Constipation/pooping woes w/potty learning aged children - Page 2

[corrie43]

My 6 year old has this problem. He has been holding it for up to a week. He has the leaking/soiling issues. I have been trying all the natural stuff with no effect. He drinks prune juice every day, takes a fiber supplement, has oils in his diet. So far nothing has worked but chocolate ex-lax. I have only used it once, but we are on day 5 now again and no poop, and I know he needs to go. I see him grabbing his butt all the time.

He tried milk of magnesia but spit it out all over the place. He is in school so I can only use a laxative on the weekend, but I am going to have to use it again this weekend. This is so frustrating.... When he does go it is so large and hard it clogs the toilet. He has been clogging the toilet for over a year now with every bowel movement.

[karlin]

...

Sorry, I had nothing realy helpful to add.

[**guest**]

Corrie43- Ex lax is too harsh for young children. Glycolax is actually not considered a true laxitive. What it does is help the intestines to extract more water from the body so that the stool will be softer.

That is what I have learned from research and what the doc said. (I didn't quite believe the doc so I researched it. LOL).
Not telling ya what to do but you may want to stop the Ex Lax and do glycolax.

[annekevdbroek]

Also to Corrie - if you are seeing watery stool it can often leak around the hard stool that forms after several days. It really suggests a huge back-jam of poo in there! Miralax, or other medication that draws water into the bowel, taken consistently can help soften the existing stool. Stimulant laxatives such a ex-lax are very hard on the system. Also providing some lubricant (such as baby oil) to the bum can help the hard/large poo pass. An enema, if your son will cooperate, will provide immediate softening of the stool with water and produce a poo very quickly. Unforch, most kiddos don't like enemas very much!

If this problem has been going on for a year it may have caused his bowel to stretch and now normal bowel function could be difficult/impossible. I'd suggest talking to your ped, if you haven't already.

We actually have a "poo plan" with what we do after 3 days of no poo (add milk of magnesia), 5 days of no poo (more MOM), and then at 7 days or when unbearable use a 1/2 Ducolax suppository (stimulant) or enema (better but often harder to get the child to cooperate).

[aprildawn]

Originally Posted by annekevdbroek

Also providing some lubricant (such as baby oil) to the bum can help the hard/large poo pass.

we used vaseline on DD1 last weekend with great results. it both stimulated her bowels from us touching down there to rub on the vaseline, and it provided lubricant so it didn't hurt. it was a combo of the vaseline and DH making her laugh so hard she couldn't hold it in anymore. he made her laugh by joking about how he needed to poop and asking where he should poop. in her closet? on her pillow? in her dolly's diaper? on her head? in the kitchen sink? she was laughing so hard then she ran to the toilet and went! amazing. DH also uses that line from Austin Powers with her, "Who does #2 work for?" that makes her laugh and helps her push it out when she's plugged up.

[P-chan]

Originally Posted by aprildawn

DH also uses that line from Austin Powers with her, "Who does #2 work for?" that makes her laugh and helps her push it out when she's plugged up.

This is great! It's great when humor can make a trying situation better.

[corrie43]

We have an appointment on Wednesday. I am going to ask for a prescription of what you guys are reccomending, the mirilax. But for now there is NO WAY he will let me near his butt for an enema. He would kick and fight and end up hurting us or him. I had to use the Ex lax because this kid will spit out all liquid meds on me and I had to find a chewable. The exlax is chocolate and chewable, and it said ok for 6 year olds.

I know there are alternatives, but at the moment that's what I have to do. I can not get him to take any liquid meds, he always tastes them when I mix it in with stuff and is suspicious of any drinks I give him now. He's onto my tricks. I'm so frustrated at this point.

[mata]

, corrie43.

[**guest**]

Corrie, my son is SUPER sensitive to oral meds too. That is why I can only use Glycolax. It's a powder that you can mix with water, milk or juice and it truly is tasteless.
My son has sensory issues and can pick up on flavors/smells in an instant but he NEVER knows the Glycolax is in his drinks. Just make sure you mix it exremely well. I put ds's in a water bottle (poland springs type) or his Sigg bottle. Then I shake it up in the bottle...while periodically opening it to let the air out before I start shaking it again.
Hope that helps!

[Leiahs]

*waves hello*

My daughter is just getting over this problem, which started in March this year. Yay. Actually, for the last month she's been medication-free and doing pretty good - not pooping every day, but not having behavioral issues, and going when she felt the need to, all on her own.

Unfortunately we're regressing this week. It's been since Sunday night that she pooped last....and right now she's fallen asleep sitting on the potty. Guess I'll have to revert back to the medicine tonight

I have yet to ask for a prescription - which would be hard to do, seeing as how I"m in between doctors - but we've had success with various doses of milk of magnesia combined with a very strict diet. I wouldn't mind so much if she pooped so infrequently if it didn't affect her mood so drastically

[goddessjulia]

Originally Posted by corrie43

We have an appointment on Wednesday. I am going to ask for a prescription of what you guys are reccomending, the mirilax. But for now there is NO WAY he will let me near his butt for an enema. He would kick and fight and end up hurting us or him. I had to use the Ex lax because this kid will spit out all liquid meds on me and I had to find a chewable. The exlax is chocolate and chewable, and it said ok for 6 year olds.

I know there are alternatives, but at the moment that's what I have to do. I can not get him to take any liquid meds, he always tastes them when I mix it in with stuff and is suspicious of any drinks I give him now. He's onto my tricks. I'm so frustrated at this point.

right there with ya corrie! exact same deal here. I'm pretty confident he won't taste the glycolax! it is extraordinarily frustrating!! I have to sneak to get it in ds's first drink of the day. if he even sees the white bottle, I get "WHAT IS THAT?? THAT'S NOT FOR MY BOTTOM IS IT??" noooo, no, honey, this is for mommy. go watch tv. shoo! then I whisk it in it dissolves great in ginger ale, btw :

[mata]

ok-a good day today-pooped for a second day in a row, she didn't try to hold it, nor did she cry!
now I hope we can build on that, because unfortunately days like this have been few and far between lately. Dh was commenting on her sunny mood today, too. Poor kid-it must feel awful when it's bad.

Yesterday I started giving her carob/peanut clusters-to see if carob has the same impact on her as it does on me. She definitely doesn't mind having a couple of those a day.

[corrie43]

Well the situation has gone from bad to worse. I hass been 6 days with no movement. He had two child doses of ex lax yesterday as well as a glycerin suppository with no results. We are going to have to go to the doctor today because he was up half the night moaning and groaning. He just can not pass whatever is blocking him up. We spent over 7 hours yesterday trying to deal with this.

2 warm baths, talking him into the suppository and tons of time sitting on the potty. I'm just so frustrated. It's not getting like this again.

[**guest**]

You know what has been helping ds poop? Dr Praeggers Spinach Pancakes. In the frozen section. They can either be found in the Kosher frozen foods or in the Natural foods area.

My ds finally pooped yesterday. He still has more though...his tummy is a bit hard. Poor kid.
I'll give him more Glycolax today.

[Maman*Musique]

Originally Posted by goddessjulia

MamanMusique, it's good to hear a success story! I would also like to hear more about this supplement. did you go through a period where you had to use miralax too, or some other laxative? if so, how did you make the transition?

nak and tendonitis...

We did see a gastroenterologist when ds was about 18mo. That was a useless and frustrating appointment. We reluctantly put ds on Miralax and he did not do well at all. His skin began looking grayish and he was not healthy on it. Did not help the poop issue anyway.

The naturopath put us on a hypoallergenic diet which we stayed on for 2 years. That did not have an effect on pooping but we felt good on it so continued. She prescribed liquid cal/mag (and probiotics) which I believe was a turning point for us. DS never had hard stools but did have build up and a stretched colon from withholding. Things just were not moving thru. The cal/mag helped move things thru more regularly. Still the emotional part dragged on. Finally when he was 4.5 and decided to poop in a toilet he immediately stopped withholding. The position was what did it for him. We had always tried to get him to squat (with diaper) while pooping but he refused. He insisted on standing with his legs together and trying to hold it. Not a good poop position. This of course perpetuated the problem. The minute he went on the toilet he saw how easy poop could come out. Never did have a problem after that. After 3 years of torture it went away that easily and he is now 5.5 and fine.

We never wanted to push him to toilet train and did not even try as we were always told it could lead to withholding and we honestly did not care where he pooped we just wanted him to poop. We were kind of between a rock and a hard place, looking back on it. If we tried to have him use the toilet he might withhold even more yet the positioning is what did it. All it took was one time. Also, he went right to a regular toilet with an insert (his choice)

That is the story to the best of my memory - I may have blocked a lot of it out. It was a horrible experience

Good luck mamas

[mata]

Originally Posted by corrie43

Well the situation has gone from bad to worse. I hass been 6 days with no movement. He had two child doses of ex lax yesterday as well as a glycerin suppository with no results. We are going to have to go to the doctor today because he was up half the night moaning and groaning. He just can not pass whatever is blocking him up. We spent over 7 hours yesterday trying to deal with this.

2 warm baths, talking him into the suppository and tons of time sitting on the potty. I'm just so frustrated. It's not getting like this again.

I'm sorry, corrie43-good luck today.

[corrie43]

Well one xray and rectal exam later we are home. He has a ton of poop in his colon but luckily not impacted yet, but the doctor said if he doesn't go within the next 24 hours he could get that way. He gave us a prescription for miralax which thankfully has no taste. So hoping for the best.

The biggest problem is now he screams bloody murder as soon as we sit him on the potty. He just won't go and is holding it back. No matter how much we talk to him about it. This is an almost 6 year old who has been pooping fine almost his whole life. What the heck?? You would think he has had a traumatic experience on the potty or something but he hasn't.

[goddessjulia]

corrie! it will take 2-3 days on the miralax, but it will work! I remember ds figuring out how to expel the suppository without anything else (sorry, TMI!) now that's control!

you *would* think something traumatic had happened. I mean, really, what makes a kid decide to quit pooping forever because of a diaper rash?? other kids didn't do this. most kids will have a painful rash at least once eventually. what makes one kid decide to retain? it's sooo frustrating.

maman musique, I am hopeful that by the time ds is 4.5 he'll have that light bulb go on too. that's only 7 months away! : he also does the "stand and squeeze" thing-- I think that happens a lot-- but in our case we *have* tried to get him to use the potty, and he did have one day not too long ago when he went all day to the potty to poop. but I guess he just hasn't put it all together yet. I have worried that we shouldn't have "introduced" the potty, or that we did it too early, etc. but his pee training was instantaneous and was prompted by seeing a friend pee in the potty, so that was all his own doing. some days we go through ten pairs of underwear because he's trying not to poop and lets it out little by little. those are the worst. I keep thinking, one day he'll be five, one day he'll be five, hoping that the developmental changes that come with age will help him figure it out and quit fighting it.

may we all get there soon, and with much mirth and merriment and no additional issues to deal with after this one goes away! :

[mata]

day 3 today-so in writing it down I'm seeing her pattern. this morning she's crying, doing laps around the kitchen island and holding it in. On Saturday she asked to wear undies and has been dry since then, but this morning when she had to go poo I put her on the potty and she freaked and I put a diaper back on because of course she was upset she would go in her panties. Talking, talking, talking to her-she just wanted me to hold her for about half an hour, poor babe. I'm seriously thinking of taking her out of her preschool class just so she can completely get back in touch with her body's rhythmn. She only goes four hours a week, but I know she wouldn't go in the potty there, and she would try not to go in her diaper-just another reason for her to do more holding in.

[P-chan]

I'm so glad for this thread. We really hit a low point this weekend. My husband was out of town for a funeral and on Day 4 (Saturday) things had totally fallen apart: the laps around the house, high-stepping, not eating, whining, throwing, biting, hitting--the works. I became way too emotional invested in his poop and so I was getting frustrated too. The breaking point was when I got a soccer ball to the face--I gave myself a time-out and went in a different room to cry. Really cry. My son came in with a worried face every so often, and at one point I heard him tell the baby (who was safely strapped in a high chair) that "Mama can't come in here right now, because she's being too loud."

So he didn't poop that day, and on Sunday I woke up with a new outlook: I couldn't change his reaction to his poop, but I could change mine. I planned some fun stuff out of the house (he rarely has the drama in public) and when it started again I was mentally prepared. He finally pooped on Day 5.

Wow, this is like free therapy!