... dose of MiraLax, he gets constipated. Foods that are supposed to be a natural laxitive (prunes, apple juice, etc.) do not help. I have tried everything I can think of. We do not even know what caused this very sudden condition (he was severely impacted and we did not know). The doctors for the past two years have not been any help. I am very concerned for his overall health. His current diagnosis is failure to thrive because he is not gaining any weight (he still wears a size 18 month shorts). He has had two upper/lower GIs, 3 barrium swallows, and various x-rays but that is all the testing that has been done to see what could be causing this condition. It is as if whatever I feed up stops him up. I don't know what else to try until we can find the answer to his underlying condition.Does any one have any suggestions on what I can try to keep him regular without having to use such a high dose of laxitive every day? He is currently taking adult doses and has been for the past two years. Please... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My son, who will be 4 in September, suffers from chronic constipation. If he misses even a single?
Question posted by lking2619 on 22 July 2010
Last updated on 14 August 2014 by CuriousAboutMiralax
5 Answers
Many reports of stunted growth have resulted from lnger than the manufacturer's recommended dosing for only seven days. Miralax is NOT FDA approved for children. You can view a copy of the petition to the FDA against Mitalax, as well as a lengthy and growing list of side effects on Facebook at ParentsAgainstMiralax.
As a nurse, I like using ocean minerals 100XConcentrate, that have dosing for infants and children, can never overdose, but increased dose can give liquid stool and stimulate a sometimes needed 'clean out'. This is safe and much better than Miralax. Www.BlueOceanMinerals.com
What about fluids? Are you pushing enough fluids? I too am dealing with chronic constipation. I don't want to hurt my body, but the gastro guy found nothing wrong. For myself, things move better the days I have 5 or 6 servings of fruits and veg's. no cheese, no bread!
so sorry about your situation, and hope you and your little trooper find the right Doc.
Does he have a torched colon? (twisted colon) I have one, but that seems to be something my gastro forgot to tell me about after my colonoscopy. Humm, do you think maybe I would have like to have known that? Why should I have found that out on my report and not by him? All of the typical remedies don't work for me. I can eat 7 packs of prunes and still be constipated. I would take him to another gastro. I've been constipated for well over 35 years and I'm sorry, but constipation happens for a reason. the medical field just tells you to eat more bulk and fiber, but there has to be a reason why we are constipated all the time, they're just to lazy to look for the real reason.
vitamin E oil is a wonderful vitamin for this problem, it comes in a gel cap so it goes down easily, although its a pretty large gel cap, its not so large a 4 year old couldn't take it. It does take a few days to start working, but once it does, continue giving it daily and it should keep him regular. Apple cider is always good to keep you regular and most kids love the taste. coffee, amazingly, is another great laxative. maybe a bit of decaf in the morning? sounds crazy, but ask some elderly people, and they will tell you that it works.
hopefully Something here will work for you... when my son was a baby we used molassis, but due to the awful taste of it, you may have a hard time getting a 4 year old to drink anything with it mixed in. ginger snaps have molassis in them, so maybe a half dozen ginger snaps a day would help out... anythings worth a try to get a child's weight up, I can imagine you are about frantic by now.
Good Luck,
Amy
Thank you for the information, Amy. I have tried everything in that list, with the exception of the vitamin E oil. I am convinced that there is something else going on here (something not working right that is causing him to keep getting constipated because even when he takes the miralax everyday like he is supposed to he still gets constipated), but the doctors he is seeing will not listen to me.
Oh yeah, something is definately not right here. These are all just temporary fixes to a problem that should be occasional, not constant. If the doctor you see isn't listening or taking you serious, I would be finding a new one. It sounds like his colon is lazy, but the question is why. There is nothing that should be causing it, and at four years old, I am sure he is very active. Sounds to me like it is time for a second opinion.
Keep us informed, please.
The problem is that he is on Medicaid. He is currently on his fourth PCP (the first one said give him a few more weeks and we'll think about doing some tests... after he lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks, the last one said that she would not see him anymore for "stomach issues, that's why he was sent to a specialist"), the third pedi-gastro dr., and now he is seeing an endocronologist. I have been told this is normal, it's psychological, I'm just being paranoid when there is nothing really wrong, and just about everything in between. I do not know who else to turn to. There are so many other things going on now that I am afraid that by not listening to me and not doing any real testing these doctors are seriously hurting my son. For example, in May taking the miralax (daily and increased to 3-5 caps) Jeremiah went 2 weeks without a bowel movement.
The PCP at the time told me to give him a suppository (because enemas hurt him and just push things up without producing a movement), when that did not produce any type of movement, they sent us to a specialist (only I had to find one for him). The specialist did an x-ray which showed stool in the colon. I was told to do a colon cleanse of 32 oz. Gatoraid and 7 caps of miralax (119 g.), then I was told there was no need to see him again that we could follow-up over the phone. Even after I told the doctor that we have done this in the past and it did not fully clean him out like they wanted it to, he still did not want to see my son back. These doctors are 5½ hours away from where we live and I feel like they are waisting my time. But so do the ones around here. My son even saw a doctor from Scott and White (that doctor was the one that told me I was paranoid and this was a psychological problem). What else can I do?
Its rather sad to read regarding the young child and his chronic constipation problems.
Isabgol is the husk obtained from Psyllium plant, hope you can but it form a pharmacy, usually sold as OTC, this has no side effects and is a remarkable medication for constipation.
Please read more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium_seed_husks
Some details on Isabgol:
Isabgol does not give any side effects, as it is not absorbed in the body. Isabgol does not interact with any other drugs and also does not interfere with the absorption of other essential substances such as vitamins and mineral. However Isabgol should not be used if the person has vomiting, fever and abdominal pain. This product should not be taken along with any other medication, as the desired effects of the medication will be reduced.
Isabgol is a common additive in many of the high fiber breakfast cereals and bulk forming laxatives. It can also be taken as a daily dietary supplement but is not essential for persons who consume high fiber foods.
Hope the info helps? Please do let me know, thanks.
Thank you for the information. It was helpful. I do appreciate it greatly. I will keep you updated on his condition. There are so many other symptoms along with the constipation I do not know what to do for him any more. I will try to find this product (after discussing it with his doctor). Thanks again.
Most welcome, glad that the info was of some help to you & shall hopefully help your son. Please do not hesitate to send me any question, I shall try to address them, thanks & have a nice day/night.
Related topics
miralax, constipation, bowel preparation
Further information
- MiraLax uses and safety info
- MiraLax prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of MiraLax (detailed)
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