UGH I'm so frustrated. Zac has been on the enulose for a few weeks, I think two. He started having those crazy blowout diapers. Now, all of a sudden it's back to constipation just as fast as it was fixed! He's grunting, holding back, straining, and getting out little dark balls again!!! UGH UGH UGH...no clue why this is happening. I have given him to max dose for the past two or three days also. I'm so frustrated! <sigh>

UGH I'm so frustrated. Zac has been on the enulose for a few weeks, I think two. He started having those crazy blowout diapers. Now, all of a sudden it's back to constipation just as fast as it was fixed! He's grunting, holding back, straining, and getting out little dark balls again!!! UGH UGH UGH...no clue why this is happening. I have given him to max dose for the past two or three days also. I'm so frustrated! <sigh>

Oh sh*t! (Sorry, I just had to..:oops: ..it's not funny, really. I just feel your pain. I feel like we're Poop Sisters or something.)

Emma's Milk of Magnesia isn't workly too well either. :( She was doing great, and then she started having those little hard plugs for 3 days. I called on Friday and they upped her dosage and now she's having liquid...I mean LIQUID poops. Her clothes were soaked today with poop each time, (3 times)...went right up the back. :shock: She even got the carpet. I thought she had just tooted and then I saw some green next to her on the carpet. Ick! :tongue6:

GrOss! We WERE having messes like that, then all of a sudden...nothing again. :?

:(

Sara and Amanada -

Sorry that your remidies are not helping anymore! I hope Zac and Emma aren't too upset about their little problem.

I think these two were meant to be together :)

Sorry Sandy, but it appears that these two have a lot in common :)

We also have problems with the enulose. D goes back and forth between runny poop and constipation even though I give him the exact same amount and he "eats" the exact same thing every day.

I think these two were meant to be together :)

Sorry Sandy, but it appears that these two have a lot in common :)

:lol:

Well, lactulose is not working for Curran, either. I am going to increase again this weekend. Maybe I would have more luck giving him a great big squeeze? :roll:

The GI said that lactulose is to change the ph of the intestines. While I will admit it is nicer than cleaning up mineral oil leakage all the time, I just wished that the vat of lactulose which sits in my cupboard would work better by this point.

It is not very encouraging to hear of Zac and Emma's problems with this. :cry: Poor wee ones. I hope that it is a glitch for them and that they will both get back on track.

By the way, I am so desperate that I am arranging to see a naturalpath for Curran. A friend who had over 7 years of these poop issues (yeah, you saw 7 years :shock: ) went to one and is having great success. I called and am waiting to hear back from them regarding some questions I want answered first. Then I may take him if it does not sound too hokey.

Oh Sara and Amanda... I am so sorry for your little ones... it is sooo not fair. So what is the next step if the enulose and milk of magnese doesn't work?? Man... I think these kids need a break. (((HUGS))) to you all.

Leigh... what does the nauturapath do to help?

We also have problems with the enulose. D goes back and forth between runny poop and constipation even though I give him the exact same amount and he "eats" the exact same thing every day.
Exactly, becky.
I'm not too sure what the next step is, I should have asked (like leigh suggested) but when I go to these doctors I just go blank and then DH asks "what about this or that" and I say "well that's why you should have went to find out for yourself cause I don't know!"

And Amanda, i was thinking...isn't it the daughter's side that traditionally pays for the wedding? :wink:

Bethany is only on Prevacid (along with M.O.M and Miralax) and has similar poops to Zac's--several looooong days of her screaming, grunting and only getting out tiny, hard balls (this is after I give a suppository or enema--won't poop on her own), then a day or two of really, really watery stools...then back to constipation again.

I think hers is more due to food allergy and the fact that she severely limits her intake (less than 1oz. of baby food/solids per day). Could Zac & Emma's issues stem from other things like this, in addition to the meds? ( :oops: Forgive me if this sounds elementary--I'm still new at this!)

And Amanda, i was thinking...isn't it the daughter's side that traditionally pays for the wedding? :wink:

Yes....but he'd be worth it. :wink:

So what is the next step if the enulose and milk of magnese doesn't work???

Our Ped GI said that the key is finding the right dose....

1/2 tsp 1 x day = constipated
1/2 tsp 2 x day = firm stools
1 tsp 2 x day = liquid stools

We're now trying 3/4 tsp 1 x a day. We'll see! :roll:

I think hers is more due to food allergy and the fact that she severely limits her intake (less than 1oz. of baby food/solids per day). Could Zac & Emma's issues stem from other things like this, in addition to the meds? ( :oops: Forgive me if this sounds elementary--I'm still new at this!)

I'm not sure. :?: Emma is off babyfood now, as well. She will only eat some "finger food". If a spoon comes anywhere near her face she turns her head and clamps her mouth shut. :(

aww Amanda how sweet!! (that comment about Zac being worth it!) :oops: Okay, so we'll pay for their honeymoon...to the ice cream shop! LOL

Zac is taking 3 TSP of enulose once a day! :shock:
The GI said to play between 1 and 3 tsp. We started w/ close to 2 and have teetered beetween 2 and 3. He's been on the max three for a few days. I finally gave in and gave him a glycerine suppository this morning, poor guy. When the poop starts coming out he jumps. Poor, poor baby.

Anyhow as for food allergy...i never really thought a food allergy could cause constipation..can it really? Also, as far as intake of fluid...the ped. said she thinks he has intestines like a camel fully prepared to live in the dessert as he drinks SOOOOO MUCH water and it just absorbs and absorbs. He drinks about 10-12 oz. of fluid (other than milk) a day!:shock: I've also heard that the fluid intake does not make a diff. w/consitpation...so much out there, what to believe, you know?

I have read so much about the fluid not making a difference for constipation either and I believe it. The water is so rapidly absorbed by they body that it is a minimal amount that actually passes through the intestines anyway. Been my experience thus far.

How cute! Zac and Emma are an item? :D Is there not supposed to be a courtship of sorts? Sharing of drooling bibs or something? Awww....

Sarah, the naturalpath I still have to call back. It has been a hectic week. I know that he does IgG testing for food sensitivities and uses natural medicines to help heal the body. I know some of the things he reccommends and have used them in the past, funnily enough. Maybe I will have a chance to set up a meeting next week.

Well I really hope that the naturopath has something up his/her sleeve to help you Leigh!
And Amanda.... there is still room for movement (no pun intended) with the doseage. I really hope it all works out okay. These porr kids have enough to contend with.... :(

Well, the ped said that as Zac grows, his intestines will grow and he probably needs his dosage upped to 1/2 tsp more! :shock: I'm already giving 3...he also seems to be having some cramping/stomache issues. I'm not too sure what to make of it. I thought he was having reflux issues as his dose of med is cut for that, but the more i'm observing him, he seems to be passing gas and straining in the tummy...so hard to make out wether its reflux or cramping/constipation pains. Constipation can hurt...so i'm thinking now that it may be that I just don't know!! He got out 4 teenie tiny pellets today and i'm so frustrated. :(

Poor Zac. :cry: Pellets are not great. Applesauce, remember? Show him what he has to work for! :wink: It is so tough to have to increase something you know will cause cramping. I just wanted to crawl under a rock when we were up to 8 tablespoons of mineral oil a day for 8 days with Curran. That was not cool, and all he did was leak oil. :?

With having Curran and this problem for years I do hope that the wee ones get relief and cured of it before too long. I am so serious about contacting that naturalpath again. Another "to do" list thing.

yes, leigh, I'm so confused w/this stomache issue... he seems to be in some sort of discomfort! WHen he's lieing on his back, its as if he's trying to do a backbend...pushing his butt andstomache off the bed...<sigh> I just dont know what to make of it. As he's nursing hes' acting as if he's cramping or "something". He was gassy this morning and i KNOW he's all backed up of course.

Sara have you tried just going back to the mineral oil? Didnt that seem to work for you before? I know they said for you to switch, but if the oil was working I would try it again for awhile.

Amy,

I've SO contemplated it!! I really think he was so much better on that! it worked fine, just greasy butt cheeks lol...but other than that maybe some mild cramping, not sure. At least it worked! :(

Then I would switch back. I know a lot of kids that were on mineral oil for months at a time with no problems or side effects. It cant be any worse than giving him the other stuff....prob a little more natural actually.

yes, leigh, I'm so confused w/this stomache issue... he seems to be in some sort of discomfort! WHen he's lieing on his back, its as if he's trying to do a backbend...pushing his butt andstomache off the bed...<sigh> I just dont know what to make of it. As he's nursing hes' acting as if he's cramping or "something". He was gassy this morning and i KNOW he's all backed up of course.

Sounds like backarching to me, Sara. He is likely very uncomfortable from it all and is refluxing, too. Remember, the more blocked up they are the worse the reflux is. :cry:

I know that GIs will change to lactulose (enulose) to change the ph of the intestines and hopefully move things along that way. The mineral oil is not supposed to cause leakage if you have the dose correct for him. The aim is a nice BM regularly. When do you see your GI again? If he is really suffering with this, I would call and see if they want you to switch back again.

Poor Zac.

It does sound like backarching, Sara. Could it be from only being on the half Solutab? Maybe he has been feeling the burn more? :(

Actually, I think Amanda is on to something. Even if he is back to his full dose of solutab, it may take a few more days to kick in again. Hmmm.

Good catch, Amanda! :wink:

Good catch, Amanda! :wink:

Thanks, Moderator! :wink:

It does sound like backarching, Sara. Could it be from only being on the half Solutab? Maybe he has been feeling the burn more? :(
Yes Amanda, I think I mentioned this under the solutab update. He's been on half his dose for a few weeks. I started the full two doses again two days ago, i think or maybe yesterday. It DOES sound like backarching, waht's confusing me is the farts that are coming along w/it. Maybe he's got two diff. issues going on. And the BIG issue of this morning is now Zac has a fever! :( I'm not sure what to make of this.

Good catch, Amanda! :wink:

Thanks, Moderator! :wink:

:lol: How I miss "GERD GERU". Sigh.

Sara, he may have something else going on, too. Reflux gets worse with illness and constipation as well, so you could very well have a combination of things going on. Sometimes one thing is not it. If we look at it, he has been on a half dose of solutab and appears to be backarching now. He is severely constipated (causes bad reflux) and he is now running a fever (whatever it may be could also make reflux worse). Just treat each thing separately for now and see how the fever develops and if something rears its ugly head.

The farts are incredible from these critters. Iain just passed one that would make house plants gag and in his diaper I found his nice clay pellets. So much smell for wee pellets. Usually, it is my Curran that clears the house.

Anyway, keep an eye on Zac (I know that is a given :wink: ) and let us know what is going on. I hope it is teething.

I just spoke w/ ped re: fever and constipation. I updated her comment on the fever in the questions forum...
She said to go ahead and give him one teaspoon of mineral oil w/his food again WITH the enulose. I told her that each time I see him attempting to hold back I rush him into the nursery to hold his legs back and help spread his cheeks. In doing so, he's getting out bits at a time and I can literally SEE the rest of it half our and he sucks it back in!!!! It's soooo frustrating! She said it usually takes a good month on the enulose for them to get it all out and their intestines to shrink back down to normal size and the muscles stronger to help get the poop out. (She said that when constipated the intestines have to enlarge to hold so much). So we just gave 1 tsp of the mineral oil.

Leigh,
I agree that he's got several issues possibly going on. I'm going to treat each separately for now and hope for the best. :?

Not to be discouraging in any way, but Curran's GI says minimum of 6 months to a year for Curran's to shrink once we get it under control. Could be just because he has had this problem for so long and he is older. (I hope)

Looking forward to hearing how he is doing. I still have to look at the update you posted from the ped.

Not to be discouraging in any way, but Curran's GI says minimum of 6 months to a year for Curran's to shrink once we get it under control. Could be just because he has had this problem for so long and he is older. (I hope).

I hope so, too! :?

Poor Zac (((HUGS)))
I was going to suggest about the mineral oil as well, given it worked for him before. I'm glad to see that you're back on it again. How has he been today?? Anymore poop??

Oh Sarah, how has he been today??? Awful but not poop related :(

He has gotten a fairly decent amount out today w/mommy's help and no suppository! Still dark and firm which means he's still got some stuff up there...we're working on it. :?

Not to be discouraging in any way, but Curran's GI says minimum of 6 months to a year for Curran's to shrink once we get it under control.

Not to add more discouragement, but our GI said that it takes 1-2 times as long for it to go back to normal, (pending that no constipation issues arise during the "healing" time).

Emma has had constipation issues after I stopped breastfeeding. :(

That means she has had issues with pooping for, let's just say 8 months. It will take 8-16 months for her to not fear pooping, and her intestines to shrink..if she stays constipation free.

:shock:

Nice. Curran has had this for two years now....Great. He should be cleaned out and normal by, um, university?

I have no doubt that he will take a long time to shrink back to normal. My main problem is that I think the GI is moving too slowly with Curran. We were on mineral oil for nearly 11 months and this lactulose is not great.

Sigh. Looks like we are in for the long haul with poop as well as GERD, ladies.

On the bright side, I can not think of better people to hang around with! :D

Sorry, Leigh. :( Our GI could be wrong...though. :dontknow:

On the bright side, I can not think of better people to hang around with! :D

Ditto! :D

Zac is STILL BFing, I can only imagine how much worse off he'd be if he were on formula! My mom just told me last night (not sure if this has any consolation) that bowel issues run in my family. ??? She said that my uncle had part of his intestines removed when he was a baby! :shock: Also, apparently my father has been constipated his whole life?! Had no clue...not sure if this is genetic...but would make sense.

Nice to know now, right? :? Sometimes it is beneficial to know what seems to run in the family so that you can arm yourself with information. It also helps the ped or GI to know what is in the family so that they can look outside of the normal realm.

Why did your uncle have part of his intestines removed as a baby?

Why did your uncle have part of his intestines removed as a baby?
Good question! You'd think I'd haev listened to that part! :? I have to ask again. :oops:

Why did your uncle have part of his intestines removed as a baby?
Good question! You'd think I'd haev listened to that part! :? I have to ask again. :oops:

Do not worry about it, Sara. It is overwhelming enough to have a GERDling and then factoring in constipation and then a mystery illness is enough to do us in. I miss stuff in the family all the time as it is a BIG family.

How is his fever now?

big family? i hear ya there! i've got 2 sisters and one brother, one nephew...3 aunts, 4 uncles, 18 cousins, 4 second cousins on my moms side...7 aunts on dad's side...20something cousins, second and third cousins i barely know...i cant keep up!
zac's fever is down but now he is out of sorts...upset, not smiling, crabby...he's in my arms now so typung w/one hand!

Any ideas on food that can help aid constipation????
I feel bad because he is probably SO SICK of prunes and pears! He's awfully gassy and uncomfortable with that as well so I don't want to try broccoli. Any suggestions as far as veggies or another fruit? Ped said papaya helps but the papaya here has lime juice concentrate in it and I'm weary of that for the reflux! <BIG SIGH>

Peas are supposed to be a laxative vegie. Emma has peas for lunch or dinner each day.

But, she gets constipated all the time.

So, I don't know if I would listen to me. :geek:

Awww poor Zac... :( He's not having a good time of it lately. Poor thing.
Hey Amanda.... the boys eat peas but they pretty much come out as they went in :shock: :shock:

the boys eat peas but they pretty much come out as they went in :shock: :shock:
huh...imagine that! :?

Carrots are a no-no according to our GI as they have too much sugar in them. In fact, we are to avoid sugar as much as possible and we did in the begining until Curran started passing out from lack of it in his diet. I seem to have misplaced the list of foods we are allowed and not allowed, but I see Mr. Mineral Oil again in early December anyway and can ask for the list then.

From what I do remember, avoid the following:

Sugar
Milk (no more than 2 cups of it or in combination with things such as youghurt, etc.)
White rice
Pasta
carrots
all fruit juices
bananas
white flour
cheeses
most cereals
basically, anything "white"

Things to eat:

couscous
brown rice
brown pastas
natural fruit
all green veggies
popcorn
as much meat as he wants
all nuts
brown breads, multigrain
bran
flax
water as much as he wants

Really, I can not remember all of it, as we have gone away from a lot of it over time since it did help a bit in the begining, but after 8 months of sticking to it we found it did not help him anyway. So, when I told the GI that he said to pick and chose and the point was just to improve diet anyway.

Most green and leafy veggies are best. However, I do know that most of this list is ridiculous for someone as young as Zac is.

As I said, we followed this for the whole family and DH was never so regular in his life! :lol: It is horrible for the most part and very hard to avoid everything. Also, it is impossible to get small children (or for that matter, older ones) to adhere to it as well. Many nights we stared down at brown pasta and brown whatever and everyone picked at their food. Now, we are used to the brown pastas as we have found some that are actually quite good. After searching forever to find good brown rice we have given up on that and stick to wild rice now if needed.

One thing I do have to laugh about is that when Curran started all his chernobyl diapers, we were instructed to feed him lots of bananas and white rice to bind him. That was the first thing the GI told us to lose. :roll:

Papaya is good stuff, too. Can you buy a fresh one and puree it yourself? I have no clue really.

Sorry, I am not able to help much. :cry:

thanks leigh, zac is helping me type here so bear w/me...
odd about the sugar as i was instructed int he past to put karo syrup in the water so the sugar would concentrate in his bowels...in the past i noticed carrots to help...not anymopre....

i g7ive him oatmeal and barley ceareal thinking that helps...it doseyn't? so what am i tog ive the poor guy for breakfast?!~ I give grits which is ground corn...dont want to give thate very day! Hmmm
sorry about the typos (more than usual!) cause zac is typign also

I think i'm the "typo" queene anyhow~ m :roll:

/OH yes....zac has food rolling out his mouth like a waterfall today...more thjan usual...could this be because he's all backed up w/poo?

That's exactly how Emma is when she's backed up. It just runs out. :(

<deep breath> well we just decided to go with the suppository...the poor baby has such a PETRIFIED look when the poop starts coming out. I feel so bad for him as he's scared to death to poop! I was nervouse at first because he was only getting out about two pellets which is not normal for the suppository experiences we've had in the past. FINALLY he got out some mushier stuff with a terrified look and hoping the rest to come is easier for him. :?

Oh, poor wee Zac. Not surprised he looks terrified.. I would be too, if someone was shoving stuff up my tosh. :(
Hahaha.. did you know corn comes out like it went in too.. it's disgusting and has put me off corn for life!!!! :shock: :o I am really surprised about the carrots thing.. the boys always have carrot in their dinner. Maybe I need to stop it???
What does Zac eat in the way of solids Sara???

Sarah,
Your dialect is a bit diff. from us Americans...I'm assuming you mean what types of Solids does Zac eat?? Or what does he eat besides solids??? :oops:
Well, typically he eats oatmeal or barley or grits for breakfast with some fruit (pears, prunes, or peaches, occassional apricots...nothing else)
Veggies (carrots, peas, squash, potatoes, corn, mixed veggies) with chicken, beef, or turkey for lunch and dinner.
He snacks on grapes sometimes and gerber puffs. (Probably not ideal for constipation but he enjoys them so i give a few and wasn't diff. before he had not had them he was still constipated)
Zac's never been able to try bananas or apples and has not had rice since he was 4 months old.
Other than 3 oz. of water w/1 oz. of pear juice once a day he drinks water and breast milk.

I would not stop carrots, Sarah (not to be confused with Sara :? ) unless there is poop issues. Although there is fibre in carrots, there is a lot of sugar and that is why you are supposed to stop feeding them if constipation is involved, according to my GI.

Sara, it makes sense that sugar is not making a difference for Zac and mineral oil is. When we moved over to lactulose, our GI said it was to change the ph of the intestines. I do not fully know what this means yet as I have been a bit busy lately and unable to research it all. By the way, the sugars in lactulose, enulose, etc. is not the same as regular sugar as it is not digested anywhere except in the intestines. I believe it is the same with karo, but I do not know for sure. I think the goal is to change the ph of the gut and allow more beneficial flora to flourish and I know this takes time.

When they are backed up there is not any room for food at all. Curran would eat a tablespoon of food a day and often even vomit that up. :cry: He was living on fluids really. Once we started with the diet and then mineral oil he started to eat again. Some days are just a light snack really, but it is also toddler appropriate at times. I just watch him to determine if it is poop or reflux related as I know now.

Is your ped following your poop issues or is it just your GI? I would imagine that he would be the best source of information for feeding Zac as he may be trying to change that intestinal ph. I would give him whatever he will eat when he is sick, though. The main thing is that the enulose has to kick in, regardless of what he is eating. He needs to be cleaned out and maybe that will take a few days of enemas. That I do not wish on anyone as I can not bring myself to do the full 4 days in a row on Curran. More than likely if I do it I will find out the GI is right and clean him right out. I just hate putting him through so much pain and yet he is in so much pain. Gosh, I am not able to help you as I am a basketcase over this myself. :roll:

Well he managed a pretty decent poopy diaper without assistance before bed! Hurray! It actually had some mineral oil in it, which is a good sign I think that he's clearing out since I just started the mineral oil yesterday. My ped is following up w/the poop issues the GI was kindof in and out pretty quick on our visit "here's what we're gonna do see you in a month" kind of thing (dont forget the rectal exam! :shock: ) It was pretty quick which I guess is not a good thing. I'm taking him to ped tomorrow eventhough the fever has not returned this afternoon...we'll discuss this further.
Thanks for the info, leigh!

Looking forward to the update. :D

May the little man have a good nights sleep (and Mommy, too!)

Well I posted this under ped update also but want to post here as well...

Do you think I should not give him enulose today and just mineral oil to hope the gassiness subsides some? Only issue is that he did NOT poop yesterday other than one small ball. I dont get how he can go from huge messy diapers on the enulose to constipation again in one day. It worries me. Ped says as he grows he will need to up the dosage but he'd only been on enulose for a couple weeks and then w/in a day he went from one extreme to the other. I don't think he could have grown that much in such a short period of time...as a matter of fact, he didn't!

He's also been 19 lbs for 2 1/2 months now. Ped says it's normal...I guess she's always been right in the past. :?

Amanda,
Didn't Emma have huge stomache issues w/the enulose?

He's also been 19 lbs for 2 1/2 months now. Ped says it's normal...I guess she's always been right in the past. :?

Amanda,
Didn't Emma have huge stomache issues w/the enulose?

I thought Zac was like 22 pounds! :shock:

Yes.. :( ..she was very gassy and crampy. The GI took her off of it, and put her on Milk of Magnsesia...he said it doesn't cause cramping b/c it's stimulant-free.

It's not working 100%, but it doesn't bother her tummy. :D

Well, Zac certainly seems to have a very healthy and varied diet. I wish my boys would drink water.. they will take 1-2 mouthfuls after each meal and that is it! **sigh**
The poor guy.... I really hope he has pooped today??????

No poop again yet today Sarah. <SIGH> We're farting though so that's a good sign.
LOVE YOUR NEW SIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think it should be mandatory that we all have sigs w/ourselves in it!!!
I guess that goes for me, too! LoL

WELL<Deep sigh> we managed to get a golfball sized poop out of him and w/that some gas so I'm hoping he's on his way to emptying. Poor guy had a terrible time but it was unassisted other than me hodling him upright in my lap. That's a good sign.