4 year old can't potty.?

Question

Hi
we have spent 2 years going to doctors and seeing a GI
specialist.
They refuse to test her for anything, saying it is too
upsetting for her.
Pediatrician gives merilax wich makes it runny but she still
wont go unless we give a suppository or make her push.
she cries for about 1 hour on the potty.
Still only goes about weekly.
Doctors are not helping saying it is stool holding.
I can not believe this because we see her push with nothing coming out.
when she doesnt go for a while she sometimes throws up.
We have asked about stenosis,gluten and thryroid
and begged for tests everywhere.
Why is no one concerned about my child?
Please I dont need to be told to go to a doctor again.
Does, anyone know what these symptoms could be.

I really appreciate all the answers,but I
Just wanted to add one thing.
Her bowel movements are soft to runny with miralax, and she still sits for an hour
crying. The doctor does not believe this
she said if it is runny she will go.
Nope, she goes very little when it is runny and it is ribbon like.
I dont think constipation is runny.
Oh also she eats alot of whole grains
rice ,fruits and green vegetables.
Actually she loves fiber foods.
So the eating is not a problem.
suppositories do work very fast on her
though. The doctor does not recommend these but we really have
no choice sometimes.
We have also tried potty training books
(happy ones)
potty elmo and singing songs to her.
We also try and talk positive to her
about this in case she has any type
of worries.

Answer 1

I can imagine your child probably is like me when I was little. I was horribly constipated and could never poop and my mom used to always give me this mini enema with a red syringe which held about 1/2 cup of water. I am 43 yrs old and still remember crying my head off clogged full of poop.
I would suggest you start feeding your little one some prunes every day. Sunkist sells them in the individual pak like chewing gum. They really taste good like candy.
Also start giving her castor oil at least a tablespoon every day. Give her the castor oil in 1/4 cup of orange juice if need be.
Make her eat a well balanced diet with whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables.
Limit the bread in her diet because that is what clogs little kids. Instead feed her oatmeal and rice cereal and raisin bran.
Some kids have problems with retention. They hold the stool until the water from the stool re absorbs in the distal colon and then they cannot poop because its too dry. My nephew did it and it became a horrrible struggle between him and his mom. He finally grew out of it.
Get her into a routine, and see if you can get her to potty every other day at the same time.
Some kids hold it in because they dont want to poop and its a Freudian thing. Hard for some people to understand.
These things too shall pass. Hopefully before kindergarten.
Good luck.
I also think I would quit paying so much attention to her pooping. Sorry to say it, but I think constantly focusing on her pooping habits will make it much worse.
I feel so sorry for you. I know your going thru a lot, but be assured it will pass. My nephew did the same things your discussing here. I wish I could have put it on tape. It was pathetic. I havent forgotten it and he is 24 yrs old now.

Answer 2

My daughter went thru the same thing. It sounds like she has been traumatized during her potty training. Like maybe it hurt once when she was going or did something stressful happen in her life during potty training. Maybe a move or a new sibling? I would suggest going back to the basics if you can. Start with pull ups again and take it real slow. I would never leave her on the potty crying for an hour though. If she didn't go, be very easy-like and let her get up. Try again later. I hope this helps.

Answer 3

First of all, no child should be on the potty for an hour. See that she eats sufficient amounts of vegetables and fruit and ease up on her. Let her find her own pace to the potty. If things don't change within four to six weeks, find a good pediatrician who knows what they're doing. If she had normal bowel movements as a baby, then it's likely she'll have them when she doesn't feel so pressured about this.

Answer 4

That is such a shame that the docs are so heartless!
Well I can only help in one area, Celiac Disease, thus gluten intolerance.

There is one solution to testing for that to avoid docs, u can have her tested genetically. Many Celiacs swear by Enterolab (www.enterolab.com). It can be costly but is supposedly fairly accurate. The test will tell u if she carries the genes for Celiac. If she does, you would assume she will haev Celaic triggered one day and then both you andyoru spouse need to be tested fro Celiac, as well as any siblings she may have as it is genetic.

You could also start the gluten free diet on your own but remember if u did choose to push testing (other than genetic) the glutenf ree diet would mess up the results.

Feel free to email me for more help!

Answer 5

I doubt anyone here can give you a real answer to that. I'm really sorry about your child; that's a really crappy ordeal to go through as a parent

I say go to a better doctor. Those doctors are obviously not trying to help you or your child, and the best thing you can do is to just go to another doctor. I know it says you don't want to go to a doctor again, but a doctor that cares about their patients and is very experienced will make your visit worthwhile. It just takes a bit of researching.

Answer 6

Don't give her castor oil - it can cause horrible stomach pain (not to mention explosive diarrhea).

You need to see another doctor - probably a gastroenterologist. There may be something mechanically wrong with the colon or rectum - or it may be psychological, is there any reason why she might withold on purpose?