4 Year Old Stool Withholding

[PinkPixiex]

Hi there,

my daughter is almost 4 and has stool withheld for around 2 years. She’s on laxido and a stimulant laxative. This has consumed our lives and I am absolutely miserable. My daughter is undergoing an autism assessment - speech and language delay being one of her traits amongst a fair few others - so explaining to her the importance of pooing etc is just not possible. She is still in nappies (total refusal there too). I have tried everything. She has been disimpacted using laxido three times now. We could never quite get that maintenance dose right - she would go little and often constantly. Last week she had a tummy bug and diarrhoea - since then, she has not done a poo in 7 days and the withholding has escalated. She spends all day holding her legs and shaking or sitting on the sofa refusing to move. She has had three 5ml doses of sodium picosulfate alongside 3 laxido sachets a day. I don’t know what else to do. I’m absolutely at a loss. This takes over our lives to the point where we can’t even really go out. And potty training? It doesn’t feel like it’ll ever happen. And she’s 4. please help.

[SallyandPaul]

This sounds absolutely horrendous and I'm not really sure what to say. It does seem like you need more medical help.GP's are'nt always the best with this. Have you tried ringing ERIC? For now i would continue the medication that your'e doing,don't even think about potty training and i would be tempted to go out all the time to take her mind off it. Try and grit your teeth and just change her with no comment whatsoever,hard i know. This maybe totally unhelpful so I'm sorry. Remember it's not her fault or yours and i really really hope things improve soon,

[ERIC-Charity Partner]

Hi PinkPixiex , we are sorry to hear things are so difficult right now. If you need some help, you can complete a web enquiry form eric.org.uk/email-request-s... and a Helpline advisor will email you when available. In the meantime, have a look at this: eric.org.uk/News/sensory-ne... You may also need to complete a disimpaction again and keep tweaking that maintenance dose. Good luck, do contact us on the Helpline if you need further help, ERIC

[Amanda-87]

Try upping her laxido sachets as they are the ones that soften her poo to make it easier for her to go the sodium picosulfate is only to be used once a day, I’ve literally had almost 7 years of this as my daughter has suffered constipation since she was a newborn, we are on 6 movicol and 7ml sodium picosulfate x

[Zubbs]

Good morning, I totally understand how frustrated you feel. I agree that she made need disimpaction again and as far as I’m aware sodium picosulfate is once a day at bedtime as their relaxed when they are asleep so it helps along with the laxative to work.

Has your GP referred your little one to

a paediatrician? If not ask them about it.

Have a look on the ERIC website there is loads of information and due to my dr being completely useless I printed loads of information off and armed myself with it when I spoke to dr. (He didn’t like that)

Also speak to the people who are doing her autism assessment as they might be able to help.

I do toilet time with my 7 year old where I put him on the toilet 30 mins after he has eaten for 10 mins for him to do his business normally with his I pad and that works most of the time as he is distracted and not realising what he is doing- that could be a possibility with your little one on the potty but maybe try and make it into a game with her, I read somewhere about blowing bubbles being good.

Keep your chin up hun, you can get thru it