Metamucil

There are different types of laxatives which work in different ways.

Miralax IS fine for use every day.
It's an osmotic laxative - it helps draw water into the colon so stool is kept soft enough to move through and out.
Osmotic laxatives ARE safe for long term use.
You can try fiber and water and exercise but if it doesn't work it's more important to keep things moving any way you can and if that means Miralax then don't be afraid to go back to it if you have to.
You can also try drinking a tbls olive oil with lemon juice to stimulate the gall bladder and the bile helps move things along.

Stimulant laxatives, such as senna and Dulcolax, are NOT safe for long term use.

http://health.heraldtribune.com/2012/05/03/long-term-laxa...

I've not tried Metamucil for my kids. But, I did recently start my 6 year old on Papaya enzyme pills (I bought mine online from Puritan's Pride.) Within 1 day he was more regular.

It is the same thing my mom gave to us when we were kids. I now have all 3 of my boys taking it and it has helped a lot.

You need to see a specialist - pediatric gastroenterologist.

I am floored at the number of people who have said "it's okay to give it to her". No. It is NOT. Not every day. Her body is not working on its own.

Water, Nuts, fiber, exercise. even pro-biotics like yogurt.

Take her to a pediatric gastroenterologist and find out what is going on in her body. Allow her body to work on its own.

Try PB8. It's an amazing probiotic. It keeps us all regular without the harshness of those fibers. It also keeps us healthy. My friends who don't breastfeed use it to keep their babies regular and they are rarely sick.

M.:

Miralax was NOT meant to be used EVERY day. it was a SHORT TERM solution to a problem.

Her body does NOT know how to work on its own since it has had some chemical doing it for her for 4 years.

talk with a nutritionist about your family's diet. You may think you are eating healthy but you might not be. Every one needs fiber in their diet. Apples, raspberries, banana's (yes, bananas are commonly used to help stop diarrhea too), raisins...and NUTS - almonds, peanuts, etc. are GREAT HEALTHY sources for fiber in your diet.

You say YOU walk 5 miles a day - does your daughter? Does your daughter drink enough water? What kind of exercise does SHE get every day?

There are other foods out there that help with bowel movements as well.

Do you KNOW what's in Miralax? polyethylene glycol 3350, or PEG. Try googling it and see what you are putting in your daughter's body.

This is my opinion - instead of changing her diet, you took the "easy" way out and now her body doesn't know how to work on its own. Change her diet. Change the family diet. Get EVERYONE healthy in the family and stop using "pills" or "drugs" to make it better.....

I would STRONGLY suggest you NOT use the Miralax, Metamucil - fix the problem by fixing her diet...salads, fruit, nuts, etc.

get her to sit on the toilet every day at the same time and give her a stool to put her feet up on so her legs don't go to sleep. Give her a book to read and let her sit there until she goes EVERY DAY...it may sound like torture - but you have to retrain her body to work on its own and not count on a drug to fix it.

Good luck!

What is the bowel movement problem that your child has?

She should see, a Pediatric Gastroenterologist.
Have your Pediatrician refer you to one.

Miralax is NOT meant for every day use.
And this is coming from a Pediatric Gastroenterologist, that my daughter saw when she was a Toddler.

You need to see a proper Specialist.
Not guess.
Your girl has been taking Miralax for 4 years, everyday?
Her system has probably become reliant on it, and/or is now desensitized to it.
She needs to see a Specialist.
You did not say what kind of bowel movement problems your daughter has.
And you did not say, if your Pediatrician has prescribed these treatments, for your daughter, daily.

I would not use Metamucil on her.
She is a 6 year old child.
And if you do use it on her, you need to know about dosage... for children.
And you did not say if you are using these things on your daughter... as a laxative... or as a supplement to her diet.

This is a link about Miralax:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/us/miralax-a-popular-cu...

Also, Google Search "side effects of Miralax."

Miralax and Metamucil are two different things upon the body.

We have the same issue with one of our kids. Like you, we provide a very healthy diet, full of fruits, veggies and water...but still, the constipation. Have you tried chia seeds? After trying just about everything and anything to help my child, I came across chia seeds and they have helped regulate his body more than anything else. We buy them at Trader Joe's and sprinkle them into everything - smoothies, baked goods, waffles, pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal...everything. Add bonus? They are full of omega-3s, fiber and protein. Win, win, win.

Good luck - I know what a struggle this issue can be. I hope you find something that works for your little one.

I agree with talking to a specialist. When I was pregnant and dealing with constipation, the Naturopathic Doctor I worked with (she was my midwife) suggested food to deal with the problem. Blueberries were her first suggestion. She also mentioned that any dried fruit should be stewed first before eating so that it does not pull water from the colon further to rehydrate it. Flaxseed was another suggestion, as was whole psyllium, which is what Metamucil is based on. (the psyllium in Metamucil is processed, though, for easier consumption.

You can make blueberry smoothies and add some flax or psyillium to it. If it were me, I'd personally go to a pediatric Naturopathic Doctor to get correct amounts so that you don't over-do it. Other whole grain foods like brown rice are helpful. I'd stay away from foods known to constipate like wheat and pastas. Use quinoa instead. And find out from a qualified expert about what to use instead of Miralax.

There are better products designed for children and formulated by pediatric nutrition specialists. I would be happy to make a referral for you - you can buy on line from a food science company with one of the top Chief Scientific Officers (top 10 out of 5000 in the country) but you also get connected to free help from others whose kids have had these same issues. I understand and agree with your wishes to get off Miralax, but I don't think Metamucil or anything you buy in a store is going to be something you want to stick with. If it has a warning label, says not to use it every day, or says not to give it to kids, you want to stay away from it. A friend of mine had the same issues you have, and passed them on to her kids. She's had great relief and feels good about the quality.

One of my before and after school boys uses Metamucil daily, and so do I. I was thinking of having my seven year old start to use it as well.

My daughter has also had lots of bowel issues....and eats lots of fruits/veggies drinks lot of water. Typically constipation in kids is NOT the same as adult constipation and has more to do with maturation of their own bowels than constipation like we might have. I also wanted to switch my daughter to metamucil BUT the pediatrician and the pediatric GI we went to both recommend miralax. Metamucil is fiber and miralax is a stool softener and that is more of what my daughter needed. Fiber would have made the problem worse. After a couple years of bowel issues my daughters seems to have resolved so keep with what your doc recommends and realize that pediatric issues are not the same as adult.
Good luck,
K.

My now six year old really struggled with constipation too. We tried so many things but kept going back to the Miralax because it worked. Our doctor assured us that it was fine. The pediatric gastro that we saw at Boston Children's said it was fine. But like you, it just didn't sit right with me. So I started giving him a chewable probiotic and it has changed our world. I give him one with 2.5 billion cultures and it works wonders. I started taking one myself and think it helps with my immune system as well but I could be making that up. All I know is that I'm very thankful not to be giving the Miralax anymore. Good luck, Mama!

My husband uses it every day, and has since he was in high school. He had a doctor recommend it to him then for some reason (I am not clear on the exact reason and it was far before I ever knew him). But he is in his 40s now and has taken it pretty much daily since high school, and not had any issues resulting from that.

Too much calcium and protein can cause constipation. Try to portion appropriate amounts for your child recommended by pedi. Have you tried fish oil gummies or capsules and probiotics? I would also recommend a specialist if this doesn't help.

Buy some CALM. It's a natural product--magnesium--that will gently stimulate her colon and help her have a BM naturally. You can get it in flavors like orange or strawberry. You find it at health food stores like Whole Foods or at local co-ops. You can also buy it online at vitacost.com. It is nonaddictive and can be used indefinitely.