying "can you surprise mummy with a poo" I used to let him have an iPad on the loo but I stopped this because it was so distracting he wouldn't even try to poo. He would just sit on the loo playing it for ages with no poo !! Once I stopped the iPad I had to be firm as he would want to get off straight away or wouldn't sit properly so he could hold it in. I said he had to do at least one. I find once one poo comes out a lot more follows !! He gradually learned the quicker he poo's the sooner he can get off the loo ! He usually now gets out the bath and sits straight in the loo and goes no problem. He definitely would naturally hold it in though, sometimes I see him acting awkwardly and I know he needs to go so have to encourage him. This is why the sitting routine is so important because he would easily get constipated again without it.

[SKY01 in reply to Alison000]

Thanks!Sounds very positive! Lots to think about! Xx

[Hidden in reply to Alison000]

Hi Alison000,

How wonderful to hear the progress you and your son are making !

I posted a couple of months ago about my Grandson . Like you , my daughter discontinued treatment and adopted the sitting routine with the same result !

All the treatments seem to do is stretch the bowel without training in the need to empty the bowel regularly.

I do hope this encourages other parents to give it a go !

It takes patience and confidence.

Well done !

[Alison000 in reply to Hidden]

That's great your grandson has also made great progress using same routine. I am pretty regimented about it now. I think it's training their brain and their bowel !! As in, it's often the psychological side that causes the physical problems. Now he knows he can go to the toilet more easily he is much happier to sit and try.

[Logan-jay]

that's great news the hard work is paying off

[Kerrylouise83]

Hi

Great to hear things are looking up for you and your family! Haven’t been on here for long, my 5 1/2 year old has been chronically constipated most of her life! 2 months ago we were sent to the children’s hospital to clean her out for the 3rd time as Disimpaction at home didn’t work! Anyway we are on a maintenance dose of 6 movicol and sodium Pico sulfate daily, I too have huge concerns that all of these laxatives are actually taking away any control and how is the bowl ever going to recover when the medicine is doing the job for her????

[Alison000 in reply to Kerrylouise83]

It's so hard isn't it? Because I had tried everything over 4years I felt like I had nothing to lose by stopping the movical. Worst case he would get blocked up but he already was anyway!

The movical was helpful for dissimpactation and then once I knew he was all clear inside, I withdrew the movical and started the sitting routine straight away and been regular since. Initially he did complain/cry/shout about sitting but I just kept calm but firm and reminded him why he needed to go. Even now, he is so proud of himself every day when he goes. I keep a close eye on him and what he is eating/drinking but definitely feel more relaxed now about the whole thing. I'm sure his bowel is only just healing and that's why he is now able to be dry at night.

[Louloubelle23]

Yay! So nice to hear a positive story. Well done to your son

[Francesca17x]

Amazing to hear your Son is so much better. It’s so stressful x

[Isabel-123]

Hmm this is intresting. My daughter has had issues for years also. She does go to toilet most days but yet still as the accidents. Recently I was told to increase her dosage! I did as recommended but could not understand why, she was going most days and didn'the feel she as backed up. Maybe I should be reducing her dosage? Did you stop all at once or slowly decrease the dosage?

It'seems such a mind field and each doctor we see has different ideas 😕

[Alison000]

We just stopped after dissimpactation as I wanted him to be able to feel more in control and his stools be firmer so he could feel what was happening !!

It's awful knowing what to do for the best, and totally mind consuming trying to work out what is going on for them. its trial and error.

Perhaps if your daughter stools are not firm enough she has little control and is having other accidents ? Also it's a behaviour thing.... my son will still try and withhold, so if I see him trying to do that before his sitting time I have to make him go to the toilet and try he doesn't always just take his self to the loo. I try to keep it really positive lots of praise, stickers etc which he still seems to like after all these years 😂

I'm not sure how long it takes for the movical to leave their systems? So I guess it may still be effective a few days after stopping it.

[Laundrymaid]

Hi Alison000,

I just caught up on your recent post - great news indeed! It's so very satisfying to hear that all you and your sons hard work and perseverance has achieved such positive progress. Keep up the good work.

The Laundryymaid xx

[Alison000]

Thankyou! I still can't quite believe he is actually doing it and I'm half expecting something to go wrong but I'm just trying to keep the routine going and stay super positive. Hopefully it will encourage others to keep strong and know that they can get through this.