rafiki Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I'm not sure where the food allergies play in, but making sure that my kids get dried fruit (raisens, dried apricots, prunes) helps my two oldest who have had this problem off and on for years. When they wouldn't eat those things, I used to put molases in their oatmeal along with brown sugar, both of those are laxatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra314 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 My 8 year old has problems with constipation. He was placed on Kristalose last year. His pediatritian ordered xrays and a sonogram. At the beginning of January of 2007, I started using whole wheat products. I cut out the junk food and replace his diet with whole wheat bread, flour, dried fruits, etc I've had to limit his diary intake because he gets constipation with milk products. So far it has helped him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mia78 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Perhaps you may want to investigate the soy protein being a possible cause of his problems (not just the constipation). There are MANY people who have hidden allergies to soy who've seen remarkable health improvements when they initiated an elimination diet. Do some research on it and see what you find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mia78 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Oops! I misread that one. I need to slow down reading these message boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra in NC Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Pineapple, plums, peaches, pears...etc. When my kids were little, pear juice on the baby food aisle always did the trick. (I think it was Beachnut brand.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnPrairieMuffin Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 One might be training him to go at the same time daily (or however often he will), so just attempting to establish a routine. Constipation is so miserable, and I hope he hasn't gotten any fissures in that orifice from struggling. I have found that caffeine is a good bowel stimulant. Also, I used this hot carob drink once that was pretty good at the doing the same thing. A hot beverage might be the key. Perhaps you could get him to drink coffee in the morning with some rice milk? That might give him a good morning routine. Does he have fear when he goes to the bathroom due to pain? You could teach him to use vaseline around his backside if getting it all out is a problem. Miralax is a pretty good drug. My dad is on it, and he has to take droves of constipating pain medication and diuretics for his heart problems, so I'm pretty sure that you will see some changes with that. You could also try the mineral oil in OJ trick (or other fruit drink). It lubricates the colon to make the passage of things easier (I know other oils will do this too, but I don't know which ones). My daughter had more trouble with constipation than my boys, and she is now 7. She is pretty self-sufficient in the bathroom, but she isn't as regular as the boys, and never has been. Perhaps just trying a combination of things will work. Perhaps if he gets "too busy" and holds it just because he can. You might even institute a rewards chart with this, if you can remedy by retraining his gastrocolic reflex. Hope it gets better... Erin:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 To boost his fluid intake, try salty snacks. To help in the bathroom...eat a meal then have a nice hot, but not too hot shower to get the system moving. A regular meal and restroom schedule often helps. Hope he finds some relief, that's tough on little guys. Prune juice or fruit can be added to muffins and other baked goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 A magnesium supplement at bedtime every night might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staci in MO Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 We've always eaten whole wheat breads, he loves Kashi cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, both have a decent amount of fiber. He eats a lot of fruits, veggies, turkey, and chicken. We are not a junk food family. I really think it's more a water issue to make the fiber useful. All the Kashi cereals and oatmeal I've seen have a lot of soy in them (for the protein). I feel silly posting this, since I'm sure his allergies cause you to read labels more carefully than I ever have, I just thought that soy protein was common to all Kashi products. As for the constipation, my daughter had this problem, too. She took Miralax for a month or two. Once she got into a cycle of going to the bathroom regularly, she didn't need it any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimber Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 We do this. One of mine had constipation since the age of 2. Potty training was all about the pain associated with the constipation. Anyway we took the child to the children's hospital and they said to use Milk of Magnesia. But this product causes yeast infections and upsets the stomach, so we use Ionic Fizz. All 4 of the kids and I take it every night. It also helps us to sleep. Another thing that has helped this child is omega 3 fats like fish oil or flaxseed oil and digestive enzymes. The enzymes work extremely well. In fact, I've read that the reason magnesium works so well is because it stimulates enzyme production. But I'm not completely sure about this. But digestive enzymes, magnesium supplement, increased water, more exercise, and omega 3 fats can potentially eliminate the problem all together. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slug hollow Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I've been through this one - My best recommendation is Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal & I second the other high fiber foods & fruits mentioned. Getting my dd to drink enough is a challenge, too. I wish I had an answer for that part! Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 We used lots of plums - it helped that we lived in a plum orchard. We also used Lactulose which helped bulk up the stool, lots of water, and instituted what we called sitting time a couple of times a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogpond1 Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 9 year old son. Magnesium is helpful and works better than Miralax here. I have to really keep daily track that he has a b.m. which is terrible as I am quite busy with 4 kids and teaching at our co-op etc. My son eats prunes and tons of fruit etc. and it just doesn't really change things. Any sickness throws him back into trouble and stress of any kind does also. All I can say is, it is tough and I feel for you. The best thing is really being aware of it. When I get too busy and forget we always end up in trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Ditto the advice to take magnesium. My child had the same problem for years (birth through about age 6). The doctor prescribed magnesium, and this problem has disappeared. DS is now ten, still on the magnesium, and still problem-free. He gets 250 mg twice a day, plus whatever is in his multivitamin. (Multi's don't usually have much magnesium.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 29, 2008 Author Share Posted April 29, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 29, 2008 Author Share Posted April 29, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenora in MD Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 The thing that has always worked like a charm for me is orange juice. Apple juice is pretty good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2GirlsTX Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 a chronically constipated child. She was adopted from an orphanage and we constantly fought diarrhea, checked her stool for every parasite etc. Go forward and she has intermittent diarrhea almost every other day. Finally when she was 7 I switched pediatricians, this is one who had worked alot with chronic diarrhea in India. She told me dd was constipated, hard to believe since she had diarrhea several times a week, but off for xray we went and it confirmed it. Then she sent us to a pediatric urologist who also specialized in chronic urinary tract infections and he told me that indeed her chronic UTI were from constipation. I'm a whole grains eat organic kind of person so I was shocked by this, my dd didn't complain about that she couldn't poop, why she had diarrhea but learned this was all lumped together. The Pediatric Urologist put her on Miralax. We started with 2 capfuls (one morning and one night mixed with water...it has no taste) then after 3 days switched to one full capful for once a day for 4 months then 3/4 capful for 2 more months and now we are at 6 months and slowly weaning it off. She has not had one Urinary Tract infection nor does she complain about her stomach hurting anymore. We also eat yogurt that has live lactobacilllus (on the dairy shelf just look for the ones that have live culutures...also avoid the ones that have artificial or corn syrup added to yogurt) We switched her to the double fiber whole wheat bread. The Pediatric Urologist says he sees several cases of chronically constipated children every day in his practice, most between 5 to 9 years of age. He said it takes a minimum of 6 months to fully retrain the brain resonses of the colon once it has been chronically constipated. He said that he has a hard time convincing parents of this, the kid gets better and they slack off and things go back. I am thrilled with the difference in my chiild. I know many don't want to use a medicine daily, so obviously ask your own doctor, but for us Miralax stopped years of problems with her bowels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoplayer Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 I don't have a child who is experiencing this problem, but it is an ongoing battle for my elderly mother, and I wanted to pass along a couple of thoughts from my experience with her. First of all, if you try the magnesium capsules, you will get more absorption and benefit from magnesium citrate, which I have to go to Whole Foods to find. Most OTC vitamins have magnesium oxide instead, which is apparently (so I have been told) not as effective. My mom has taken Miralax for years. It is wonderfully helpful, but only if she takes it regularly. As I understand it, Miralax works by drawing water into the bowel system to soften the stool. You mentioned that your child doesn't drink water very well. Can you look for ways to sneak water in throughout the day and keep track of how much he is drinking (perhaps make a chart on the fridge that he can mark off?). You could also emphasize foods that have high water content for a month and see if that helps (soups, watermelon, etc.). You asked how much water your son should be drinking, and I found this on the Internet: by the time a child is weighing 22-44 lbs, they need 5 cups of water a day consumed at balanced intervals. That means that by the time they are in their terrible two’s they need 40 fluid ounces off water to stay healthy. As they grow, it is recommended they add more water to their diet. By the time a child is 9-13 years of age they should be drinking about 10.5 cups of water. Of course boys need more water than girls especially if they are athletic adolescents. It might also be helpful to teach your son to note the color of his urine during the day; if he is well hydrated, it should be virtually colorless and odorless and plentiful. (The first-of-the-morning urine is more yellow and concentrated.) I have no idea whether your son's food allergies could be contributing to his constipation, but if he is on any regular prescription medicines, you can look them up on the Internet and note whether side effects such as constipation are mentioned. I hope this is helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2GirlsTX Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 citrate is very interesting and helpful. I'm going to start supplementing dd with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchel210 Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 My dd had an xray this month and is very backed up ...Actually said her entire tummy is full of poop. The dr. suggested not to use mirolax as it has so many negative comments...I wont get into it...I guess just do a search...but we give one lax every other day now. I think it worked...we are just getting through the rest of the month. We MUST eat veggies...no exceptions...Tons of cantalope and fruits...as well as lots to drink. Water, juice etc. Whatever she wants. It seems to be working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Well I can try here . My youngest was born with a condition called VACTERL Association ( you can google that because its too much to explain if you want to know more ) anyways bascially in a nutshell its a group of random birth defects and one of them was IA ( imperforate anus , she was born without one ) . So poo is my life right now . Due to her defect she suffers from severe constipation due to the defective nerve endings that most children with IA have . Sooo with that said for constipation there are many ways to treat it . The first and most important thing is you have to make sure that he is cleaning himself out each day . If he is not this will make the whole process of using any type of bowel management program not be sucessful . Okay , you know that if you do a KUB ( flat plate xray ) and it says his bowels are cleaned then you have a good start . If they are not you are going to have to make sure he is . Once you have achieved that then you can try diet . Like someone mentioned here the best foods are fruits and veggies . The fruits that are the most effective are the ones that start with P's . Peaches , prunes , pears , pineapples etc . Also making sure that he has good water intake throughout the day . Miralax can work for some and not for others . Senna is a natural laxative that you can work with the dosage and not worry about over medicating . There is Little Tummies , Exlax ( though this does have dairy in the indgredients , Fletcher's Castoria , liquid Senna and Pedialax laxative strips which are grape flavored ) . Either way which ever you use you are going to have to tinker around to find the right dosage . Sometimes fiber laxatives such as Benefiber , Metamucil can be helpful but you have to make sure that your child drinks enough water to counter act it as it can bound up and slow down digestion and then cause again constipation . Last for you but not for my daughter are enemas , such as Pedia Fleet , Pedialax ( ie: Babylax ) are helpful . But for non IA children would be the last resort . As for food allergies did you mention what type of food allergies he has ? My daughter on top of having VACTERL also has multiple food allergies . To soy , wheat , eggs , milk , peanut , oat and barley and mild reactions to 20 other different foods . Usually it is said that if your child has a milk allergy that chances are that they have a soy allergy because of the proteins are smiliar . Okay I'm sure that is way much more info then you wanted . But wanted to through all of that out there for you on how constipation can be treated :>) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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