Stopping Movicol - how long does it take to get out of the system?

[Lunathedog]

My daughter is 9 and has been on Movicol since August after recurrent UTIs which they think was caused by constipation (she only went once every 5 days and it was a massive poo). She had an ultrasound scan for recurrent UTI's and they saw she was quite full of poo (not surprised if she only went every 5 days) and also that the UTIs had caused mild hydronephrosis (kidney swelling). She poo'd more regularly with 2 sachets a day, but they upped it to 3 as it still wasn't once a day. Since going to 3 in September, she's regularly soiled herself. I *thought* that perhaps there was still constipation so I upped it to 4 a day. However it's made the soiling much worse (I'm washing 5 pairs of knickers a day!) plus her poo is fairly runny (not watery, but like slurry). I'm just wondering whether she isn't really constipated anymore and that its just making her normal poo runny.

So, we've decided to stop it completely and see how it goes and can always go onto it again. I'd rather she poo'd every 2/3 days than have constant soiling - at 9 she is very embarrassed about it (and to be honest I'm fed up of washing dirty knickers and wiping her bum properly!).

How long does Movicol take to get out of their system? She last had 2 sachets yesterday morning but so far there's still been soiling and runny poo.

Thanks everyone.

[Lunathedog]

I just wanted to say, although she only poo'd every 4/5 days, she wasn't constipated with it. No straining or anything like that, and it was a normal poo, like number 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart, not particularly hard or anything either.

[brook2]

How big would the poop be and how long would she not go for? Also was the poop hard?

[Lunathedog in reply to brook2]

A good sized adult poo i would say. Larger than I do! It was normal consistency (well what I would consider normal) a 3 on the Bristol stool chart or a 4.

[Lunathedog in reply to brook2]

She would go every 4/5 days. I know that's considered constipated but I don't go every day either (although it's not that long).

[Lunathedog]

An update: 3 days after stopping her pop is finally a bit more solid, like a 5 on the Bristol stool chart. No more soiling either. Hurray!!