How Much Miralax Should I Give My 6 Yo?

Hi E.,

I have had similar problems with my now 4 1/2 yr old and I have used Miralax for almost a year. I put about 1 Tsp in her milk 2 times a day. She's still holds it in too long, but at least it's not as hard as a rock and she's able to get it out with less trauma.

You don't have to worry too much about the dose because it's not absorbed. The pediatric dosing is 0.8 g/kg/day, max 17g/ day. An 45 lb child would just take the adult dosage.

Good luck!

M.

Call the ped's office and ask.

Do not worry about the "safety" of the product. miralax has always been okay in kids. Let me tell you why I know, because when you go through chemo, you can not go more than 48 hrs w/o a 'poop'. And, at 2 my son was using it...I do not remember the quantity, but, it was via prescription. And, you may get some watery poops. I know-too much information!

My 5 year old son drinks 1/2 a cap full in his juice. The ped told me to reduce it to 1/4 of a cap if it seems too loose.
I recommend reading "Potty training for dummies" chapter 16 Soiling beyond toddler years. My son had problems letting go. When I tried to do it on my own it became a more serious problem where he couldn't feel when he had to go. Miralax under the watch of a pedi is the only thing that helped him.
Good luck

Hi E. - I agree with one of your respondents on trying to get her to eat more fruits and vegetables. I know that's hard at that age, and so I highly recommend you give her Juice Plus gummies. It's just fruits and vegetables in chewable form. My kids have been taking Juice Plus for 4 years and it's made a great difference in their health, they're regular, and their immune systems are better able to fight off colds. I became a distributor because I'm so passionate about nutrition and found a way to make sure my family gets enough. With three boys it's hard to get them all to eat enough produce every day, so Juice Plus gives me peace of mind that they're getting that nutrition to protect their health. You wouldn't believe how many customers that have their kids on Juice Plus that tell me it solved their constipation problems. That's the least of the benefits it will provide your child. If you'd like more info, please see what the doctors and research on Juice Plus say at my website: www.wethriveonJuicePlus.com. Feel free to call me at ###-###-####.

NONE!!!!!! I speak from experience not from being a naturopath type person. They had my two year old on it for two weeks, things were fine....then not fine. They put her on it for 30 days!!! Again fine...for a while. If you think about it, until recently it was a prescription for seniors and adults. So how good could it really be for our peanuts? I posted many a posts on this site and others looking for any help. I got both opinions, do not use that stuff, and use that stuff. UGH Of course we all have our opinions. One day we came across Lifeways Pro Biotic Kefir and were giving her one a day. Seemed to be really helping our problem on and off. A neighbor over heard me having this discussion at a party and she ran home and brought me a whole bottle of Nordic Naturals Children's DHA Cod Liver Oil pills. My daughter thinks they are candy and begs for them each day. That was in May and we poop every single day now. I give her 4 each morning and she goes about bedtime each night. I am lucky for these because she stopped liking the kefir after months of having it. But she loves these things. I also feel very lucky because the company who makes them is a fabulous reputable company who makes quality products, I take the adults as well. But because it is natural and non-harming. Miralax causes a lot of problems, specially in the future with prolonged use. You can get these online, but I buy them at both Henry's and Sprouts. I buy a couple bottles at a time. They seem pricey, but each bottle lasts a long time and compared to Miralax......

Good luck, this is not fun and very sad and stressful as a parent.

Wait!!!!! Let's look at this for a second....I know potty training is a real difficult time for everyone--or certainly can be. Kudos to you for being patient!

It seems to me that your daughter has a fear of losing control of her bowels and not being a good girl. (VERY common!!!) She wants to do a good job and just is having trouble with the on/off switch so to speak. I had trouble urinating when I was in labor. My body just couldn't remember how to coordinate all the muscles right then...

Giving her a laxative may make her lose control---her worst fear realized!!!! And do more harm than cleaning up a poopy mess for a few more days/weeks/months. (I know....sigh.....)

Letting go is one of the biggest struggles people have emotionally. I just watched my friend try to die for a long time.....help your daughter learn to let go now. It is a valuable life lesson. She needs to learn how to control the process. Just think how much easier her love life will be!!!!

I do not want to go against the advise of a physician but remember, Dr. Spock recanted after his methods were used almost biblically for decades. No one knows these things for sure. You can help your child better than anyone else. She may actually know what she needs herself. Try asking her. My kid worked out great out of the box solutions for himself that worked because he knew himself better than anyone. Try silly stuff too if she suggests it....(I don't know....singing about it to a pretend purple kangaroo while she's on the pot,or pretending she's on a ship....what does she see, how does the ship gently rock with the waves hitting it etc....)might just lighten the situation up enough so she relaxes enough to poop spontaneously....stranger things have happened.....

Good luck,my friend.
Thanks for being a good and loving mommy!!!!

Deb

My daughter started out on half a cap. She is almost 6 years old and has had bowel issues since potty training age. Her latest xray revealed she was impacted again, even though she poops somewhat regularly, so now she is on one full scoop every evening. I'd start with a half scoop for now, make sure you give it to her daily and you may need to give it to her for awhile. My Dr. anticipates my daughter will be on it for several more years )-:

Also, make sure you set up a routine for going poop. If your morning isn't rushed, it would be great to ask her to try to go about 15 minutes after eating breakfast. With my daughter, I put a radio in the bathroom and she goes in there, locks the door so brother doesn't bug her, sits on the toilet and listens to a story. She usually goes the moment she sits down, but I do have to ask her to try to go as she doesn't get the sensation like we do since stretching out her colon so much.

Best wishes,
M.

My girls took a rounded tablespoon at that age and it seemed to work. From what I understand, it won't hurt your daughter if your dose isn't super accurate. It doesn't have the nasty side effects of traditional laxitives.

Hi E.,
I have a little exp. w/ Miralax. I use it daily for my 3 1/2 yo son. He was diagnosed with "fecal hoarding" (basically holding his stool). At first, the pediatrician recc a full dose than adjust as needed. A full dose is the top of the WHITE inner cap. I now give my son a 1/2 dose daily. I usually mix it into water and a little juice. It works well but when starting to use it, it may not work for a day or so. It is not stimulating and simply draws water to the colon. I was told I could use it long term as we have to "retrain" the colon to sense the stool and retrain my son to let it go. The Miralax has really helped with potty training and my son isn't pushing like before. We also encourage him to "just let the poo-poo come out". We also use big sticker rewards for every BM and he gets a new small toy for every 5 stickers. Also try to increase the water intake as it will help the Miralax work. If you find the stool getting too soft or watery, just decrease the dose of Miralax slightly.
I hope this helps you as it has for us. Be patient but consistent with it. It has helped relieve most of the fear of pooping.
Good Luck!
A.

You should call your pediatrician... I know you wouldn't want to give her the wrong product or the wrong amount...

I give my son (17mo) about a half teaspoon. You will kinda need to play with it though. My son gets it every other day now instead of each day and I have had to really just test it. If you give half teaspoon and it's to loose then reduce it and the other way around if she is still plugged. I have many friends who use this all with positive feed back.

you should call your ped and ask for the correct dosage for age and weight. This info should have been given to you before you left the office.
I think though, Miralax has a pediatric/children's formula. you can also try to get the dosaging from the pharmacy.

Call your pediatrician's office. The pediatric nurse should be able to give you dosage information right over the phone without an office visit. Good luck!

E.,

Sorry, I have to agree with Jamie...my own doctor refuses to recommend OTC stuff to help me when I have my own issues with BM. And, so does my son's Pedi. In fact, he gave us a list of alternatives to try before giving my son any kind of 'laxative' OTC product. Our bodies get so used to the aid for BM that they end up becoming dependent on the stuff, and when you go off it your body has to adjust all over again to doing the work on your own. Imagine how stressful that can be for a little body who is in the process of growing and making changes everyday...

I'm not a health nut, and don't live and die by any kind of wellness plan but, I do feel like my body should be able to do things like BM on it's own.

If your daughter is scared is she really having trouble with the BM or just the concept of 'letting it go'?

I absolutely love the idea of Chocolate Prune Pudding. Have you thought about trying some natural alternatives first before going straight to the OTC stuff? We did prune juice when my son had BM issues and started on a regular vitamen to make sure he was getting everything he needed, since little one's can be extra picky about eating. My little man is totally regualr now...

Good luck.

Call the doctor or the pharmacist. Don't try to guess!

Before using drugs why don't you try a green drink or bar...that's what makes them poop. Give him enough greens and he won't have a choice but to poop. Also try tummy massage with oil.

Call the ped back and ask for the dosage. My daughter took that way back when, but she was only 3. Back then it was prescription. The ped should have a dosage chart.

Hi there,

My DD (4 yrs old) has to take Miralax for constipation and what I found out with Miralax is that you may have to adjust dosage up or down depending on how the child responds. In the beginning we gave her 2 tsp a day and that did not do anything. When we gave her a capful like the bottle label(and doctor) recommended she got the runnies. When we gave her 2 1/2 tsp it would just the right amount to get the soft stool but not too watery. I found that out the hard way. It might help to know that each body reponds slightly differently. Best of luck with the results!

my son is 4 our ped said to give him half I don't give him that much either and anytime he misses a day I start it up again-he was never regular as a baby but now has really gotten there-call the nurse there and have them call you back for your own peace of mind!
Good luck!
B

When my daughter was this age, we would give her chocolate prune pudding. I would buy the 2 oz plastic containers of baby food prunes and put three or four chocolate chips in it. She ate it right up.

Hi E. - I'm sorry to hear your daughter is having troubles having a BM. My daughter has suffered from that, since she was 4 months old - and has been on "Miralax" type medicine, since she was a year. We currently use Miralax and i give her half of the suggested does for an adult. However, to get her started, i would do just a little over a half of the suggested dose and then once she's passed her bowel, then drop it down to the half mark. I know that the Miralax bottle tells you to fill it to the top of the white part of the cap, but that's for an adult, as you know. So just do it about half. It's going to be hard for her to go and she'll likely cry, if she hasn't had a BM in a couple of days, so just encourage her (which I'm sure you will do ;)) Once it passes, it will be easier for her. Make sure you don't give her too much though - cuz it will cause cramping and that doesn't feel so good. If you're still unsure, definitely call your doctor - she will be able to tell you the exact dose to give her. I hope things go better for her. If you're looking for more natural things to give her, that will help, mix some prune juice in with another juice or milk, or give her some apple juice too, that will help. We gave my daughter prune juice with milk, from the time she was 7 months until she was a year, when she went on her medicine. I don't really know how it tastes, but she didn't seem to have a problem drinking it, so...The great thing about the Miralax is that it's tasteless, so you can mix it with anything :D don't get discouraged. I know it's hard when you see your child struggling to do something that should come so natural. But it will get better over time. I'm still waiting for it to get better for my daughter (she will be 4 in November), but it's getting easier for her and she doesn't have to take as much anymore, so I know there is hope :)

Blessings! - S.

Call her doctor that prescribed it. It probably is dependent upon her weight.

Either call your dr. back for dosing instructions or go to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist.

call the pharmacy or your doctor !! do not trust anybody who isnt a license medical doctor to tell how much medicine to give your child..

8 1/2 grams (half a capful)

For my 4 yr old I used to do 1/4 -1/2 tsp. His body got to dependant on it though and I switched to children's Benefiber. There is also Pedialax which is a child's laxative. Miralax does work well, but if you're concerned about dosage I would go with the pedialax. It comes in liquid, powder and dissolveble strips that all work in different time interval's from a couple hours to over night. Once your daughter is cleared out I recommend the benefiber though. It will naturally help maintain you daughters system. My son has had a problem with going poop since he was one and a lot of his fear of going is because he said it hurts. The benefiber helps with that. Good luck!

E.,
You shouldn't be asking moms, you should be asking your daughter's pediarician.

Does your child likes oranges? When my 3 year old is having a hard time, i give her juice with the pulp - or better - the real fruit with the pulp. Or you can try easing him into it w/ canned mandarines - it's sweeter. Also, for adding veggies to her diet i add a little bit on everything - carrots or broccoli on mac'n cheese, steamed broccoli w/ melted shredded cheese, raisins and carrots on brown rice, strawberries on cereal (choose one w/ more fiber that he likes), grapes for desert, apple w/ caramel, etc. Whatever gets them to eat more fruits, veggies, and fiber. Natural is better, i think. The medicine may be good for when she is having too many days out, but i'd try to change her diet to see if it helps. It sure hurts if you can't "go". Good luck!