mo2 Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Have you ever tasted mineral oil? It's horrid. Seriously, can't they come up with a better laxative for a 4yo? Sigh. Can I mix it into something to make it easier to take? I googled and found suggestions of mixing it into orange juice, but he doesn't like orange juice. Can other beverages be used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Our experience with mineral oil has been that you can mix it into most things and it makes them taste yucky too. We never found anything that masked the taste. We had the best luck with drinking the dose down quick and then following up with a tasty drink to "wash down the taste". One time when we didn't have anything handy to drink, DD was able to "survive" only by eating hershey's kisses afterwards.....;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Since I assume he will only have to take it once, I would just squirt it in his mouth and be done with it. Mineral oil is a pretty strong laxative and blocks absorption of nutrients. If you have to use it more that once a year or so, you may want to look at Miralax instead. We had to use mineral oil once or twice, but it was only in desperate circumstances before I figured out my children can only have one serving of a milk or cheese product a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 I would definitely be asking the doctor about Miralax instead. If the child is prone to constipation then I would also ask about a daily dose of Miralax which is a wonderful help and safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 Since I assume he will only have to take it once, I would just squirt it in his mouth and be done with it. Um, no. It's been prescribed once daily for 30 days. And squirting it in his mouth is not very effective. Yesterday I ended up *wearing* quite a bit of his medicine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Also consider magnesium citrate. There is a laxative version at the pharmacy that's very inexpensive and flavored (though I haven't tasted it). For daily control of constipation, one of my kids takes magnesium citrate, powdered (which is citrus-tasting) from the vitamin store, about 1/4 tsp, mixed with water and a little (1/4 tsp) sugar. He says it tastes like lemonade. (a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Our experience with mineral oil has been that you can mix it into most things and it makes them taste yucky too. We never found anything that masked the taste. Sorry, but that's our experience as well. I can tell you what *doesn't* work; applesauce, sprite, chocolate pudding... :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 Our experience with mineral oil has been that you can mix it into most things and it makes them taste yucky too. We never found anything that masked the taste. Sorry, but that's our experience as well. I can tell you what *doesn't* work; applesauce, sprite, chocolate pudding... :tongue_smilie: I was afraid that would be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 What about Senokot or Senna Syrup? It has children's dosing and has an OK taste alone or you can mix it with something else. It's natural and we used it successfully with dh's frail grandmother, poor thing. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in NC Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 I second Miralax. I am very experienced in this matter.:001_huh: Miralax can be dissolved in any liquid and is tasteless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 Is MiraLax expensive? I wonder if cost may be a factor in why he prescribed mineral oil.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBMama Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Miralax is completely tasteless and very effective. You can drink it in water and not even know it. My almost 5 year old has been taking it for years. The ped had us start with 1/2 cap-full daily. Now she takes it every other day. The last time I got the generic at Walmart. I believe it was about $17 for a bottle of 30 cap-fulls (30 adult doses). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Um, no. It's been prescribed once daily for 30 days. And squirting it in his mouth is not very effective. Yesterday I ended up *wearing* quite a bit of his medicine. Yikes, I would be very concerned about that! There are so many better options for children! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzymom Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Miralax is so much easier to get into them. We spent many years at the pediatric gastro, and Miralax was super. If you have to do mineral oil, you can put it in the blender with the orange juice. Helps it go down. We did this before Miralax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemMommy Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Miralax has been great at our house for constipation. I can't imagine getting mineral oil down a child!! Might be worth the expense. It's now available OTC, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 I second Miralax. I am very experienced in this matter.:001_huh: Miralax can be dissolved in any liquid and is tasteless. :iagree::iagree::iagree:I would tell the doctor that your child will not take minerol oil and ask if Miralax is ok and how much. Honesty , I am surprised they ordered this since as a RN for over 2 decades, I had to give it maybe once. The thing with Miralax is that it does not stimulate the bowel which is good. It only draws water into the bowel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Miralax has been great at our house for constipation. I can't imagine getting mineral oil down a child!! Might be worth the expense. It's now available OTC, too! There is also generic versions of Miralax available. Sam's Club has it:) I am sure CVS may have it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 When DD10 was 2, we had to give her mineral oil for a while. We mixed it in with chocolate pudding and she had no problem eating it. However, she didn't get to have chocolate pudding other than with the mineral oil, so she didn't know what it was supposed to taste like. It might be worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Is MiraLax expensive? I wonder if cost may be a factor in why he prescribed mineral oil.... Fairly. The Walgreens knock off is not horrid at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 I have never tried mineral oil and have no idea of the amount you are talking about. but when I was a child my grandmother gave me cod liver oil. she put salt on the spoon as well, it took a lot of the taste away, and I was left with a salty taste instead of a fishy taste. I wonder if salt would work with mineral oil as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 I would tell the doctor that your child will not take minerol oil and ask if Miralax is ok and how much. Thank you. That is a great way to ask. I always feel bad when I question the doctor, even though I know I shouldn't. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Have you tried it with a bit of sherbet? Or a shake or smoothy? For my child, it seemed to not be so much the taste but the texture of the mineral oil. Something cold and thick seemed to mask that better. I agree that miralax is much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 I'm currently waiting for a call back from the doc to see what we're going to do about this. I did more research and a lot of the websites (like Mayo Clinic) say not to use it for more than a week because it blocks absorption of nutrients, and also not to use mineral oil in kids under 6 because they can aspirate tiny droplets of oil and then develop pneumonia. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 I'm currently waiting for a call back from the doc to see what we're going to do about this. I did more research and a lot of the websites (like Mayo Clinic) say not to use it for more than a week because it blocks absorption of nutrients, and also not to use mineral oil in kids under 6 because they can aspirate tiny droplets of oil and then develop pneumonia. :001_huh: Miralax is very safe and the generic works well. DD10 was also on a prescription liquid called Lactulose for many years that was VERY gentle and effective. It was also very inexpensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Dr Sears recommends flax oil or ground flax seeds but honestly it tastes gross too. My kids tasted fish oil twice and refuse to have any more. I vote for Miralax but also sweet potatoes, blueberries and prunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 I have a child with GI problems and chronic consipation. The best information regarding the various types of laxatives for children that I have found is through Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH: http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/constipation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I wouldn't do mineral oil everyday. Yuck! Magnesium citrate (my mom takes this with excellent results), Miralax, probiotics, even vitamin C would be better than mineral oil. Both my boys take cod liver oil and probiotics. The only time they have issues is when they've missed a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Magnesium does work well, natural calm is a brand name of a powder that you mix into a drink. It fizzes a bit when you mix it which kids would think was cool. And it tastes good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I would not give the mineral oil, no matter what the doctor said. If the doctor was insisting on it I would find a new doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 (edited) Um, no. It's been prescribed once daily for 30 days. And squirting it in his mouth is not very effective. Yesterday I ended up *wearing* quite a bit of his medicine. Honestly, your doctor is an idiot. Who in their right mind prescribes mineral oil for a child? Most adults won't even take it. I vote for miralax or warm prune juice, and a new doctor. ETA: Oh, yeah, sign me RN, BSN (three credits shy of an MSN in Maternal Child Nursing) Edited August 24, 2011 by Rainefox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 UPDATE: The doc maintains that mineral oil is the best way to get him to pass his impaction. He does say that he needs to take a multivitamin every day to replace any lost nutrients. And I have found that if I mix it with super-concentrated pink lemonade, he doesn't even realize he's taking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jryanbass Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 If he still gives you fits, I would buy some magnesium citrate. I had to give it to my almost 2 year old who had to have a upper and lower gi, so he had to be completely cleaned out. Its fizzy and you can get different flavors. It works well.. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I would still use olive oil instead. At least it is meant to be ingested and is actually good for you. UPDATE: The doc maintains that mineral oil is the best way to get him to pass his impaction. He does say that he needs to take a multivitamin every day to replace any lost nutrients. And I have found that if I mix it with super-concentrated pink lemonade, he doesn't even realize he's taking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smillard00 Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 My ds had trouble with constipation as a toddler, so you have my sympathies! We ended up using Senocot, but the Miralax sounds like a much better option. Removing milk from his diet got him out of that cycle, by the way. It was a glorious thing! Here is my question--and I honestly don't know, but maybe some of our docs or nurses here could enlighten us--if the mineral oil keeps you from absorbing vitamins, how would a vitamin supplement help? Would that actually be absorbed when the vitamins from food aren't? Just something I've wondered... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 I still think your doctor is an idiot. I'm an RN, and I have certainly seen my share of idiots with medical licenses. It sounds to me like he learned once long ago that mineral oil is a 'great laxative' and that information got filed in his brain and no other information can ever dislodge it. Miralax is far more appropriate for a child than mineral oil will ever be. As an example of idiot doctors, I have had to take orders from one moron who would only order pain medication via IM injection, because that particular moron had learned eons ago in his medical education that IM injections were THE way to give pain medications post op. He refused to even consider a PCA or even IV push medications. I could go on and on with further examples, but really, in my professional opinion, this doctor of yours is yet another poster child of medical incompetence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted August 28, 2011 Author Share Posted August 28, 2011 I still think your doctor is an idiot. I'm an RN, and I have certainly seen my share of idiots with medical licenses. It sounds to me like he learned once long ago that mineral oil is a 'great laxative' and that information got filed in his brain and no other information can ever dislodge it. Miralax is far more appropriate for a child than mineral oil will ever be. As an example of idiot doctors, I have had to take orders from one moron who would only order pain medication via IM injection, because that particular moron had learned eons ago in his medical education that IM injections were THE way to give pain medications post op. He refused to even consider a PCA or even IV push medications. I could go on and on with further examples, but really, in my professional opinion, this doctor of yours is yet another poster child of medical incompetence. I've never really disagreed with him on anything before, but now that I think about it, we've never really seen him for much besides well checks or the occasional strep throat. We don't go to the doctor much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn W Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 We have found the freezing the mineral oil changes the texture enough to make it more palatable. It doesn’t actually freeze, just thickens it up so that it goes down easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 On 8/22/2011 at 2:00 PM, mo2 said: I'm currently waiting for a call back from the doc to see what we're going to do about this. I did more research and a lot of the websites (like Mayo Clinic) say not to use it for more than a week because it blocks absorption of nutrients, and also not to use mineral oil in kids under 6 because they can aspirate tiny droplets of oil and then develop pneumonia. :001_huh: I wouldn't feel safe putting oil in to the mouth of a uncooperative child. Aspirating oil is a very bad thing, and even a kid who normally swallows well, can have trouble in situations like that. I might be overstating the danger, because of my background with special needs, and this might not actually be that dangerous, but I'd be very hesitant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 ZOMBIE thread, resurrected by a first time poster... 🧟♂️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 2 hours ago, Lori D. said: ZOMBIE thread, resurrected by a first time poster... 🧟♂️ Ooops, missed that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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