10 year old soiling

[mum1992]

I have emailed ERIC for advice (I work during the helpline hours) but wondered if anyone had a similar situation. I have a 10 year old son who has had problems with soiling on and off for about a year. Having read the information on here it looks very familiar. The only thing is he swears he isn't constipated - no pain, no tummy ache etc. So I'm wondering if it might not be that. He's very embarrassed by it of course and very reluctant to discuss it so it's hard to know exactly what's going on. His underwear is always very soiled and he usually smells of poo but doesn't seem to notice. When he does have a poo it seems (from the state of the toilet afterwards) to be quite runny and explosive. He always asks for a bath afterwards so he can wash himself. I'm not convinced he's wiping himself at all but if that's the case then I can't understand why as he was fully potty trained from age 3ish and this has never been an issue until last year.

[Yaleamanda]

Sounds like he is completely backed up, you need to clear him out and keep him on a regular dose of laxative to ensure that he stays regular. Unfortunately, he will not know if he is constipated or not and you need to take the lead. Soiling is a sign that there is old poo inside and he has most likely lost the natural urge to go hence the accidents. You will need both an osmotic and stimulant laxative to clear him out. It will probably take time but it's worth doing.