The Cause for Ongoing, Severe Constipation in Three Yeat Old?

Why haven't you just removed all dairy from his diet? You seem so insistent on giving him lactose products but they're making him sick. The solution is not to treat the constipation but to eliminate the lactose completely and forever. I realize that it seems inconvenient, especially if no one else in the house is lactose intolerant, but there are substitutions that are safe and lactose free. It's a lot easier to transition to a lactose-free diet for him than it is to put him on needless medication and have him in pain, sick all the time.

It will take two solid weeks for dairy to leave his system. It will take two more weeks for his body to adjust and feel good without dairy there and for him to realize that "Hey, this is worth not having that glass of milk and grilled cheese sandwich! I miss pizza but not if I'm going to be so sick!"

And you may have to search for lactose-free chocolate and other substitutions, but it's worth it or else you can cause some serious damage to his insides.

I'm a mom to a child with severe lactose intolerance. I know what I'm talking about.

You should cut out ALL forms of dairy from his diet for at least 2 weeks and see if that helps him. He is clearly having a food reaction. You said that other than constipation, those foods don't affect him--constipation is a serious effect which should be treated as any other type of reaction would be. The Yahoo group Foodlab is an invaluable resource with these types of issues. Good luck.

I would stop ALL dairy products not just limit them, as you already know he can get the necessary vitamins from other sources. Pick up some probiotics and start giving them every day. Most are odorless and tasteless so you can just add them to his food or drinks. I would still have a GI specialist check him to rule out anything else. Just because he is not showing other allergic symptoms to dairy does not mean his body is not allergic. It is obvious that his body cannot digest them properly and it seems to be causing his constipation.

Big red flag to me is the yogurt. Especially with the dairy information. My daughter suffers from constipation and if she has more than one yogurt in a 2 day period I know we are in trouble in the next few days. Yogurt binds that girl up something awful. It doesn't have the effect on everyone, but it does it to my daughter. He may still be sensitive to the dairy products.

My friend's daughter had similar issues. It turned out that she had a pretty traumatic birth and needed some major chiropractic care to help her get back to normal. They had tried everything before that, and nothing really worked. If you can, try to find a neurochiropractor.

Good luck!

Updated

My friend's daughter had similar issues. It turned out that she had a pretty traumatic birth and needed some major chiropractic care to help her get back to normal. They had tried everything before that, and nothing really worked. If you can, try to find a neurochiropractor.

Good luck!

I would defiantly see the Ped GI and see what s/he says. There is dairy in yogurt and cheese so even the smallest amounts might be affecting him or how those things are processed. I would how ever do some research on the use of miralax and children. It isn't the safest thing in the world to give them let alone an adult. I've found the Cutural probiotics help my son when he gets backed up from taking antibiotics. They have a kids formula that is little powder packets you can mix in food or liquid and you'll never know it's there. I put it in my coffee some times too. GNC also makes a good tasting chewable that looks like the vitamins kids can have.

Good luck!
S.

Don't put him through all those medical tests before simply having him adjusted by a chiropractor. My friend's son had a lot of constipation problems. She would take him in to the chiropractor and then have to race home because he would inevitably have a blowout. My nephew was similar - my sister had him on different medications for a heart murmur as well as reflux issues and would get him adjusted when he was constipated. It always worked. Even for myself, I didn't know there was such thing as going at the same time every day until I'd been going to the chiropractor regularly for sciatic trouble. After 3 months there was a complete change in my digestion and I now know what it's like to have "normal" poops, but I didn't even know there was anything wrong before!

The brain needs to be able to send the messages to the intestines, and if your son's spine is not in alignment it's like the circuits are shut off at the breaker - the messages don't get through.

If he can safely eat gummies, try fish oil gummies (cut them up if you're worried about choking). These really create a "lube" affect on the stool and help them go. I use Dolphin gummies, they taste really good.

There is no difference between milk and yogurt to me. They both have raw milk in them. My kids are intalerant to most milk protines. They can not have rew milk but can have cheese. But for your son it sounds like that needs to be cut out too. There are many substatues out there now that you can give him. There is almond, soy, or cocunut milks and yogerts even ice creams. My boys like the almond milk the best and my oldest loves cocunut yogerts. My youngest does nto like any yogert. You can probably even find non dariy cheese. It took forever to get a dr to tell us what it was that was wrong with them cause with my boys it does not constipate but is more sevire ear infections and their asthma going nuts. I would try some alternatives. I would still go to the GI dr cause there could be somethign else that is causing this.

Good luck and God Bless!

Three year old twin grandsons had this and saw a GI at a children's hospital and were checked for allergy and celiac disease, maybe spelled wrong. They got to the point of being fearful of even going as it hurt and was just a nightmare. I hate the Miralax but all kids seem to be on it there days, well, not all but a lot of them. I think something is causing this since it's so many kids. I would recommend taking away dairy but get him tested at an allergist first for food and other allergy. Get exercise daily for him. Lots of water but not too much. Also I have noticed some kids with this seem to snack or eat constantly and I don't think they get time to empty or digest the food. Maybe your child doesn't do this. Most kids now days do though. Start with allergist after the GI doctor gives you his findings. Our grandsons also are afraid to 'go' to now from all this ordeal since infants and now they are potty trained but not with bowels. I got a toy and told them it's so cool and I want to give it to them so badly and now they are going so they CAN go but just fear it more or less. I think they may be going regularly now finally....and for a toy. Is your son potty trained? You didn't mention that being an issue too.

If he has food allergies take him to a NAET specialist. Go to naet.com. This has helped a lot with people's allergies. This will stop his constipation and other symptoms. Usually naturopaths, chiropractors or other alternative health professionals do this. There is a list in naet.com as well as what it is and how it can help.

N.