Constipation and potty training in a 3 year old.

[Chloelee]

Hey was wondering whether someone can help me

My little girl is currently 3 years of age and is struggling severely with constipation. It has got that bad that she is scared to sit on the potty which means potty traning is near enough impossible.

She has suffered constipation from approximately 4 months of age. She has been on 4 different laxatives which none have proven to be efficient.

Her poohs are not breaking down which is causing her to bleed. Her last proper pooh was the 1st June and this caused bleeding due to the size being approximately 5cm round.

We have been to the doctors on and off with the same issue but all we ever get given is more laxatives. Her diet is good she gets enough fiber and drinks plenty of fluid.

She soils in her pants and clenches due to the fear of the pain.

My question is, is anyone else going through the same thing and has anyone any advice on how to overcome it ?

[Zubbs]

Morning, my only advice is doing the route I did Monday and yesterday with my 7 year old who is constipated/impacted is hassle for your little one to have a abdominal x Ray from your gp to see how bad it is and then I went to A&E who sent me to the emergency dr as my son is eating and drinking normally but the emergency gp was good, he recommended that I try my son on prune juice just a quarter of a glass once a day but make sure it is really cold and he wrote a letter to my gp to get my son a referral to the paediatric gastrointestinal team. My gp then rang me to do the referral and I had to really push for them to do it as they were trying to say it was the antibiotics my one had in March (my son has had this problem for years).

[Bambie83]

I know you said that they’ve put her laxatives but have they mentioned clearing her out completely?

Sound like a disimpaction would help, if she’s that constipated.

Poor thing, sounds really painful.

[Chloelee in reply to Bambie83]

Went back to the doctors last weeks and they've put us back on Laxidose . They listened to her stomach but no xrays or referrals where made anf she has had a proper pooh since 1st June just soiling her nappies

[Bambie83 in reply to Chloelee]

I’m surprised they didn’t give her a X-ray considering she’s not pooed for 4 weeks poor thing.

Have they given you enough Laxido to do an disimpaction?

What happened during your last one? Did nothing come out at the highest dose? That’s a strong bowel that can hold on to poo at 7 sachets (or whatever it is as 3 years old)…

Perhaps the Laxido may work better?

I have a three year old and I can’t image how scared she’d be of the pain after a month of not going! 🥺

[Chloelee in reply to Bambie83]

I calculated the sachets and the doctor wants us to try it again for 2 weeks but doesn't even look like there is enough for a weeks worth.

And we did a maximum of 4 sachets a day because last time we saw a GP they didn't examine her at all just prescribed her laxatives (movicol) and basically said to give a maximum of 4 sachets along side some lactalose but it didn't seem to work. She will have one large pooh (last one which was 1st June was circular and around 5cm wide - that big it made her bleed) and then go straight back to being constipated and obviously with holding.

When we saw thr GP this time round (we had a different one) he had a feel of her stomach, a listen and did her temp etc he said that she has lazy bowels. My only concern is her father suffers IBS so has intolerance and my sister also has a genetic disorder in which she has an at home enema kit which she relies on other wise she has a build up.

We have been prescribed 5 different laxatives since being the age of 4 months old and so far nothing works and the issue just continues. We have cleaned her bowels out before (to the point they are runny) and gave her movicol daily increasing and decreasing the dose but again just end up at the same point.

[Bambie83 in reply to Chloelee]

I would contact the GP again and tell them you are doing a disimpaction and will need at least two boxes to complete it. I’ve found they seem to listen if you sound like you know what you’re doing. I told them I had been told by the health visitor and Eric to do a disimpaction and they gave me enough.

Then follow the Eric guidelines for the disimpaction and keep her at the highest dose until you get a few days of water ‘tea’ then slowly reduce (1sachet down every few days) until you reach a maintenance dose that means she can’t withhold it.

Once she gets used it not hurting she’ll begin to get used to going and you can reduce it further.

[CheshireMama]

It sounds like she is impacted and needs to have a full disimpaction course. You’ll need GP to prescribe movicol sachets and it’ll be a week of loose poo, so stay home or close to home. You need to follow the instructions until she is passing watery poo (up to 7 days). Then when this is achieved you slowly reduce the sachets. BUT she will be best to stay on a maintenance dosage of movicol for months. This means her poo will be soft - so she can’t hold it (and cause more impaction) & she will learn that poos don’t hurt. This also gives the stretched colon time to recover. Get her on the movicol asap - it will be messy but it’s for a good cause of clearing her own and letting her body recover!

The Eric website should have info on disinpaxtion and the movicol website and instructions on the medication packs are really clear.

[Chloelee in reply to CheshireMama]

That is the thing we have already tried movicol and thar system of increas8ng till watery but nothing works

[CheshireMama in reply to Chloelee]

You’ll have to do it again as she will be impacted - hence no proper poo, just the soiling. It will work but you need to then stick with a long term Maintenance plan.

[Chloelee in reply to CheshireMama]

Been to the doctor and he wants us to try it again for 2 weeks and then go back to be reviewed.

She will have one large pooh (last one which was 1st June was circular and around 5cm wide - that big it made her bleed) and then go straight back to being constipated and obviously with holding.

When we saw thr GP this time round (we had a different one) he had a feel of her stomach, a listen and did her temp etc he said that she has lazy bowels. My only concern is her father suffers IBS so has intolerance and my sister also has a genetic disorder in which she has an at home enema kit which she relies on other wise she has a build up.

We have been prescribed 5 different laxatives since being the age of 4 months old and so far nothing works and the issue just continues. We have cleaned her bowels out before (to the point they are runny) and gave her movicol daily increasing and decreasing the dose but again just end up at the same point - no matter how high her dose goes. The only reason her bowels actually empties is because she has diaherria and a sickness bug.

[Cemmm]

There is a group on Facebook called Movicol mummies which is fantastic for advice, thousands of people going through the same thing

[redbasketball]

I'd strongly suggest dealing with the constipation before potty training so you don't accidentally introduce any withholding behavior.

[Chloelee in reply to redbasketball]

She was withholding before even trying potty training. She withholds because of the pain she associates with it because when she does go they are large and hard