2 Yo and Constipation

It looks like you've gotten lots of great responses to consider. I wanted to mention one other thing to think about.

He might be deficient in Omega 3 oils and that can definitely cause constipation (and excess ear wax and toe walking, among other things, sometimes). I know someone whose son had been chronically constipated for 2 years and was on a medication for it, but once she gave him an Omega 3 supplement he developed normal bowel movements and was able to stop his medication.

I believe she used a liquid one called Efalex, but there are others out there too and some taste pretty good. Efalex has a lemon & lime flavor.

Good luck.

Do NOT try the enema or suppos. just yet --only as a last resort!!!!!!! There is a powder that my son wason wn he was in kindergarden. He would take it once a day and was absoulty tastless! You can mix it with anything1 I would ask the doctor about that. it will not cause the squirts or anything like that it will soften the stool to make it easier to pass. Also some vasoline around the rectum will also help make it pass a lot easier-kind of like lubrication!! I have been through this and know what works!!

You may have already tried this, but maybe apple juice and prunes would be worth a try before doing the suppositories.

I know you have a lot of responses but this is more natural. Laxitives are not a good option as the can cause bowel muscle weekness as well as bladder over time if abused. I have recently gone to the physical therapist for a bladder issue and she included a special recipe for bowel regularity for adults with issues in this area. It goes as follows:
Mix together:
1 cup applesauce
1 cup oat bran or unprocessed wheat bran
3/4 cup prune juice
Begin with 1-2 T. each evening mixed with or followed by one 6-8 oz cup of water or juice. This helps soften the stool and regulate the bowel movements within 2 weeks. If no change occurs, slowly increase serving to 3-4 T. Make it a daily routine. You can store this in the fridge or freezer. One or two tablespoon servings may be frozen in sectioned ice cube trays or in foam plastic egg cartons and thawed as needed. Now this is a recipe for adults so you may want to decrease it for a child. But you get the idea of the recipe. Good luck!

Oh yea, he's holding it in. For some reason boys just do not like to poop in the potty. Keep up the Miralax and praise him when he goes to poop in the potty. My son would pee in the potty every time but he was almost 4 before he would poop in the potty without trying to hold it in. He once went a week without going and he was miserable. Gave him Miralax, sat him on the potty and tickled his belly. When he started to laugh, there was a big toot and the he pooped. He has been pooping in the potty ever since. You may want to think about keeping your son in Pull-ups for a little while longer because he may just not be ready yet.

I have done pediatric suppositories. They are less messy then enema and they work. My son had chronic constipation as a baby and also suffered from gas because of it. He went to a specialist which put him on a high fiber diet. That did not work. The specialist said that he had "dry stools". He put my son on Milk of Magnesia which usually would give him diarrhea. But if he didn't take the MOM, he was constipated. I went to our local "The Vitamin Shoppe" and they turned me on to Prebiotics. With in a couple days, we noticed a difference. He hasn't had a problem since. Not all prebiotics are the same. We use "FloraZyme". Here is the website for your review: http://www.ultimatelife.com/CatFloraZyme.htm.

You can find this at "The Vitamin Shoppe" at http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.j...

You can check out what digestive enzymes are here:

http://www.puristat.com/bloating/enzymes.aspx?pid=1&c...

Here is another mom on mamasource who has had the same problem and a wealth of responders for you to view.

Good luck.

He could have Hirschsprung's disease, it almost sounds like a classic presentation (but before I freak you out, it could be too much apple juice, grape juice, etc.). Hirschsprung's is a problem some people are born with. It usually presents at birth, but in rare cases it can be diagnosed (if it's milder) later. Here's the symptoms:

In an infant, symptoms include:

• not passing the first bowel movement, called meconium, within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth
• difficulty having a bowel movement
• watery stools if bowel movements do occur
• swelling of the abdomen
• vomiting
• rapid breathing as the disease progresses
• irritability

In older children symptoms include:

• passing small, ribbon-like, or watery stools. Stools are passed only rarely.
• chronic constipation
• lack of appetite
• poor weight gain
• decreased rate of growth
Here's a link to a website with more info:
http://health.discovery.com/encyclopedias/illnesses.html?...

Mention to your doctor you're concerned, if they won't listen get a new one. It's okay for a child (or adult for that matter) not to poop for 7 days, but vomiting, pain, etc. is not normal nor acceptable.

Good luck!

My older son constipated himself for a month when I first potty trained him, but eventually he got over himself and started doing it in the potty. With my second son I used the book "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day", and didn't have that problem (it worked, in less than a day, by the way). It only teaches training for #1, but said that #2 would follow, which it did.

To help things out a bit, you might give him high fiber foods to eat, such whole grain oatmeal for breakfast, prunes, beans, and any fresh fruits and vegies he likes, along with tons and tons of water to drink (or whatever he'll drink - just in this situation - I normally don't advocate juice and other sugary drinks). Make sure all his breads and cereals are whole grain. Avoid cheese, as it is known to stop up little bowels.

Also, contrary to what a lot of people believe, mild activity is really good after meals, as it helps the bowels to digest and be active (another reason to not eat before bed - it just sits there in the gut rotting).

Good luck!

I would try a suppository....that usually works within an hour or two. This can be kind of serious-I would get him back to the dr and if they don't order some tests (upper & lower gi, barium scan, etc) I would seek a second opinion. This happened to me all throughout my teenage years and every time it resulted in a hospital stay. A gastroenterologist is who you'd want to see.

Applesauce with a spoon of dissolvable fiber powder in it worked for my son. Plenty of fluids. Mine didn't like the little potty. I got a child sized potty seat to go on the big toilet seat and he liked that much better. It is definitely a vicious cycle, they don't poop then it hurts to poop so go as long as they can without pooping. As I started watching his diet and made sure he got plenty of fruits, juices, water and some carrot sticks daily he started going daily. Even now as an older child, he knows that if he isn't feeling well and he hasn't gone in the last day or two he grabs an apple.

Sounds like it could be Hirschprungers (sp?)also known as Megacolon or maybe a partial small bowel obstruction. Ask your doctor to rule them out.
Using laxatives or suppositories is okay in the short term, if it is a one time case of constipation, but it treats symptoms, not cause, therefore, they can become habit forming unless you find and cure the cause. They may give some short term relief in the meantime, but don't stop there, demand your doc finds the cause!

hi my son who is 3 has had this problem since he was 1 and i finally did some test myself since his dr wouldnt even consider doing any test until he turns 4 ive figured out it was my sons milk we had to end up putting him on 1% he likes and no more constipation hope this help

Hi, try giving him a glass of regular prune juice that should do the trick, try giving him a glass every morning and include fiber rich foods. Sometimes not enough water and too much milk will cause constipation, on the other hand sometimes too much water can cause constipation in some people. See what works best, if you continue to get the same results I would see a gastrointerologist.

Your son is rather young to be giving most laxatives. Even those made for children are not generally designed for two year olds. They can be rather harsh on the system. I would suggest trying a suppository which works locally and does not have to involve the stomach and digestive system in the treatment. Also, if you opt for an oral treatment, you don't want to make a habit of giving your son daily doses. This can result in the body developing a dependence on the laxative to make the bowels work.

Try using a laxative suppository and make sure he gets sufficient amounts of liquid and foods that are natural laxatives (apples, prunes, dates). You also want to watch how much dairy he consumes as, although dairy is important, cheeses and such can exacerbate the constipation. If your son was screaming during the bowel movement, he probably had very hard stools which can cause severe pain so you want to look for a suppository with a stool softener.

Other considerations ... this may be an initial response to a dairy or other food allergy or it may be one of several other, more serious, problems. Try the suppository and, if there is no relief, contact your pediatrician.

Hi Dawn...we just went through the same thing with our 3 year old boy...also while potty training. He would go 10 to 14 days with no pooping. And when he did it was HUGE and hard and in his pull-up, not the potty. We talked to our pediatrician about it and he told us that our son wouldn't be potty-trained until he was no longer constipated. He told us to use a half a cap of Miralax once a day in his drink (not dairy). He said that we need "soft-serve poops" (yes, I know...yuck!) and not rock hard ones to potty train. It worked like a charm! He was potty-trained in a week - all because of the Miralax! We still use it daily to keep him from getting constipated (my son eats A LOT of cheese and drinks milk like it is going out of style, which causes constipation). Just keep up with the Miralax, I bet it does the trick!

Been here, done that. Keep up with the Miralax. Give him 1/2 the dose in his juice once a day, everyday. Eventually it will force him to become regular and the poop will soften. He is holding it in, for whatever his reasons are. My daughter is just over 4 and this all started for her at 3 1/2. she doesn't want to go, doesn't like anything about it. We HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING and the Miralx regimin works. She gets 1/2 tsp everday in her juice, sometimes she goes right away but other times it may take 3 days. This seems to be her normal pattern and the less we make out of it the more she ends up going on her own. We give her a 3 day break of the Miralax and she goes on her own for several days and then we have to pick it back up again.
This is my suggestion. You have to get over your fear and concerns over it for your child to "let it go". It's hard, but eventually it will work.

My one year old grandson was having trouble with constipation recently. I was told to cut his whole milk to 1% milk. Also, when we give him whole milk we and a little of the clear Karo syrup which is a natural laxative.

My son went through the same thing at the same age last spring. I suggest requesting a x-ray. My son had a bowel obstruction and had to be tubed and given meds to make him go comfortably. It was shown on an x-ray. My sons whole behavior had changed during this time. The myralax is good to keep him on once the obsturction is gone (if that is what it is). If you beleive that something is wrong that is what I suggest. I wish I had done it sooner than jumping through all the hoops that the doctor had me jumped through. Good luck.

Dawn,

It sounds like he needs more fiber in his diet. Does he like apples or applesauce. You may ask your doctor if he can take a stool softner. My son had the same problem and so do I. We just had to find ways to put more fiber in our diet.

T.

He could be holding it in, but because of the nausea and vomiting I worry that he may have a fecal impactation. If the bowel movement he had was a large one, he may not need to have another one for a few days because Miralax (or any other laxative) clears out the colon. (If this was the case, I wouldn't worry,but you might want to ask the doctor about giving him stool softners for a while, and make sure he drinks plenty of fluids.)If the BM was small, I would try a glycerin suppository and have him drink lots of fluids. If that doesn't work, or if he is still vomiting, I would take him back to the doctor asap.

Bless his little heart. Poor baby. I suggest the homeopathic route: lots of fiber, prunes, carrots and carrot juice, and get the lil' guy some gripe water- Disney makes some that's really affordable. He may have an anal fissure (a tiny tear in the skin around the anus) that needs to be treated. Use some protectant and lubricant on his bottom if that's the case. Good luck!

Try putting benefiber or myralax in his juice or whatever he drinks at least once a day. My daughter has constipation issues as well and that helps out.

We've been through this with our middle child. He began having problems with constipation as a baby. He had trouble on and off through childhood. The Dr.s at the childrens hospital prescribed miralax. Since then it is available OTC. It is a very natural non-addictive source of fiber. Our son would get backed up quick. He too would vomit if he went 7 or more days without a movement. He had terrible pain a few times with a long past due movement. We have learned to be very aggressive with treatment. He had to have the miralax coupled with a high fiber diet. We forced lots of water and other liquids. Smaller meals at more frequent intervals help him a lot when he has trouble. We have stayed away from enamas or other meds unless the Dr. suggests it. The colon can become dependant on a lot of these things. Just keep at it until you get more frequent and normal stools. A rocky or very loose stool is not a "normal" stool. You should see a loggy stool most of the time. Good luck. M.

Hello Amanda:
I reviewed some of the responses and I think they may have scared you. From experience I can tell you that it's not good to jump the gun. My daughter has had constipation problems on and off since she was a baby, but she's got a very poor diet and that was the main reason. How is your sons eating? I had taken me daughter to a GI doctor and she was prescribed Glycolax (similar to Miralax) it worked really well, until potty training kicked in. She couldn't bring herself to go on the potty and she began witholding and once they feel that terrible pain in instills fear in them. Fear that it will hurt and it becomes a vicious cylce. I had to make some major adjustments and it took time to break her of that fear. I cut her milk intake in half, only 1 full cup in the morning and night. I give her "lots" of water and I try really hard to up her fiber. Additionally I give her Juice Plus (it's a natural chewable that is loaded with veggies and fruits). Her diet is still a work in progress, but I'm rather strick now and hardly allow junk food or processed food. She knows it's either what I give her or nothing...the choice is hers. I do it for her benefit and because I hate to see her suffer. She has done extremely well with the changes and Juice Plus is by far her saving grace (her Glycolax has been cut by 80%). She hardly takes Glycolax, but occassionaly it's still needed based on how she's eaten in the day. Don't jump into testing just yet. Those tests are very invasive and can make the situation worse. I almost did the Barium Enema and I'm glad I didn't. She slowly started improving with the diet changes and I'm glad I didn't jump into testing so soon. If he's had normal stools in the past then it's likely Functional Constipation, which is more common than we think.

A little on Hirschsprungs...the stool is ribbon like and small in caliber. Functional constipation is very large and painful, which his is and it's sounds to me like he's got that.

Hi, Dawn~

If he recently gave up the bottle, he's probably not getting as much liquid as he was used to. Otherwise, make sure he has lots of pulpy, 'wet' fruits (peaches, apples, oranges, etc), fiber and LIQUIDS. Be aware that some things (bananas, juices, etc) will give one child diarrhea while the same thing constipates another. (Go figure!) After that painful BM, he probably is a little 'anal-retentive' -- literally! I'd try using a glycerine suppository (or even 1/2 or 1/4 of an adult one cut lengthways. It doesn't take much at all. They usually come back out almost whole, anyway) and pour HOT water in his potty (to help loosen his sphincter muscles). Be very relaxed about it all, 'cuz if you're tense, he will be, too! Be sure to give lots of praise for success, also! That's all I've got 4 U!

God bless!

Dear Dawn,

Whatever you decide to do, be sure you give him a stool SOFTENER before you give him a laxative. Miralax is great for occasional constipation in children, but should always be accompanied by a softening agent. Without the softener, your going to have a very quick and painful bowel movement. The laxative basically stimulates the colon to go into spasms, but does nothing to break down the feces and make it easier to pass. This can be very painful for children, because of course their anus is very small, and it can even cause it to tear, which makes it more painful. I learned all of this the hard way, when my 4 year old had this problem a couple of years ago. I will tell you that it took about 3 weeks of the regimen that we did, but it worked like a charm, and he hasn't had any problems since.....For three weeks everyday, give your son a dose of a stool softening agent in the morning (find out dosage amount from your local pharmacist/pediatrician). If the softener is liquid, put it in a cup with low sugar white grape juice (the white grape juice is the easiest of any on the tummy), if making toast or sandwiches, use the double fiber bread, and stay away from bananas, cheese puffs or cheese doodles for a while (they cause major constipation). Lastly, in the afternoon at least six hours before bed, take a quarter of a teaspoon( I know it sounds like a tiny amount, but it works) of basic mineral oil, and mix it with any juice of your choice. Be sure to inlcude foods that are soothing to the intestinal tract (mashed potatoes, applesauce, rice mixed with a little butter, sugar and cinnamon......) I think this will make you and your son much happier! My husband is also a P.A., so he approved all this and helped me tweak this whole thing to work for a young child. As far as the potty training goes, grab the cheerios!!! Whether our son had to pee or have a bowel movement, we would throw a few cheerios in the bowl and tell him to sink them! I know is sounds silly, but it worked. I really hope some of this helps......

When we tried to potty train our son he did the same thing. Prescriptions are great, but our pediatrician told us to give him a tablespoon of mineral oil (about $1.00 for a bottle) twice a day. Two days later he was having regular bowel movements. He knew this was his "poop medicine" and when he was scared to go, because they do get scared that it will hurt after they have had a problem, he would ask for it! Oh, our ped. told us to keep it up for a couple of days after the first time to keep the stool soft. The mineral oil is tasteless and he had NO trouble taking it!!

Apple Juice
Pears
Peaches

These are three natural choices that we've found helpful. Sometimes when I notice my little boy has not gone in a while, I'll make a "milkshake" with apple juice, orange juice, a banana, and a jar of babyfood peaches. Toss in whatever other fruit I might have on hand too... frozen blueberries, etc. Sometimes I also sprinkle in a little ground flaxseed (get it at any grocery store), which is supposed to be great for fiber and other nutritious value too. We tried a suppository once with our little boy, and it was a nightmare. My husband and I both had to hold him down, felt like we were torturing him, and then it didn't even work! I choose the "natural" approach over suppositories any day!! One other suggestion... if he's more comfortable with it, let him wear a diaper for pooping. He'll switch to potty when he's ready.
Best wishes to you all!

my son had that promblem he was holding it back due to the pain of being costapated i used a enama on the advice of my doctor i also tryed to change his diet and gave him plenty of water i also gave him senca pills they are a natural fiber and that helped regulate him please ask your doctor first before doing anything

This may sound stuipid but my daughter had the opposite problem from drinkin gtoo much juice. How about some juice. I remeber that is why my grandma drank prune juice.

does he get lots of fruits/fiber? When my kids get that way, I serve fruit with every meal, and for snacks all day. Personally, I would not use Miralax, but I've given my kids the Benefiber orange flavored chewable tablets (they each get one of those every night after dinner) or I put the Benefiber powder in their water. I started off with very little and gradually worked up to a teaspoon and a half over the course of a few weeks (the tablets, I only gave them half a tablet everyday for a week and then started giving them a whole tablet). Really, noone can have too much fiber in their diet, so for day to day, it might help to up the fiber. If he's vomiting, he could have a virus; my 2 year old had a similar bug back in Nov, fine during the day, but vomiting at night for about 5 days straight. Other moms on here said they saw the same thing in their kids. good luck to you

Thankfully my child has never had constipation. Then again, I worked hard from the time she started any real food to feed her healthy. So, as Karen B mentioned, diet is the main factor. My child and I always carry a drink of juice/water or plain water everywhere we go. For dehydration also contributes to constipation. We recently started using a flavorless powdered version of Probiotics (provides good flora for your intestines). It's wonderful!!! Higher fiber is (by way of more fresh fruit, whole grains & veggies ) is a must. However, the Probiotics has made things "move along" even smoother. My child, most days, has had 1-2 BM's since she was a newborn. Since starting the Probiotics, some days she'll go up to 4 times. It's even helped my daily movements. Yeah!!!! If I forget to sprinkle it into our food, she even brings it to my attention.

So, I'd agree with a couple other moms. Don't use OTC or prescription options, unless it's a last resort. It's easier and healthier to cut back on dairy, introduce and increase healthier foods, and increase water. The Probiotics are not a must, but certainly help a whole lot. Oh, and I also use bran flakes. It's also virtually flavorless and easy to use cooked in or sprinkled on your food.

Make sure that he is drinking enough water/fluids. It is essential to having BMs.
Good luck! Peg

My son had trouble with constipation but, he was younger. I would definitely take him back to the doctor and ask if he has a reflux problem or if it could be a gastro problem. Must definitely check all aspects. The vomiting is bothering me. I gave my son, all kinds of foods that gave him loose bowel movements, especially fruit, watermelon seemed to move him. I know it has to be very painful for him. He may be holding gas, try a gas reliever for children.I would lay my son on his back and rub his belly and work his legs to relieve gas. If your not satisfied with the answers your doctors give don't be afraid to get a second opinion.I hope the best for you.

Hi Dawn,

Suppositories or any type of laxatives should be for a one-time deal. Longterm use can be harmful specially for little ones.

Have you tried changing the milk? If drinking regular milk, maybe switch to 2%.

Increase the fiber intake. This will help with his bowel movements naturally and there is no way he can hold it. :)

Another thing you could try is putting him in a diaper off and on through the day and observe his reaction.

maybe since he hadn't had a bowel movement in 7 days was the reason for the painful bowel movement, but that does not make the situation any easier for either of you. My daughter has had constipation issues and we have used miralax with much success...no pain, bloating or irritability. There was one exception when the miralax could not help and we had to use a suppository which helped the situation. In my daughters experience, this caused her to be a little afraid of going to the bathroom, so your son could be or may go through a little of that too, so whatever you can do to make the bowel movement experience less frightening and painful is good. I'd call and see what the dr says and go from there.

you could ask the dr about mineral oil, perhaps there would be less bloating, etc.

good luck

I had to use the childrens enema with my son when he was around 1. I dont remember the brand, i think fleet, but it was a liquid bulb. We put a little KY on the edge of the bulb used a little bit of it and it was almost instant. We had him laying down with the diaper open so we could see when he was done. I do remember him crying so it may not be very comfortable.

If you think he has neg. feelings towards going on the toilet, I would let him go in the diaper like we did with my son. Then if it hurts it may work to your advantage. try telling him thats what happens when big boys use baby diapers. It doesn't hurt if we use the big boy potty everyday and to top it off you get a sticker (or something like that) when you go".... It may sound harsh and be a little much but it may also work....GL

May I reccommend giving him some Monavie. You probably have heard of it, but just don't realize you have. It's been on Oprah, The Doctors, etc. It's a highly concentrated fruit juice that has all your daily nutrients in just a few ounces of juice. 1 ounce a day is just enough for a child under 50 lbs. My 3 year old has not had any irregularity since he has been drinking it (about 5 weeks now). It totally targets digestion issues. Just a thought.
You can buy it at https:/www.mymonavie.com/monavieformommies

My oldest daughter has this problem.

We spent a lot of years on Miralax daily. When she was 4-5 yrs old she was old enough to drink water more regularly. 5 oz every 3 hours and she stopped having problems completely. If you can get your son to drink 4 oz every 3 hours (gulping it down is best) his problem may stop.

Good morning, I hope that I can be of some help. I have tried warm prune juice, a small amount and frequents potty breaks. Even if nothing materialized immediately. (It eventually will) smile. Let me know how it turns out. If nothing is truly working, I would then go to my pediatrician.

I would stick with your doctor's recommendation of Miralax. It is very easy on kid's systems and the intent is not to immediately get rid fo the problem, but - to put it bluntly - retrain kid and their bowels how to poop.

Often when kids get chronic constipation, their lower intenstine's expands, holding more poop, which means they can wait longer to go. They wait - it hurts, so they wait longer, resulting in an even bigger BM and bowel. (See the cycle?) Miralax softens the stool making it easier to pass and less likely to hurt. Your child probably is holding it since he expects pain and this will go away when he realizes it doesn't hurt as bad.

I've been there! Godo luck!!

Have you given him grape juice? When my son was a year old he started having issues with constipation, at that age the pediatrician had me dilute white grape juice and water and things have gone smoothly ever since. For your little boy, I wouldn't dilute it. Give it to him full strength and it should help loosen the bowels and make it not so hard. Good luck!

Wow, you've already gotten a lot of responses. Glycerin suppositories are perfectly safe, and very effective, they are even safer than laxatives (Miralax). Just be sure you get the child size. Maybe relax on the potty training for now. Even if nothing happened to upset him, he could still be holding it just because he doesn't want to mess his pants!

I just moved back to the States from London and they have a wonderful over-the-counter medicine there (which I know you can get here but I think you may need a prescription) called Lactulose. It tastes like syrup and is easy to get down and works really well. It is safe enough even for newborns and I used it myself when I was pregnant. It works like a charm in my experience. You might want to ask your doctor about it.

I agree with the others -- make sure he has enough water and fiber in his diet so that there is no physical reason he can't go (and if necessary you can go to medications or supplements like Miralax or Senna or Colace). But it sounds like this episode was pretty scary for him, and also probably very painful. This happened to one of the kids I babysat -- he was either constipated or just refused to go on the potty, and then when he finally did go, it was painful, and he associated the potty with pain -- not a good situation! But before long, he ended up catching some bug that gave him diarrhea, so I was able to catch him about to poop and plopped him on the potty, and he couldn't hold his diarrhea, so went in the potty, and then he realized that the potty did *not* hurt, and was much better after that.

You may need to give him a break from the potty while you make sure that he is regular and is not in any pain while pooping, and then you can introduce him back to the potty. If he refuses to go, you may need to give him some sort of laxative so that he can't hold it until he gets a painfully big poop, or else you risk starting the cycle all over again.

use an enema they are more effective than suppositories and work faster. they saved my life with my first daughter she had a hard time when she was itty bitty. the vomiting makes me think he has an impaction.which i had when pregnant with my dauther and you can vomit up fecal matter.. not pleasant... good luck