Help Needed for Constipated Child

Miralax or Glycolax (same thing). I had to use it for my son. It is a tasteless powder that you mix into his drinks. Just one dose a day. Talk to a pediatrican or pharmacist...but it worked! I haven't used it for a while, and he was only 2 at the time! I even suggested this for my mother in law who found she was having trouble sometimes, and it worked for her! Good luck! I know how awful it is to feel helpless! Also...pears! Pear juice and pears!

Don't forget to cut out the bananas! He also needs water, not just juice. You could also give him some bran muffins, pears work really well and so do grapes and raisins. Poor littl guy! Good Luck all the best to you.

S.,

My 6 year old son has always had slow bowels and problems with constipation. Just recently we have been giving him about 4 ounces of prune juice every night before bed. It seems to be helping to keep bowel movements more regular and softer.

Hi S.---You've received some good advice. I'd like to share a little info that I'm learning in my Wellness 101 class, taught by a Naturopath who has her PhD in nutrition. Unless you look at the entire diet and your family's lifestyle habits, you will probably have to address this issue more than once. Stool softeners just address the symptoms of an underlying problem.

You want to make sure everyone in the family is getting plenty of fiber and water. The best way to do that is to have your daily diet consist primarily of fresh fruits and veggies, 7-13 servings each and every day, whole grains, and legumes (dried beans). Use animal products sparingly, they offer NO fiber for regularity, and too much leads to cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Most health associations recommend 24 grams of fiber a day, but Dr. Popper feels that amount inadequate for 'optimal' health.

I have all kinds of great ideas, recipes, articles to help support the concepts I am sharing. Please feel free to contact me and we can talk about some action steps. I am very curious about the advice to avoid bananas. I have 2 or 3 books on foods that heal, and they all say bananas are good for constipation. My husband broke his hand last fall and had problems because of his pain meds. I made him a fruit salad of bananas and kiwi, sweetened with a little agave nectar. Worked like a charm. In fact, these foods are listed as helping constipation: bananas, dates, garlic, kiwi, oats, water and whole wheat bread. I have found some really great cereals made from different grains that you might like to try. When you offer oatmeal, avoid instant, as processing increases the glycemic index, the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream. Steel cut oats are best for lots of fiber, check out Bob's Red Mill cereals for those offering lots of fiber. Ground flax seed is a must. It's hugely nutritious. The fiber also has cancer fighting properties as well. Best is to grind fresh every day, if possible. A great snack/energy bar that is made primarily of dates in the Lara bar. My books also say that movement, exercise, is important to keeping bowels regular.

Lastly, I would like to share that I have found a wonderful whole food supplement, made of 15 different fruits and veggies and the bran of oats and rice. The first thing most people using Juice Plus+ will tell you is that it is magical in helping to reestablish regularity. The capsules, chewables or gummies all contain dehydrated juice powders of fruits and veggies, and there are several original studies to show that it improves and balances the immune system, as well as the ability to protect and repair DNA (think anti-aging, reduced risk of cancer or heart disease). In your case, you might be interested in our Childrens Health Study, where kids between the ages of 6 and 15 can get JP+ paid for by me, with a participating adult.

I'd love to help you in any way that I can. I do not charge for 'consultations'. My passion is to help people become healthier. Call me and we can share ideas. In the meantime, good luck and be sure to cut back on sugary and processed foods.

In health, D. ###-###-#### www.dianeshealthed.com
www.juiceplusreviewed.com

S.,
Not to scare you, but when my son was in Kdg, we was constipated for 2 weeks and ended up with strep of his rectum and an anal tear. Give your son Miralax. You also might want to try suppositories. Finally, the thing that worked for us was warm water enemas. Yes, it is disgusting...we did it in the bath tub incase it worked too quickly. I course we had to clear up his strep infection. I don't want your son to get as bad as mine. Good luck with everything.

Hi S.,

I know this is not very much fun to deal with. My daughter had the same problem. From the time she was 8 up until about the age 9. She is now 11 and so far things have gotten much better. She had to go to the ER twice because of it. What we did that has helped her is using ground Flax Seed. It is pretty much tasteless. We sprinkle just a little bit on her salads. Lettuce, green onion and radish is all the veggies she will eat and will not eat any fruit. Their is also capsule forms of flax seed. Their is also a juice out at Whole Foods it is called Good Belly. It is also suppose to help with a good digestive tract. I know it tastes good. Not sure how well it works for that because it just came out. Hopefully that helped a little bit. Talk with your peditrician if you haven't already. Or the people at Whole foods are very knowledgeable (in the vitamin dept.) It is more expensive there, but worth it.

Prune juice first of all. Lots of water. Whole berries like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries. No white bread, rice, pasta or potatoes. Healthy oils like flax seed, avocados, raw nuts and natural nut butters. Freash apples, pears, plums. Most kids get constipated because they have a diet that primarily consists of bread sticks, potatoes, and cereal. I know it is hard with picky eaters, but he is 9 so he can understand that his body is not functioning properly and shouldn't be to hard to get him to understand.

ever try black licorice or the black licorice bites, craisins original flavor. putting a teaspoon of mineral oil every day in his food. no smell or taste to the oil. so he wouldn't expect anything. these are what worked on my son when he was little even orange juice. hope these ideas help.. good luck

S. ~
Alot of times kids don't like to go to the bathroom at school, for whatever reason, so if they hold it too much, they become constipated. You've had great ideas. Don't forget, though, lots of water, fiber and walking. Walking stimulates the normal peristalsis (movement within the entire system, from swallowing on down). Talk to him and find out if there's a problem using the bathroom at school....will the teacher not let kids go when they have to, can you hear from the classroom, etc.
D.

My friend has a 4 yr old boy who had trouble and was holding it for like 5-6 days. She finally got the dr. to give her miralax (sp) and she gives it to him daily. It softens his stools so he is able to go more often. Your son obviously needs a softner-either try an over the counter brand or take him to the dr. to see what they would prescribe!! Good luck.

9 year old has same problem, i start to give him grape juice every day for a while almost once or twice a day. then make it less as he start to get better. my doctor says he should grow out of it. always has

Increase fiber! If you don't want to wait for a higher fiber diet to work, try an over the counter natural stimulant (like senna s) or a stool softener like colace. Also increase water intake.

Stool softener would help.....ask your dr too but that helped my grandson plus he is staying away from seeds like in pickles, cucumbers and such.

My kids loved cheese and had similar problems. I combined the cheese with veggies or the best is cheese and Cheerios. They kind of make a combo, but more Cheerio than cheese, so less constipation. It's all about balance so you avoid medication. I also added prune juice to their drinks.

Speaking from personal experience with this problem. I have been struggling with that the last year or so, and the best thing you can do for him is have him start taking things that have REAL fiber in them. I personally went out and bought the Fiber One granola bars at the store. They come in handy and help me stay "regular." Also, a stool softener might help but I would say to try the fiber one bars first.

Make sure he has whole grains as well as the fruit - wholewheat bread instead of white, brown rice not white. Also, give him cooked vegetables at dinner, like broccoli and cauliflower. I think it would be okay to give him a child's laxative if he's particularly suffering one night and really can't go. If it doesn't resolve in a few weeks I think I'd take him to the doctor - he might have some medicine to suggest - good luck - Alison

Good morning S.,

I have the same problem as your son our pediatrician told me to try Miralax. It a miricle medicine and I swear by this. I believe you can get this cheaper at Meijer thans at CVS. It has NO TASTE you add it to a glass of water and drink it. This should do the trick and it is safe for children. I tried everything and this is the only thing that works for me.

I hope the best for your little man, I understand first hand the pain and discomfort.

P.

My niece had a problem like this when she was a toddler, A warm bath usually helps relax the muscles. And if no luck there I sometimes have to give my daughter laxatives to help her go. Usually 1 to 2 times a month. It works over night, I wait until the weekend.

My 3 year old goes through the same thing if he gets too much junk. We try to stick to water, limit the sweets and I alternate his morning milk with juice (OJ or the V8 splash stuff helps). A few weeks ago I had to give him a Fleet enema to help. After he got that he understands why I make him drink juice, water...

Call and ask your doctor. My dr said to give my 6 yr old son 3/4 of a lid of Mirilax (over the counter med) in 6oz prune or pear juice. I am having problems getting him to drink the juice with the Mirilax in it. He did the first two days but since then doesnt. Good luck.

My daughter has similar problem with constipation. The juice and fruit are on the right path and limited dairy. Someone once told me their doctor had them use benefiber as well and this seemed to help. I have used it some but my daughter is only 4 so I try to regulate it more with the juice and fruit.

You mentioned he's afraid that it will happen at school... maybe something else is going on. Is he under any stress? I had some bowels problems when I was young and it was stress related. and not in a bad way... It happened when I was doing too much. I felt like I lost control of things and too many things were happening at once. Then I had problems with my bowels. Once I calmed down and got things handle-able, the pains went away. Have a conversation with your son to see if anything emotional is going on with him, too. Besides, it's fun to find out what is in their heads! Good Luck

Try Miralax it is very mild, works well and can be mixed in any beverage. It is now sold over the counter. It is safe for kids and adults.

Hope it helps!

Miralax has worked great for my son. Our pediatrician put him on it a few months ago. We just mix it with some juice every evening. It dissolves completely and is clear. He said to keep him on it for a few months because his colon had most likely stretched out from the few weeks of constipation and this would allow it to get back down to normal size. You can mix it in practically whatever he wants to drink. He get a half a cap but he is only 2 1/2. It has been the easiest, solution with good results. Hope it helps!

S., I am sorry for your son, he has to be miserable.
2 natural things you can do NOW, give him some vaseline, tell him to rim the hole and put some inside, yes it is gross but tell him it will help "it" move with less pain,
next give him a teaspoon of mineral oil in some juice, it will help soften what is here and pass much easier. prune jc, grapes, dates, raisins, blueberries, the best for constipation, no citrus juices, warm water and juices are better. If it continues, please see a Dr. Could be some other things going on, and what is in there can become toxic to his system. Please check the stool, yes this may be gross, but make sure there is no blood in the stool.
Been there with a child of my own! Good Luck K.

I found veggies helped my 5-year old daughter when she was constipated. We gave her fresh salads and cooked leafy greens ( spinach, collard greens etc.) add a little vinegar and he will eat them. You mentioned you cut out the dairy I was surprised to find when I gave my daughter a bowl of plain cheerios with reduced fat milk she had no problem "going". Fressh fruit is great but cut back on the juice (too much sugar).

It's difficult to see our children suffer, hang in there mom.

Hi S.
I use acidolphius & probiotics to help with constipation. It works to help keep the good bacteria in the gut balanced so everything works well. I'd say less juice (can be too much sugar) more water, less precessed foods, and more fresh veggies. I add ground flax seeds to the back goods I make they add fiber and omega 3s(good for brain function). But if your looking for something packaged trader joes has a friut leather that has flax and Psyllium mixed in. If you go that rout give it to him at night with a glass of water. I find Psyllium products give stinky gas & sometimes crampes if eaten during the day.
You could also start the day with a glass of hot water w/ lemon juice and a bit of honey if needed. This is supposed to help que the body to eliminate. I find it works for me. Once you get him regular ask him to pay attention to the foods he eats, he's old enough to tell what foods his body doesn't like. And teaching him that now will be a benefit for the rest of his life. My husband didn't learn to pay attention to his body and the foods he ate and the connection till years after we were married. He could have saved himself a number of years discomfort.

Smoothie
1/2 lb organic spinach washed
2 c water
1 banana
8 frozen strawberries
1/2 - 1 c frozen blueberries
Blend water and spinach smooth, add frozen fruit slowly, blend smooth and add banana chunks.
Great fiber, antioxidants, potassium and more.
Good luck, A. H

My daughter had a problem with this at a very young age. A friend suggested I give her a teaspoon of mineral oil every day. This helps to lubricate and pass easier. There is no taste to it. I tried it and it worked great. I continued it for over a year and everything was fine. I purchased mine at Meijer or Kroger. Good Luck.

HI S.!
My recommendations would be Miralax (it's an over the counter powder that you add to juice). Recommended by my pediatrician. We only use it once in a while when things get a bit backed up...but it works like a charm for my guy.

For my daughter when she was younger, we added non-sweetened prune juice to her morning juice. she gradually got used to it and it was GREAT!

Good luck!!

We use Miralax which works great.

Hi S. -

If he's been constiapated even a little for that long chances are he has streatched out his colon and it will hurt. He probably is holding it to an extent because of the pain. Do him and yourself a favor, give him an enima and let him unload. You will probably need to do one or two for 2-3 days before he's really cleaned out. If you take him to the doctor or hospital they will do the same. It sounds like he's impacted. My oldest went through the same thing and finally started throwing up bile because he was so backed up. Once you have him cleaned out start him on a daily fiber suppliment so he can't get backed up like that again. It'll take a little while for the colon to shrink back down and you want to keep him going so it can shrink back down. Stools will be very large but that is normal. Keep it soft with the fiber and he will be fine.

Good luck - S.

Hi S.. That's not too gross:) I have four children and all of them went through the exact same thing!!! Many times!! My first child, a girl, 11 years ago...I had to put her on the toilet at 3 months old just to help her go to the bathroom. Literally, I sat her on there and just help her until she screamed enough to pass her stool. My other three children, younger boys, same thing, except I placed them on a potty chair and help them. It seems to have worked just a bit....not much. I know the crying makes you feel sad for him, yet it will pass. Just do what you can to comfort him and talk to him or pat his back while he's trying to go. Stand him up on your lap and lean him against your shoulder and pat him until you think he's gone or until he's not screaming. It may take until he's a little over 1 year old to stop the screaming. It is normal for his bowels to change at this time. All children have those changes, just some worse than others. Juice my help, yet not really...you don't want him to have diarreah after the stools have changed. Just bare with it and it'll be fine before you know it!! Say your prayers with him for a peaceful time going to the bathroom. That part really helps!! If you choose to give a stool softner or other medicines...then it's your choice, yet naturally...it will pass, unless there's a medical issue behind it. Let's pray not! It will pass!! Keep giving him natural foods, plenty of fruits and veggies. Like I mentioned, juice, prune juice and things like that do not solve the issue!! I've tried those things too. Comfort, healthy meals, love, and patience works well. I hope that I was able to help.
Carneice

I would suggest giving him Miralax or some sort of stool softner (your Doctor could suggest what would be best) just for maybe a couple of weeks or a month. Start on Thursday maybe because it takes a bit to work. It doesn't make it runny just softer. We even used less that the recommended dosage. Continue with the fiber, juices, and lots of water as you've been doing. Really push the water as much as you can. Hopefully he'll be back to normal shortly. Good Luck

Give him miralax. You can mix it with any juice you have i just don't recomend giving it to him in plain water. I tried to give it to my son that way and I stopped it was to gross. Apple juice works wonders for my son. Put a little miralax in it and hes good to go.

Hi S.,

Stay away from things like cheese and bananas. They bind up. Push apple juice if he won't drink prune juice. The sugar in the apple juice watere will help him go. LOTS of water. LOTS of water. Yogurt is great. Don't get the Go-gurts... they don't have the probiotics in them. Stonyfield farm has tubs of organic yogurt ... vanilla is good with a little honey on it. MMMMM.

I have heard mirilax works to get things jump started.

Once he is going regularly with no pain, then offer daily yogurt and lots of fruit and veggies (keeping in mind things like banana can cause constipation if he eats too much.)

Also, exercise. Kids need to move. Running and jumping and playing stimulates the digestive system. A friend of mine has a daughter who NEEDS to be active. If she sits around too much then she gets constipated. So, make sure he is getting enough exercise and drinking enough water daily.

Also, my sister is a paraplegic and has bowel issues due to her lack of movement. She uses Milk of Magnesia (sp?). Not sure if there is a kid version...but worth looking into. She said it works GREAT to get things moving.

Hi there S.,

I don't know if this will work or not, but a rememdy I use with my children is Karo syrup. About a tablespoon of Karo syrup in their juice can really do the trick. it is very lubricating to the colon. My pediatrician told me about it years ago and I still use it when necessary.
I hope this helps.
Also, have him do "stretches once or twice a day. you know, bring up his knees, then roll on to his stomach and roll gently, to loosen things up. Good luck.

Go to the healthfood store and get some papaya chewables and Cod Liver Oil. Papya is a natural digestive aid, I take them both with my iron (daily for anemia) and it helps a great deal not let the iron have the binding effect.

hi S., my 6 yr. old daughter has the same problem and her dr. swears my Mirilax to, he said it don't matter what i put it in, as long as its 8 oz of something so i usualy use juice or koolaid, u can't taste it cause if u could my daughter would let me know..lol... i can tell ya right now he ain't gonna drink the prune juice..lol.....good luck let me know if it works for u, it really does work.....feel free to contact me if you need to.

give him miralax its taste less and smelless and it will regulate him. plus he needs to eat more fiber foods and drink juices. A good quick fix to start with is give him plum juice 8 oz glass and i know we shouldn't give our children this because of the caffeine plus most don't like it But either a a cup of coffee or tea. with in like 3 hrs later he should clean himself out. I sugest plum juice cuz prune juice is grosse. after he cleans himself out. than give him miralax and fiber. he needs alot of water. water is such an important thiong for the human body. if he isn't drinking enough water he will get constipated too. Hope I can help good luck.

Hi S., sorry to be late in responding. I wanted to also add that Miralax has helped my daughter TREMENDOUSLY! I bought it at Costco. This is not a laxative as one of the mom's indicated. It is a stool softner, which is different. The way it was explained to me is this: When the little ones get stopped up, and they try to go, it may hurt. When this happens, they don't want to go. However, the longer the stool is in the intestine waiting to be dispelled, the intenstine keeps sqeezing any moiture out of it. Over the course of a couple days, this can make it VERY painful to pass. I use about a 1/2 cap full once a day, and in a couple of days (if that) she is back to normal. I hope this helps. My little one has had this problem off and on for a few years. We have cut down on dairy and juice also. Our old dr recommended Benefiber (which will not help!!!)which is one of the reasons he is our old dr! ha ha... Fiber only makes this condition worse. Good luck!
LJ

Dole has these new individually wrapped prunes that are tasty and do wonders for the constipation. I call them "Large Raisins" instead of prunes and the kids get the impression that they are like candy since they are individually wrapped. Since I introduced them to my son he no longer has the hard poops. I would strongly recommend them... also...stay away from Apples.. they are binding!

Hello, I was once told by friends and doctor that you can try and give him carol syrup. I would advise contacting a doctor to see how much to give him but I know it is not much. My kids have only taken it when they were babies in their formula. I would amagine that you only need a tiny bit and you could put it right in with the juice. I swear by this it worked good for my kids, but like I mentioned they were just babies when I did this.

Good luck!
L. & Family

my six year old son is having problems with this as well. We have been adding fiber to his drinks. (Powdered). They have Miralax (Spelling)? It's a white and purple bottle that used to be prescription only - but you can get it over the counter now. I would defin. call your son's doctor and they will probably want to see him but the longer he 'holds it in" the harder it's going to be to get out, etc. They doctor will probably recommened "overloading" him on fiber - but obviously try and do this over the weekend to clean him all out. He probably needs more fiber in his diet.
good luck to you and your son!!

Try the Fiber One Granola Bars - My Granddaughter (now 5) has had a problem with pooping since she was so very little! My daughter started giving her a Fiber One Granola Bar each day and it has really helped with this problem - and she calls them "candy bars" so she really feels she is getting a treat. You might give them a try, they really are yummy!

We had this problem with our three year old. Our pediatrician says its quite common among young boys. Have you thought about how his eating habits may have changed recently? Lots of water certainly helps, and we also are having him take Miralax, an over-the-counter powder laxative which is NON-habit forming. You just mix it in with his beverage -- it's not a fiber, so it just dissolves and you really can't taste it, at least I cant. It's helped a lot, and we're now starting to back off the dosage. We did this all over the phone with our pediatrician, so it may be worth a call.

Good luck.

S. ~
Emily and Michelle are correct when they suggest you use Miralax. Either give it to your son in the morning with breakfast, or at night with dinner. He doesn't even have to know you're doing it, because it is tasteless. I use it for myself actually, and have found that it works very well. 1/2 a capful mixed with 8 ozs of fluid everyday. That's the standard starting point, then you figure out from there if you should use more or less. You could even put it in a bottle of water for him to take to school for him to sip on throughout the day. You don't have to give it to him all at once, you can do 4 ozs in the morning and 4 at night of the mixture. But it will definitely help to clear his system!
Have you asked him if he really is holding it in? If you have and he said "yes" you might want to consider taking him to see a behavior specialist. He or she can help to explain to him why that is bad and what the consequences could be. Mainly, how he could end up being the "stinky kid" at school.
Good luck!
A.