Arghhh.... Is this overflow??

[Amy-Leigh]

My daughter has had a disimpaction last week. (Which was deffo successful -runny tea colour poop for x2days and sweet corn test under 24hrs.) This was caused due to her witholding . Managed to go on 4th day after x8 sachets. Shes been passing stools well following reduction of movicol until x2 per day (given at night) however... back to school monday and she hates using the school toilets, so she held it Monday and never went. (Had a small smear in knickers) Today she amazingly used the school toilets as she's decided she doesn't want to hold it any more (thank god) but I don't know how much or what type of stool she passed (She said it wasn't very big) She said she had runny poo down her leg and has had x2 soiled pants (Which she knew she had done - so informed the teacher - soiled pants Monday too, but knew she had done it) . But now, tonight she states she wants to go and is trying but she says she feels like she needs, has a bit of a sore tummy and it is sore again when pushing... she says she 'can't push it out' even though she wants to. Shes passing lots of wind. I've gone up on her movicol again to 3 but I'm finding it hard to judge. Is she constipated again? Is it just wind? Or is it diarrhoea from too much Movicol- as she's been every day very well excluding yesterday, or is it just she's empty and shes pushing nothing as she's got runny stools. Trying to get the right amount whilst they're at school and you can't see their poop is just a nightmare!!!

[Clazb]

Hi Amy,

Reading this story is like reading my own story with my 6 year old son, we have struggled with impaction for many years and did our last disimpaction the beginning of January, he ended up having 10 days of 12 sachets in the end! Since then he has been on a maintenance dose of 4, we had the consultant yesterday and he explained normally after about 3 months most children stop having accidents and the lose bowels could be there isn't actually anything to come out apart from the movicol! We have found as long as we give him his movicol around 3.30pm we are mostly accident free at school

[Amy-Leigh in reply to Clazb]

Thanks so much for your reply. Really helpful. This sounds like a brilliant idea. I think I will change it to 3.30pm. Then hopefully that gives it time to work at home. My daughter has the feeling (usually at night) that she wants to go and can't... and that she has a bit of a sore tummy I think this could be the movicol. As although she feels this way she has had her bowels opened well that day. Does this happen with your son? It's a mindfield and makes you super paranoid xxx

[Clazb in reply to Amy-Leigh]

Yep my son gets the sore tummy too and sounds like a washing machine sometimes. It is so confusing we have been battling doctors to refer my son which we finally got Nov last year and have seen the consultant twice since. We now have a strict toileting schedule in place and adjust his movicol when we feel necessary xx

[Amy-Leigh in reply to Clazb]

How do you manage the toilet routine with daily life? We go out a lot and my daughter hates public loos. I think it would help to have a routine tho. I try and get her to go sit on the loo 30min after each meal. X

[Clazb in reply to Amy-Leigh]

School sends him every 2 hours or if he asks and we try to stick to that at home as much as we can, if we know we are going to be a while before we get anywhere he is comfortable we make him go before he leaves. Half an hour after every meal too, its a nightmare trying to retrain his brain to get the sensation back xx

[Robinia]

I would always be more on the side of it being constipation overflow rather than too much movicol from bitter experience! Maybe a low dose of Senna alongside the movicol would help. And maybe try 4 sachets for a couple of days and see what happens and then reduce back to 3. If she isn’t going easily on 4 sachets then you might need to disimpact again. The other thing is to watch how much she is drinking and ensure she’s on the loo before school and after school for 10mins each day, after a hot bath is good

[Amy-Leigh in reply to Robinia]

This is the trouble Robina. I'm not sure how well she is going as she gets muddled. She went Tuesday a lot at school but told me it was just a little... but the teachers today said there was loads!! She has been ahain today at school. Both last night and tonight she's said she feels she wants to go but can't. And has a sore tummy. I did increase the movicol again. But I'm just not sure if it's the movicol making her feel like she needs to go and a sore tummt but she's empty. There was no smearing in her knickers Today from school. It's so confusing. X

[Robinia in reply to Amy-Leigh]

You’re so right it’s totally confusing. In hospital recently the nurse was commiserating with me about not having x Ray specs!

I think this week end will really help as you can have a good look in the loo 😉. I guess it’s just trying to keep things soft until then

[Amy-Leigh in reply to Robinia]

Fingers crossed it gives a bit more clarity. X

[Robinia in reply to Amy-Leigh]

I also give movicol after school. The movicol can definitely cause wind pain to some children. My son comes home from school and has movicol, then has dinner (if he’s feeling up to eating which is variable), then has a shower or bath and a bisocodyl suppository, then sits on the loo after 20/30 minutes. Then he has Senna tablets before going to bed. He sits on the loo in the morning after breakfast and before school as well. I think establishing a routine really helps. We have a gym ball in the living room he goes on to help move the stuck wind.