Constipation

[Lorellmarie]

My daughter is 7 years old and has from as far as I remember most of her life so far only ever been able to poo once a week sometimes even every 9 days, I’ve been to the doctors so many times about it had so many different laxatives to help but it always reverts back to every week. I’m just wondering wether anyone else has the same problem?

[StellaA]

Are you fully disimpacting then taking her off the laxatives completely or are you keeping her on a maintenance dose?

What is her diet and fluid intake like, is she getting enough fibre and water?

Is she in control when she does have a bowel movement?

[Lorellmarie in reply to StellaA]

She’s been on movicol on and off for years and then she’s stays on lactalose the lactalose doesn’t help though as soon as she comes back off movicol it goes back to her going once every 8 days or at the moment it’s actually been 10 days, when I’ve spoke to the doctor about it well the last time I spoke to a doctor they told me that it can be normal?! And that there’s not much they can do, but surly it’s not normal she’s suffered since she was born with going. And she is good with fluids she has a good diet she has been plenty of fibre I’ve tried everything with her.

[Yaleamanda]

What are you currently giving her to help her go? Have you ever disimpacted her?

[Lorellmarie in reply to Yaleamanda]

Hi, yes she has been many times and it goes more regular but as soon as she’s off the medication it’s straight back to square one again she does have some special needs which I haven’t had fully diagnosed yet she’s just down as having special needs and learning difficulties so i wonder if it’s to do with that sometimes, and she’s on lactalose the doctor told me to keep her on it and let her have it everyday but it doesn’t help

[Yaleamanda in reply to Lorellmarie]

You need to be on the medication consistently every day, i would swap to movicol it's far more effective.

[Lorellmarie in reply to Yaleamanda]

I use movicol and it does work but as soon as she comes off no matter how long she’s on it for she goes right back to going once a week maybe longer, even when I keep up with lactalose everyday after, the doctor said it could be normal for her and that she just doesn’t have a lot of bowel movements but I don’t see how any of that is normal

[Yaleamanda in reply to Lorellmarie]

Do you wean her off the movicol slowly when you take her off it? Its important to do so and actually being on it long term is fine, it won't harm her at all.

[Lorellmarie in reply to Yaleamanda]

Yes I start reducing the amount I give her and then eventually she comes off and I start with the lactalose but it just seems to slip straight back again, and I never knew that I’m always researching ideas and all sorts I never knew they could be on movicol for longer I thought it could damage her or do more harm then good, but it does seem to be the only thing that actually helps, I might actually call the doctor again I’ve just been so many times with her and it’s always the same thing

[Yaleamanda in reply to Lorellmarie]

Movicol will cause no issues at all, it is far more effective than lactulose too. My daughter is 10 years old and has been on it since she was 6 months old and she is absolutely fine taking it.

[Lorellmarie in reply to Yaleamanda]

Really that’s a relief to hear because I feel like that’s the only thing that actually helps her I will have to call the doctor again and see what they say, most of the time when I’ve been they will only give her a certain amount and won’t prescribe more as soon as she’s de-impacted

[Yaleamanda in reply to Lorellmarie]

Just ask for it to be put on repeat prescription.

[Lorellmarie in reply to Yaleamanda]

Yea I’ll have to ask them, thanks for your help

[Roxyrox]

My son was like this, and I remember nearly taking him to hospital once, as it had been 9 days and I thought something was seriously wrong ! Anyway , he suffered with constipation pretty much since being a baby and developed a fear of going so used to hold it in for days.

When he did manage to go there was so much hard poo he really struggled, his bottom would bleed, it would get stuck and it was a massive ordeal (hence that just fuelled his fear even more). He has been on movicol for a long time, but the severe and prolonged constipation from when he was younger has stretched his bowel and now he’s lost the sensation to go. He therefore smears sometimes 4 times a day.

It’s been a very long and frustrating journey, but he is now under the hospital and we are just starting to manage things with the right maintenance dose of movicol and following a routine.

Does your daughter have accidents in between pooing ?

[Lorellmarie in reply to Roxyrox]

Oh really that sounds similar to my daughter she’s suffered as far as I can remember even as a newborn, and I think she just hates going where it’s so large because she holds it for so long so it’s a never ending cycle, she literally goes once a week at the moment it’s actually the 10th day she hasn’t been for and I know she needs to she just will either refuse or sit there in pain holding it in, she’s on lactalose at the moment but I am going to call the doctor again on Monday because she can’t keep going on like this they was going to refer her to the hospital and a specialist a while back but then I spoke to a different doctor and they decided not to it’s just so frustrating

[Roxyrox in reply to Lorellmarie]

Oh bless her she must have such a sore tummy. I would definitely go back to the doctors and asked to be referred again. It is frustrating when you see different doctors , they all have different ideas and opinions , but I got to the point where I thought enoughs enough, I made an appointment and thought I’m not leaving until I get a referral. My son was leaking pool several times a day and was getting conscious of it in school, changing for PE etc.

We got a referral and have had some very good advice and a strict regime of regular toilet sitting and the right movicol maintenance dose. My son also has access to the disabled toilets at school so he doesn’t have to withhold at school and can go freely without having to ask the teachers permission. He’s also been responsible for cleaning himself after an accident, which I think has given him that extra motivation to not withhold, because withholding usually results in an accident anyway!

Good luck with everything and don’t worry about giving too much movicol for too long, the consultant told me it doesn’t do them any harm at all, and that my son may have to have it until he’s into his teens! My son also has ADD (but the inattentive type, he’s not badly behaved or hyper) but I think this has made it more difficult for him to understand and deal with it. There are lots of articles about how these issues are linked so it may be the case.

But I’m rambling on now, so I’ll say good luck again and you are doing a great job 😁

[Lorellmarie in reply to Roxyrox]

Yea I’m going to go back and just say I’ve had enough now she needs to be seen and some specialist help it’s been going on way too long, and yea I always worried about her being on it for to long because I’ve heard so many different things and the doctors have never prescribed it for a long time but I think that’s what she needs seeing as it’s the only thing that helps, it’s nice To hear I’m not the only one going through it, and oh my daughter has special needs but it’s mainly learning in school that’s affected she hasn’t been diagnosed with anything yet but has an EHCP plan so I think this also impacts on it as she’s terrified of actually sitting on the toilet and going but I do notice when she’s on movicol she will willingly go on her own which goes to show it must be that it hurts her when she’s not on it. Thank you for your help it’s made me feel a lot better about it all 🙂

[6661]

Check this out, she knows what she's talking about. She had the same experience.

youtube.com/watch?v=2K9dCRp...(Not working as expected?)

[Yaleamanda in reply to 6661]

The video doesn't work