My five year old (preschooler) for about a week now has been having a problem with bowel movements that I can't figure out. He goes very often, takes forever, feels like he isn't finished, and produces hardly anything, but isn't constipated.
He used to go once, maybe twice a day, and he knew he needed to go before he sat down. Now he goes almost every time he urinates (he still sits to urinate). He doesn't think he needs to have a bowel movement until after he sits down, but, sure, after he sits, he needs to poop. There is something about sitting down. So, there's that, coupled with the fact that he is having bowel movements more often each day as a result.
Each time he goes, he does produce something. Sometimes it's a significant amount, but usually it's not much. But, it's not hard little pieces like when one is constipated. It's normal and soft. Sometimes it's thin and narrow. But almost always it's a very small amount.
This is the part that prompted me to ask about it on Mamapedia. He takes forever to produce this very small amount. About 4 times a day for sometimes as long as 1/2 an hour, he'll produce a little, and then insist he's not done yet. He insists he can feel more. Just when I am about to tell him let's quit for now and try again later, he'll produce a little bit more.
Remember, these are not the hard little pieces one gets from constipation, and it's not diarrhea. He eats plenty of fruit as well as yogurt and drinks plenty of water and is not complaining of stomach pain. This has been going on about 8 days and started after recovering from being sick with a fever and runny nose. It was not a stomach illness. Any ideas?
Thank you for your advice. I should have gone with my gut, though. I just knew it wasn't constipation, but I couldn't figure out what else it could be and they couldn't get my son in to the doctor until a week later, so I was hoping someone on mamapedia could help me figure it out. Everyone was so adamant I was wrong about it not being constipation that I doubted myself and cleaned the poor guy out anyway. It turned out I was right and he really wasn't constipated. At least cleaning him out verified I was right, and it didn't traumatize him since I used an oral laxative. Turns out he has a prolapsed rectum (you can look it up if you wan to know - go ahead and imagine the worst as far creepy factor goes). It doesn't hurt and I don't think he'll need surgery. If the doctor had known that's what he had, though, they wouldn't have made the poor guy wait a week! And, in case you're wondering, I figured it out on my own when I actually witnessed it happen. And kudos to me for staying calm!
I agreee.. constipated.. give him a laxative.. miralax.. for a couple of days.. get him cleaned out...
My 5 year old nephew had the type of constipation being discussed in the posts. One day he said he felt like he was having trouble getting a deep breath. That scared my SIL and she took him to urgent care. They did x-rays and could actually see that there was a mass of stool in his body that was "stuck". He had been having BMs so my SIL had no idea he was constipated. The stool he was producing was going around the mass. Doctor advised miralax and said it could take several weeks for everything to work itself out.
Just because you are constipated doesn't mean that your poop is going to look like rabbit pellets. Believe me, I have plenty of experience with this.
It sounds to me like he's constipated, even though you want to seem to deny that up and down the board. I'm not sure why...constipation is really not that big of a deal.
Certain fruits can be constipating...too much fiber, believe it or not, can be VERY constipating because it provides too much bulk to the stool...and for some children, yogurt constipates. It's dairy.
He may be constipated to the point of being compacted, which WOULD give him the urge to go every time he sat, and also would fit the scenario of him taking forever and only producing a bit...his normal poop takes a long time to squeeze around what may be a compaction.
I do have an idea...if he won't drink a bunch of prune juice or eat a bunch of prunes, you could try Mirilax. You need to give it a few days to work.
If you want immediate result, go to any pharmacy (or Target, WalMart, wherever) and buy a bottle of Magnesium Citrate. It costs about a dollar, and he'll only need an ounce or two...beware, regardless of what flavor you buy, it is INCREDIBLY sour (like a cross between an energy drink and concentrated sweet tarts...it's disgusting.) That produces a movement in my child within the hour, regardless of how constipated she is.
If it is as Malia B says, and it probably is, mineral oil will help. It will coat the feces, and soften it so it will come out. It may take a day or two depending on how long it's been in there and how hard it is. At first, the mineral oil will coat the outside and some will slide out so don't be alarmed if you see "skid marks" in his underwear. He can't help it; when it's oily its coming out! After the feces starts to soften a bit, the mineral oil will seep into it softening it and he should be able to pass it without pain or difficulty.
Mineral oil is 100% natural so no worries there. Start with 1/8 of a cup twice a day.
He is probably still constipated even though it's not hard. It is compacting in his gut and not giving him the proper signals. Call and ask your doc what they recommend for constipation. Sometimes they get this way after decongestants or antihistamines with a cold. Get him cleaned out good and then it will probably be fine.
He actually may be constipated.... what he may be feeling is the "full" feeling of the lower colon or rectum.... However, when he does try to go, the mass of feces is too large and hard to push through.
What he is able to squeeze through is the semi-soft feces BEHIND the large mass at the end.....
I'm not really sure how it needs to be treated if that is the case..... someone else may have more suggestions.
It sounds exactly like he is constipated.
Try mirilax. If that doesn't help after 2-3 days, take him to his doctor. He may have an impaction that needs to be broken up manual in order for him to pass it.
If I were you I would have a doctor check him out.
Sounds like constipation. I'd just like to add, for the record, that just because something is 100% natural doesn't mean it's safe. Rocks are 100% natural, but you shouldn't eat them... Poison I. is 100% natural, but don't make a body lotion out of it... etc.
My daughter used to get constipated every time she had a fever in her early years. Symptoms were like you describe: a need to poop frequently, with soft stools. I learned to expect it.
Miralax will help, is not a laxative in spite of the name, and will help soften any blockage that may have built up in the large colon. It would be a good idea to check with your ped's office for dosage and other recommendations. An advice nurse may be able to help you without an appointment.
