Chronic constipation in children

mychildx

Hello im a mother of 2, a 15 yr old and a 7 yr old, my 7 yr old has suffered with chronic constipation since she was 5 months old she is under a consultant but the help is very little and just to know that there is extra help or even good advice out there would be great as it has been such a struggle going through this with her 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @mychildx welcome to the community!

There is a thread here about alternative remedies for constipation that members have tried that might be of interest to you.

Also some community tips here.

@Blue Frog I read that one of your kids had constipation issues, do you have any ideas?

There's also lots of information on the NHS website about constipation.

MrsW

Hi, my eldest daughter has CP and suffers with constipation as a result of this. Despite it being a well know issue we have found any advice from professionals to be difficult to come by. She was once prescribed lactulose (which you can buy over the counter) when in hospital. Recently we have found our GP to be the most helpful and he has given us some sachets to mix in with her juice, one per day, seems to be working great so far.

Blue Frog

My little girl has got the packets @MrsW mentioned - Movicol. Only problem is if you need to thicken drinks then the gel in the Movicol breaks the thickener down (I add the powder to fruit purée or hummus then give a big glass of thickened water) 

I have found it best to continue on one sachet a day long term, as it doesn't cause any problems and if we stop she gets constipated again.  

Cloudy apple juice, prunes (gross but she likes them!) and significantly increasing fluid intake help too.  I think eating too many eggs or bananas adds to the problem 

If all else fails, and it really is an emergency, Amazon sell glycerin suppositories. These work very quickly. And in pretty spectacular style 

Sam_Alumni

Please do remember @mychildx that we cant give medical advice on this community, we can only share our own experiences.  Always refer to your own doctor and take their professional advice.

You say she is under a consultant, what has been their advice? What has and hasnt worked for you?