Benefiber Instead of Miralax?

I guess my answer would start with a question. Have you talked to the pediatrician about this? My son has been on miralax because the dr prescribed it (this was before it went OTC) and she had us stay on it a few months while his body recovered (she said his rectum was stretched and desensitized by the chronic pressure and his refusal to go). Did your doctor recommend the miralax and have you asked about the dosage? I know ours told us to give it to him until his bowel movements had a specific consistency and to keep it at that level for awhile before slowly pulling it back. I don't know what recommendations there are for use of a fiber supplement in young children (which is all benefiber is). Miralax is a bit different and I think most pediatricians prefer it, but I am no expert. So I would definitely make an appointment before altering his regimen too much and get some professional guidance on this.

My children get benefiber for kids and it works great. My son was irregular and our doctor recommended Miralax. I inquired about Benefiber instead and he said to try it. I am one of those parents that prefers natural remedies to medication. I put it in their juice and it has been terrific!! I also give it to my 2 year old and she has no problems with it. I give my son who is 5 a full teaspoons when needed and my daughter a half teaspoon and I would recomend it to any parent.

Benefiber is excellent for children. Both my five year old and two year old take Benefiber on an almost daily basis, upon recommendation from our pediatrician. Benefiber supplement is tasteless and works fantastically to regulate the bowel movements. My son suffered from constipation since birth. We have used enemas and suppositories many, many times once he became constipated. Since he began the benefiber almost a year and a half ago, we have only had one bout with constipation (only because I neglected to give him benefiber for a week or so because he was so regular I just forgot). I definitely suggest trying benefiber. The dosage we give is one heaping teaspoon once or twice a day and it has worked like a charm. In fact, my son asks for "milk with benefiber" or ice cream with hershey's syrup and benefiber". It mixes into anything and can't be tasted. I also think that telling him what he is taking and why (it'll make your belly much better....), will help him see how much better the Benefiber makes him feel and he will ask for it. No cramping, just added fiber to his diet which should help regulate the consistency and regularity he is lacking. My son's bowel movements and constipation did a 180 after taking benefiber supplement. Feel free to contact me for more details, as we have battle poopy problems with our five year old for so many years, we have tried all sorts or stuff. Good luck to you and you should start him on Benefiber right away, I would even CALL the nurse or pediatrician to see what an appropriate dose is for him. They shouldn't need to see him in order to begin in on a regimen of fiber supplement.

I don't know if your son can take 'swallow pills' (non chewable capsules) yet but if he can you should look into Psyllium Husk caps. It is not a laxative but a natural source of fiber, here is a link about it http://www.gicare.com/pated/psyllium.htm I use this for my daughter since she had/has trouble with not going at times.

"Everyone should get a healthy amount of soluble and insoluble fiber in their food each day. There are many beneficial effects of fiber. It promotes bowel regularity and probably reduces the chance of heart disease and certain cancers. Psyllium should be viewed as nothing more than part of the foods you eat to stay healthy each day. There is a great deal known about fiber."

If your son can't take the pills you can open them up, add water to them (enough to make it soupy) and if he likes yogurt put the Psyllium on a spoon and cover it w/ yogurt. It has a bit of a nutty flavor to it but the texture is a bit slimy lol.

I am sorry your son is going through such an ordeal. My daughter is currently being treated for chronic constipation. Her pediatirc gastro. has put her on Miralax AND Benefiber. She suffers from encopresis. Ask your doctor about it.... We are finally making progress with this doctor. She was born with chronic constipation and is finally getting help. Good luck!

Benefiber is not the same as Miralax. Miralax is designed to prevent the cramping associated with constipation. My now 11 yr. old daughter had problems which brought us to Cinti. Children's Hospital Voiding dysfuntion clinic at age 6 or 7. Her issues were more UTIs, but the constipation was causing her to leak stool when she did not poop each day, also causing the backup of stool into the urethra = more UTIs. We added fiber to her diet and kept her on a steady dose of 1-1/2 capfuls a day until it got resolved. By giving your son a small, then smaller, than larger dose every other day, you are not getting the bowels to move steady. Don't adjust the dose until he is having daily or every other day formed stools. I have been told that miralax knows if it is too much water in the stool or too little and gets the body to adjust. If he is having diareah on a regular basis - not formed stools, then you need to get in touch with Pediatrician, Allergist ( food allergies can cause bowel issues) or make an appointment at CHMC - Voiding Dysfuntion to talk it over with a nurse practitioner.
Please do not take me to be a know-it-all, but I have also been down this road with my 93 yr. old mom-in-law, her gastro doctor and a bowel specialist. It turned out she was lucky and just needed steady fiber in her diet - all day long, every day. She has Fiber One (highest in fiber we have found) with a mixture of raisin bran or corn flakes daily, then drinks the capful of Miralax at dinner. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask your Pediatrican more questions.

First of all welcome to Cincinnati!I haven't used Benefiber or Miralax, however I have used Arbonne's Fiber shake which is safe for children. It has an orange flavor and you can mix it with milk or yogurt, etc, and it offers 12 grams of fiber per serving. If you would like more information or would like to try a sample just let me know. Good luck!