Does dulcolax help repair nerves?

[Mandy7]

My son is almost 6 and our doctor explained that because his bowel was so stretched when he was constipated that the nerve endings have lost the sensation that sends him the feeling of needing to poo. She said it takes months for them to recover so his poo needs to stay almost like water for the entire time to let the nerves heal. I just had a thought though.... does dulcolax increase the feeling of the nerves to help him poo and if so would that help his nerves recover quicker?

[MariaJasmineFreeman]

The nerve sensation is lost when there is an impacted stool mass layer lying most close to the wall -lining of the intestines. This obtunds the nerve sensation such that when within this stool mass layer more fluid stools pass they are not in contact with the nerves hence are not sensed by the colonic nerves, so the child soils himself. This is the basis thus, of disompaction and keeping the stools v soft, to prevent soiling. As such dulcolax or other laxatives achieve this purpose. Using dulcolax for v long, however, is not advised as continual use of it as a nerve stimulant may also obtund the local nerve response to stool presence, besides other side effects.

Using a healthy fiber -rich and no-sugar diet is the best prevention.

Dr Hana Fayyad

Maria Jasmine Freeman, published author.

[Helen36 in reply to MariaJasmineFreeman]

Hi - I was really interested to read your reply. Can you explain why a no sugar diet is recommended? Clearly sugar is always best limited in a diet, but why ‘no sugar’? Thanks

[MariaJasmineFreeman in reply to Helen36]

Hi.Currently it is becoming more evident that a healthy gut microbial flora is the nidus of human health. These bacteria flourish on fibre, while the pathogenic( harmful) bacteria proliferate on refined sugar. Harmful impact of an unhealthy gut flora ranges from constipation and diarrhea, to irritable bowel, reaching to obesity and diabetes, anxiety and depression, allergies, diverse cancer types, pulmonary infections, autoimmune disorders, even also personality disorders-of course in predisposed individuals. Ideally total elimination of refined sugar sources( often veiled in food products) should be our strategy to avoid overgrowth( to a lesser or greater degree) of unhealthy gut flora-named as dysbiosis. As such, therefore, eating refined sugar only causes harm and has no benefit!

Dr Hana Fayyad

Maria Jasmine Freeman, published author

[Mandy7]

He already has a wonderful diet. He eats lots of vegetables, fibre rich breakfasts, lots of water daily. He does get 1-2 lollies when going to the toilet successfully as a reward but this doesn’t happen every day.

[MariaJasmineFreeman in reply to Mandy7]

Has your son been investigated for Hirschprung’s disease, first, and also for any spinal cord abnormality?

[Mandy7 in reply to MariaJasmineFreeman]

No, neither the GP or continence specialist have ever mentioned it. What does that involve and such?

[Anna908 in reply to Mandy7]

Hirschsprung disease prevents bowel movements (stool) from passing through the intestines due to missing nerve cells in the lower part of the colon. This causes something called a fecaloma,That is like a fecal impaction but the small and large intestine are both fully impacted.

[Mandy7 in reply to Anna908]

Right! And what testing is involved?

[Mandy7 in reply to Anna908]

And would that be something he would have had from birth or can it develop later coz he had normal and PLENTY of bowel movements when he was a baby

[Anna908 in reply to Mandy7]

Most likely from birth,but rarely it can not be notice and the child could of had it since a baby.