Whats good for constipation?

[aracelibriesmom]

constipation... ewww

Ok I know constipation is common with babies/children/adults with ACC.

My little one has been constipated for 3 days (this isnt new for us as she was diagnosed with chronic constipation at 1 week of age) for the most part milk of magnesia or miralax does the trick... very few times we had to turn to enemas but those are yucky and I try to not do them unless it is really necessary.

Does anyone know of any home remedy or even over the counter that is safe to give to a 23 month old (2 year old)? If I dont find something by tomorrow I will do the enema only because its day four, but any input will still be helpful...for next time

Thanks and God Bless

[hannahsmom]

Have you tried something with probiotics in it? They are supposed to help with proper digestion and the colon. I just recently became aware of all the good things probiotics do and started my child on them yesterday. They sell drinkable yogurt with it such as Activia, which might be gentle enough for a 2 year old.

[aracelibriesmom]

I think the yogurt would be to thick to go through her feeding tube but ill look up other things that might have probiotics, thanks!

[acmunchkin]

Flax seed is really good for constipation. Ky takes flax seed oil to help him. His doctor uses natural or homeopathic when he can and that is first thing they told us over a year ago. Hope your little princess feels better soon. When Kyle is really backed up I give him a liquid glycerin suppository by Pedialax and sit him on the potty. Him sitting up and not having anything binding his little hiney helps quite a bit.

[sharonlou]

andrew also suffers with constipation,but again i thought it was just him, really didnt know that people with ACC suffer with it!
I wonder if anyone knows why?the 2 things seem to be so far apart?
thanks sharon

[acmunchkin]

I don't know what can and can't be put through the feeding tube, but we use a powder made for little kiddos called primadophilus that is probiotic. You probably have all the info you need, I just saw it in our fridge and thought about your little one.

[matthewsmom]

"Ewwwwwwww" is right!

My child, Matthew, also suffers from constipation!! He has chronic constipation, has had it since he was a baby and has gone through various
degrees of it over the years.

When he was a little baby and toddler on up through a few years old I was able to semi-control it by feeding him baby food prunes. He did not (and still does not) like water and it was difficult to get him to drink water.

When Matthew was in grade school his difficulty with constipation got to the point where I wasn't able to help him with natural remedies anymore. We even went to a reflexologist to help him get some relief. That was
expensive and while it usually did help, it was not affordable at all. From the time Matthew was first diagnosed with ACC he has been seen by a developmental team and a developmental pediatrician who assess him and perform a developmental evaluation. One of the things they always
ask me about are his bowel movements.

Finally, I gave up trying to go the natural route to alleviate constipation (because I had a child in agony with tears from the pain of constipation) and Matthew is a child who rarely ever cries so when he does cry I know
something is terribly wrong and he hurts bad. His developmental
pediatrician recommended using Miralax. He also told me that it is difficult to figure out the exact right dosage (and it most definitely is). I still use Miralax for Matthew but even with using that he doesn't have a BM every day or even every other day.

Sometimes he still goes days without a BM and sometimes he has *whispers* several very loose, icky BMs in one day. I have nearly gone mad trying to come up with what will work and how much of WHAT? will work and why he has a hard BM one day and then 2 or 3 messy BMs four days later. I have even kept a little calendar the past couple years (noting what he took and his BMs in detail) trying to make sense of it all but I have to tell you...

I throw my hands in the air and I can't figure it out!!

We have even had Matthew seen by a dietician at the developmental children's clinic where he has gone for years and we were educated by the specialists with much information about adding certain foods to the diet to help with constipation...soluable and insoluable fiber and extra water but
with Matthew's inability to eat or tolerate many table foods and his need
for pureed-like consistency with foods coupled with his mega huge dislike of water...I am hitting a brick wall everywhere I turn it feels like sometimes. I actually did make Matthew for a few weeks (after this appointment) drink, drink and DRINK a lot of water. All it did was make him have a sloshy full of water tummy that you could hear sloshing when he moved. It didn't even help the constipation.

I actually have an upcoming yearly check-up for Matthew with his pediatrician and CONSTIPATION is on my list of things to discuss with her so we can get some possible additional insight into WHAT we can use to help Matthew have an easier time doing what should come naturally but
just does NOT (and never has) for him like so many kids and adults who have ACC.

After Matthew's Doctor recommended Miralax at our developmental eval appointment, I asked Matthew's developmental pediatrician how long Matthew would need to take Miralax (cuz I didn't want him taking medicine/laxatives like that too long) the Doctor told me...probably for the rest of his life.

I thought...uhhh...HUH? (not the answer I wanted to hear)

It was explained to me (if I can remember correctly) that when kids have neurological issues it can affect their digestive tract and bowels and
cause the digestive tract to be sluggish and slow (according to the signals from the brain). Sort of like how some kids with ACC have low tone due to the messages/signals that the brain sends out.

I have to admit that when I read this:

I wonder if anyone knows why?the 2 things seem to be so
far apart?""

I took it very literally and it gave me a little chuckle. lol

Sandie *Mom to 15 year old Matthew with complete ACC*

[aracelibriesmom]

thank you to everyone who replied...
I was on my way to buy the glycerin supposetory when dad called "she pooped she pooped" hehe we get a laugh out of how happy poopy diapers make us. We had to give her milk of magnesia (over the counter) for three days before she went.

I am with Sandie on this ... "I have to admit that when I read this:

I wonder if anyone knows why?the 2 things seem to be so
far apart?""

I took it very literally and it gave me a little chuckle. lol"

I did also chuckle a little, but also i was also told that ACC and any nerological disorders may affect the intestinal tract and other midline issues ... HUGS to all

wow the things we have in common with our kiddos

[sharonlou]

glad i gave sandie and aracelibriesmom a little chuckle lol xx

[aracelibriesmom]

XX Sharonlou

[Yera]

1. Brown sugar melted with water
2. prune juice
3. OTC drugs like lactulose
4. Feed apples, bananas, prunes, plums - any fruits with high amounts of fiber.

My daughter used to go once every 10 days. We tried so many things but nothing works perfectly. Now she is older and goes every 3-4 days. She still has a hard time and sometimes cries for 2 days before doing the deed.

[aracelibriesmom]

Yera,

Thanks for sharing what works for your daughter, I will try a few of these things unfortunately I cant try the fruits my kid is gtube fed.
OUch every 10 days poor thing, how old is she now?
You should introduce yourself and your daughter on this post so we can learn about you and her:)

[cressie4]

Hi everyone..im new here and I cant believe what Ive learned already! My son Joshua has extreme constipation too. We have been to a specialist about it who prescribed miralax and also someone for his bladder as well. I have never been told by any doctor..or mabe i missed that part...that this is common with kids with ACC. It is so amazing what little many doctors know about this condition. I thought it was just about Joshua's tethered spinal cord which was repaired when he was four months old and had no idea it could be related to the messages coming from his brain. Phew! I only say this because I have struggled to get Josh's bms normal and thought I was just not getting anything right. Josh is ten and recently had a new mri and the doctor would also like to retest his bowels again. My son is really great but he really does not care about the toilet. I have no clue why. I teach him and give him prompts, opportunities, rewards, consequences..and Ive even explained a million times along with other people why it is important to use the toilet. Yet my son is not interested and sees no need to loose his pull up. I love Joshua very much and am accepting his decision and still going to keep helping with the constipation, giving him opportunities to use the toilet and praise him on the once in a while occasions that he goes in the toilet, and most importantly I will love him thru this all...and stop pulling my hair out. Its so hard! Thank you all for sharing...Cressida