Withholding

[Stressedmum83]

Hi everyone,

I have had ongoing issues with my sons toileting since about 2 when he experienced constipation and had a painful poo and it has Been a rocky road every since. We have tried movicol, lactilose and osmolax and we sometimes do 120g a day and he still won’t go! The problem is trying to get him to Drink that amount of liquid. He is so determined not to have anything to do with going to the toilet. We had some success about 6 months back and we were medicine free but now we are back to square one! I have been back and forth to drs OT’s and paeds and they just don’t seem to have a solution! I have tried everything. He won’t even sit on the toilet and after an hour of trying to get him to go I give up. It’s just so heartbreaking! He has just been diagnosed with ASD level 1. So this could explain some things but his behaviour is completely different when he is regular. Most of the atypical behaviors are gone! Please help

[StellaA]

What age is your son if you don't mind me asking?

Is he at school?

I don't know exactly what motivated my granddaughter, but when she started her at her new school she managed to get her soiling under control.

It could have been anything from being changed by unfamiliar staff to just going to the loo with her friends to imitate them.

On a side note, I'm quite interested what your referring to with your sons asd diagnosis, I've not herd of spectrum disorders revered to in levels before.

Would 1 be equivalent to aspergers or high functioning autism?

[Stressedmum83 in reply to StellaA]

He is 5 doesn’t attend school yet. We are in AUS and here we have an autism scale from 1-3 1 being mild more high functioning I suppose they don’t diagnose Asperger here anymore.

[Anacha]

Try to cook all his food in organic coconut oil. And lots of hot water to drink(as hot as he can take. Both help a lot with my 3 year old

[Stacey8319]

My son has been withholding since February. We are at a point where he doesn't cry and scream anymore...he will say my butt, my butt hurts when he has to go still, but that is better than screaming every 10 minutes, the whole day. We give our son 1 quarter cap of miralax in the morning. Then at night we give him one squirt of Mommy Bliss Constipation Ease with his night beverage. Some days are better than others. I know it doesn't hurt him to go poop because it is super soft. He just has to get it out of his mind that it will hurt. I never in my life thought I would be going through this...I didn't even know it was a thing until my son had ONE incident of constipation. We are not in school, due to being quarantined (I'm I the USA), but I am not sure how he will be in school once we go back. The only thing I can think of to tell you is time and it hopefully will phase out. I also found a recipe for Poop Candy. It is just coconut oil and chocolate chips. Just look it up on Pinterest. They get one a day and helps them to go easily. I wish I had a magic plan to share. If you find it...let me know!

[Stressedmum83]

Thank you it’s day 4 now and I am desperate! The paed the psyc and the OT don’t seem to have any new tricks for me. He often says his bottom Hurts or it is itchy when he needs to go and I know movement helps but I can’t get him moving because he is toxic from

His poo!

[mommylove]

I have a similar situation. I have a son with severe autism. Nonverbal and not potty trained. We have been dealing with stool withholding for over 6 years and its been a vicious cycle of movocol, enemas, laxatives and he just refuses to let out his stool. When we do an enema, the stool that come out is very soft , so he isn't constipated, he just is terrified of pushing out the stool. I am so frustrated. Im in the US and the ped gastro doctors just push the movocol and laxatives, but unfortunaley his issue is due to him not grasping the correlation between emptying bowels and his tummy feeling good. I feel we have done everything and nothing has worked. It's heartbreaking to witness him in so much pain over this. He is 12 now and it seems that enemas seem to be only way to give him relief. I'm at a loss.