When to wean off the movicol maintenance dose?

[123555]

My 3 year old daughter has been withholding for over two years and now the past four days we've been doing lots of poos on the toilet without prompting or bribing or sitting for very long. It seems like she's actually using a the muscles to push it out and it's also very soft. She has a maintenance dose of 2 sachets of movicol that I tried to wean down to 1.5 a couple of weeks ago but after lots of soiling in nursery I went back up to 2 again about a week ago. When should I think about reducing the movicol again? Or should I stay at 2? Could she have regained the feeling and control of her muscles now? Thanks

[Yaleamanda]

I would stay at 2 for a little while longer yet, you mind find you need to reduce by a quarter of a sachet and stay there for a few weeks before reducing again. Usually the maintenance dose needs to be maintained for a while and they will need to be on movicol for as long as the issue persisted in the first place. My daughter is 11 and has been on movicol for over 10 years and we are only now reducing, she was on three sachets and we reduced by half for 6 months, then by half again and she is now on two sachets and will be for a few more months before we reduce again. Slowly wins the race.

[123555 in reply to Yaleamanda]

Hi thanks for the reply. I'll definitely hang off reducing by half for a bit as I really don't want to undo any progress we have made. I'll keep her in two and see how we go.

[Hulahoops]

I think I was told they would need to be pooing without issue for six months before I should start reducing. Well done to your daughter!

[123555 in reply to Hulahoops]

Thanks she's made a lot of progress recently. I'll keep her on the two then and see how she goes!

[Lisajn in reply to 123555]

Hi, just to say it isn't necessarily the case that they need to stay on the dose as long as the problem has been occurring. We managed to get our son pooing regularly after being on movicol for 6 weeks and gradually reducing the dose every few days (he was withholding for a year and a half). Alongside this we've been introducing pre and probiotics, flax water (in smoothies, porridge etc) and ensuring his foods are as liquid as possible (think melon over banana, soup etc) as for us a big problem was lack of fluids in his diet. Alongside the laxatives it is worth looking into foods that improve their bowel and gut health. Hope this helps, it's really tough but it will improve.

[Lpmaw2017]

Hi

Sorry I don't have any advice about her dose of movicol but I'm just so happy to read a success story. My 2.5 year old son has been withholding for a month now and it is terrible. He screams the house down when he needs to go. He is on movicol and a stimulant and still manages to hold everything in. He won't even sit on the potty or toilet anymore to try. We have tried books, blowing bubbles, bribes, ipad, TV everything and it all just upsets him more. How did you reach this stage. I can't wait to get there, I'm exhausted worrying about him.

[123555]

Hi sorry you are experiencing all this it can be so tough to deal with the worry and stress of a withholding child. My daughter has been withholding since before she was one so it's been a long journey for us, she really hated the sensation of having a bowel movement from a couple months after starting solids. She was particularly bad when she was two. She's been on two movicol daily since about 2 so just over a year now. How much is your son on? Have you increased the dose to see if that helps? We had to keep my daughters stools very loose because she was so good at holding it in.To get her sitting on the toilet we made her a chart on Word that had a picture of a toy she really wanted on and '' child's names potty' chart' with boxes to put star stickers. If she sat for long enough and tried for a poo she got a sticker and a Marshmallow even if no success just to get her positive about it. Then she eventually started pooing on the toilet but this would still be after holding in and soiling multiple times. After the sticker chart we then got her fave programmes and games on our phone to play with, it was easier than holding the tablet for her on the toilet. So it was just a case of getting her to sit for long enough. We recently discovered haribos and that has been like no other bribe or tactic I have tried. Getting her a really good step stool helped tremendously, it's one that has the seat and steps together and handles at the top, really lifts her knees into the right position and helps her feel secure and steady.

We made sure anyone looking after her knew and understood withholding. So her grandparents understood what we would be trying at the time and her nursery would help as much as possible. We talk about poo a lot in our house now and she has seen us go to the toilet too.

I understand that might be a bit of a ramble but we tried so many different things it's hard to pinpoint what it was rather than it being a 'journey' that consisted of lots of things. She had times where she would get better for a while and then bad again

Try to keep calm about it and seek advice on here like you are doing. I have been at breaking point a lot of times and have came on here for advice or to read others posts and it really really helped. I didn't actually think we would ever get to where we are now and I've got my fingers crossed she doesn't go back. He is still young and not been doing it a very long time so you are doing really well to be tackling quickly.