My son has chronic pain & constipation at least once to 2 or 3 times a week--Any ideas on what it could be??

Question

My son will be 3 years old in Julyand he has had this problem since he was about 15 months old..He has chronic stomach pain and constipation every time he has to poop..I've called his doctor(pediatrition) numerous times and talked with both nurses and his doctor..plus I've made several appointments to see his doctor and everytime they tell me it is his diet.

last night he was in so much pain he was screaming and turning red.. i have tried mylcon drops, motrin, a&d on his butt,diet changes(integrating more fruit and less grains), and 1 tbsp of mineral oil every couple of days..nothing seems to work and these are all suggestions from my doctor

my mom has had 5 kids and she said with us she never had this problem and my son is on the same diet my siblings and I were on.(she knows all of his problems because we currently live with her so she sees it all first hand)she too thinks there is something more to his problem. Has anyone else dealt with this problem?What do you suggest?

Answer 1

As a child i had the same problem... i was a very picky eater no veggies and just some fruits. I was also scared to go to the bathroom because it hurt so much...i would hold it in for long time; some times days and that made it worse, it would hurt alot more ( i didn't know that then). make sure he is getting enough fiber try fiber supplements (gummi bears for kids) also make sure he is eating alot of fruits and drinking alot of water. Try to see what he eats maybe there is something that he eats too much of and that is what is affecting him. For me it was chocolate...my favorite. I would also suggest seeing another doctor.

Oh and it may not run in your family but it may run in his fathers side of the family... ask them?

Answer 2

My daughter had this problem although not as severe as what you are talking about. We had to go with an over the counter laxative for her. We also pushed the water intake, which was key. I don't see how mylecon drops would help, since it is for upset stomach. Motrin can actually cause constipation. I would also try giving him the mineral oil daily until he starts going more regularly. Have they suggested an enema? That's what we did with my daughter to clean her out and start over again. It was not alot of fun that day, but it sure worked and once we did that we were able to keep her diet under much better control. If he's screaming from the pain, then get him into the doctors office ASAP. That is not normal at all. Also there is that fiber stuff (I can't think of what it is called) that you can mix into anything because it disolves and it has no taste. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I absolutely agree with the others on diet. However, if you give him high fiber now, it will just add to the problem because its already not moving and fiber will not stimulate the "peristalsis" he needs to move the blockage through. In addition, the fiber will meet the blockage, not be able to pass it, and then swell when water is added. So this makes a big problem. When my kids got constipated when they were little, we fed them applesauce and nothing else until they bad a bowel movement. Applesauce has soft, fruit fiber in it, but its not too harsh for him (like fiber supplements or fiber in whole grains) - its soft enough to move through what small opening there may be, I think. If he eats anything with white flour, you might want to stop that right away because that will really add to the problem.

If your doctor is telling you that its his diet, you should listen to him. It sounds like he's really trying to help you without giving the kid drugs. When you say "more fruit and less grains," that doesn't really say anything. If he is eating junk food, that messes with digestion. Too much bread, pasta, etc. will be hard for a little one to digest. How much fruit? If he eats 3 pieces of fruit in a day, but 5 pieces of white bread, the fruit isn't going to do much good. You might want to ask your doctor or see a dietician for a better diet before it becomes a worse problem.

Also, just because you all eat the same diet doesn't mean its okay. It just means that he may eat more of this "diet" or that his insides are shaped differently or his digestion isn't as strong. In any of these situations, again, diet is the key.

Answer 4

See a gastrointerologist and request testing for celiac or a gluten intolerance. They will begin with a simple blood test. Also have him tested for lactose intolerance. The test is a simple test requiring him to drink a lactose mixture and then breathe into this little apparatus every half hour for a few hours. He probably has some food intolerance's. I wouldn't recommend just changing diet because some of the things you add could be what is bothering him. For years I had trouble with chronic constipation and I tried everything. I ate all bran cereal and added bran and whole grains into anything I could. Last year I saw a gastrointestinal doctor and found out that I am intolerant to anything with wheat gluten in it (it is in more than you ever thought possible - not just obvious things). Everything I was doing to try to help my constipation was just making it worse. I am now on a gluten free diet and doing much better. I also have a slight dairy intolerance. Don't just eliminate things or change his diet without seeing a doctor because I made my testing more difficult by changing my diet months before I got tested. Gluten intolerance's are far more common than people realize and can have many different symptoms in different people. Though many commonly experience diarrhea, my doctor told me constipation is just as common. I experienced mostly gas, bloating, constipation, and pain. Check out these links they should give you more info.
http://www.gluten.net/celiac.html
http://www.csaceliacs.org/celiac_symptoms.php
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000233.htm

Answer 5

My kids both had a similar (but not quite so extreme) problem from time to time. Diet is definitely key, so I think you are on the right track. I would have to suspect some sort of food intolerance based on the chronic stomach pain. Milk would probably be the most likely culprit. When milk is not digested it sits in the bowels and ferments, creating painful gas. Many people are lactose intolerant, especially people of Asian descent, African Americans and Native Americans (but some percentage of all peoples are affected). I would switch him to soy milk for a week or two and see if his situation improves. People will tell you lactose intolerance causes diarrhea, not constipation, but this is not always the case (see link below).

You may see dramatic results in a couple days. If not, keep him on the soy milk and also give him a banana a day--they contain a lot of pectin, a kind of fiber that will create bulk to stimulate his bowels, cut out rice as it definitely binds, and give him plenty of whole grains--no refined (white) flour products. Additionally, sugar has a mild laxative effect, so go ahead and give him juices but dilute them with water as hydration is also very important to keep his bowels moving. Lastly, make sure he gets lots of active playtime and regular and frequent feeding times (breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner) --getting his blood pumping and having lots of small meals will keep his metabolic rate up and should aid digestion. And don't forget the prunes!

Poor guy (and mommy...I know it's hard to watch his pain!). I hope he feels better soon!

Answer 6

My granddaughter has the same problem,she's 3 year old and had this problem since age 1.Her pediatrician has put her on "GLYCOLAX" its a powder you mix in juice or water.It causes the stool to collect more water and becomes loose and the child can pass it better.Talk to your Dr. about trying it.My g-daughter has been using it for about 2 years,she would be so constipated that it would make her bleed when she did use the bathroom.
Make sure your son doesn't have a bowel obstruction.He may need more test done because this could led to a more serious condition.Its not worth the gamble carry him to a good pediatrician.Any problem that's gone for as long as his has needs to be corrected.Don't let your Dr. play guessing games.If they cant tell you something in a month or two then its time to find another Dr.
Hope you work it out.

Answer 7

Well, constipation can be caused by a lot of things, and you would be best to seek a second opinion...HOWEVER. Make certain that your son is getting at LEAST 8 glasses of water a day. Soda does not count, as it depletes necessary nutrients in his body. Be careful about the amount of high fiber foods you serve him. I would suggest that you start a "Food Diary" so you can note which foods are "triggers". You can either avoid those problematic meals, or at least you would have some more information to offer your doctor. (Every bit helps!) Some fruits, while excellent sources of vitamins, can also be high in fiber, so you can look them up on-line. My suggestion? Avoid processed foods (if the ingredients list is long, with unpronounceable ingredient names, its likely processed), sugary foods, foods high in sodium, have him drink nothing but water for a while (or all together-everything else, generally speaking-is full of things his little body, or any ones, can't digest). Poor little guy has a sensitive system! Hope this helps....

Answer 8

Best Constipation Cures

Answer 9

I think you should incorporate brown rice and Bran cereals. The best fruit for this is prunes, raisins, watermelon and any other type of melon. I recommend you sprinkle some Benefiber supplement on his food. It has no taste and it's going to help increase the fiber content of his food. Make sure he is drinking purified water mixed with mineral water 50/50. This is going to help hydrate his body better than just plain water.

Oftentimes dehydration is occurring even though the child is consuming liquids, and this can lead to constipation. Not every liquid is absorbed as well as mineral water. Drinking mineral water straight taste terrible that's why I say mix it with purified water.

if you have any further questions please let me know,
Billie77

Answer 10

This is horrible. Our daughter was immune compromised and when diagnosed as a baby they did a lower GI test with the barium. After that she was totally constipated for awhile.
I bought liquid stool softner - in the children's section [at the drug store] and added it to juice. Or a dash of prune juice in regular juice may help.
Offer grapes, raisins, lots of apples -
I'd call and ask for tests during his next well exam or if you can't wait that long call and complain. If you don't like the response see a new MD.
Try your best with natural laxatives even a small dose of adult metamucil may help.