Becky in NM
02-19-2007, 10:36 PM
Dr. Olson --
My son, 3 1/4, has had "constipation" issues since he got his G tube and started on Nutren Jr with Fiber at around 20 months. I call it "constipation" because, with the help of Miralax, his BM is a good consistency, but he still has a very difficult time going. He's been wearing underwear since last August, but he still needs a diaper to poop, and he always denies that he even needs to go. He has held it in for more than a day (I see him breathing funny and unable to stand up straight) before I finally gave him a suppository or convinced him to do it on his own.
He went tonight (Monday the 19th) on his own, Friday the 16th on his own, Monday the 12th after I gave him a suppository, and Wednesday the 7th after a suppository, so sometimes he waits up to five days and still won't go without my "help." And his BM is always about the size of a softball.
I've been told this is a behaviorial problem. Is there anything else we might possibly be overlooking? And if it's truly a behavior, am I just making things worse by using suppositories so often? How long can I wait before resorting to a suppository? Generally, I wait til I see him trying (or trying not) to go, give him a few hours to do the deed himself, and then step in to assist. But when he's still holding back at the five-day mark, I start to really worry that he might be doing other damage.
Sorry this is so long. I could write a novel about our BM sagas, so please let me know if you need any more details.
Thanks for your time and insight.
My son, 3 1/4, has had "constipation" issues since he got his G tube and started on Nutren Jr with Fiber at around 20 months. I call it "constipation" because, with the help of Miralax, his BM is a good consistency, but he still has a very difficult time going. He's been wearing underwear since last August, but he still needs a diaper to poop, and he always denies that he even needs to go. He has held it in for more than a day (I see him breathing funny and unable to stand up straight) before I finally gave him a suppository or convinced him to do it on his own.
He went tonight (Monday the 19th) on his own, Friday the 16th on his own, Monday the 12th after I gave him a suppository, and Wednesday the 7th after a suppository, so sometimes he waits up to five days and still won't go without my "help." And his BM is always about the size of a softball.
I've been told this is a behaviorial problem. Is there anything else we might possibly be overlooking? And if it's truly a behavior, am I just making things worse by using suppositories so often? How long can I wait before resorting to a suppository? Generally, I wait til I see him trying (or trying not) to go, give him a few hours to do the deed himself, and then step in to assist. But when he's still holding back at the five-day mark, I start to really worry that he might be doing other damage.
Sorry this is so long. I could write a novel about our BM sagas, so please let me know if you need any more details.
Thanks for your time and insight.