TMI Poop Question About My 7 Yr Olds Poop UPDATED with More Details

I haven't read the answers, but I have heard that if poop comes out in small pieces, you need to drink more water...Maybe get him a water bottle and have him drink sips from it all day long?

Hello,

I know how hard this can be, my daughter has suffered from constipation for years. We have tried many of the suggestions below, but in addition, you could do prune juice. There is a brand called Smart Balance I believe that has added fiber and other juices that makes it taste much better. Also, make sure he is drinking plenty of water. The pro-biotics have worked wonders for my daughter, along with the magnesium. It only takes about 1/4 of a tsp daily for her and she does pretty well. I would try the activia, it does have the money back guarantee, so if it doesn't work your out nothing. Good luck to you!

I second all the others that say food allergies---that's been my experience!
We treated both our boys naturally instead of going a western medical route. Let me know if that is something you are interested in and I can walk you through what to do.
J.

Do NOT give him Mirilax.

Constipation occurs when the body gets dehydrated. The body will immediately put things in motion to make sure that the brain does not dehydrate but keeps a constant water level. So the body shuts down water paths to the skin, lungs, nerves and colon so it can re-route what little water it has to the vital life saving organs(brain, heart). Mirilax works by pulling that re-routed water out of those vital organs and back into the colon. Those vital organs should NOT be in a dehydrated state. Permanent damage can result.

I recently prooved to the mother of an autistic son who has been seriously impacted for 10 years (while on prescribed Dulcolax), that Magensium citrate can get the colon working normally in 2-24 hours. This child had a BM once every 11 days even on Dulcolax. His final stool plugged the toilet and he would try to go several times a day but couldnt.. Now he is going daily. What did we do? Added more water and magensium, removed gluten and casien. (removed gluten and casien to take care of autism/fungal issues).

I have heard doctors say that diahrrea is an extreme form of constipation.

DOUBLE FIBER bread- no wonder there is a problem. It is like trying to push a tree branch through a garden hose. You are going to need an aweful lot of water to process all that bulk. The rule of thumb is 8 ounces for every 20-25 pounds with a normal diet. High fiber diets would need more. All non- water drinks cancel out a water drink- so it must be replaced with an even amt of water.

Dear Mom of Three B

This is a common condition caused by an imbalance of intestinal flora. Commonly caused by antibiotics, excessive sugar intake, diets high in daily or not enough dietary fiber.

It usually can be resolved by simply adding dietary fiber to their diet and a probiotic. After 2 weeks or less you will see improvement.

You can research a probiotic that we use call Biodolphilus powder at http://www.ndinutraceuticals.com/product416.html

Good Luck

S. Litvak, DI Hom

Hard pebbly poops meant constipation at our house - with my child that was also a sign of gluten intolerance.

We have had success with digestive enzymes and magnesium (after consultation with a nutritionist, mainstream ped and integrative doc). We also removed gluten from our diet.

I am not a doctor or health care professional - this is just what worked for us.

Good luck.

UPDATED - oops - thought you meant "pebbly"! I might still consider digestive enzymes, possible food intolerances, and probiotics as other moms mentioned.

Yes, this sounds like constipation. You can still have a BM when you are constipated. Sometimes it can be like diarrhea or like you described as small worm like. It just means that what is coming out is what is getting around the blockage, explaining the wormlike poo. Does he eat alot of fruit? He would need something to get things moving better. If all else fails talk to your doctor and maybe miralax (sp) it works wonders on children. This route still can take up to two weeks for total clearing. I hope this helps and he feels better soon. I imagine its uncomfortable to sit on the toilet that long.

My youngest daughter is like your son, lots of bunny-pellets. She needs more fluids since she forgets to drink. She does not like many fruits and veggies and the starch/protein diet simply does not have enough fiber. You can add Benefiber to his diet, or we have also used a level teaspoon of Miralax in any kind of drink in the AM for years at a time - prescribed by the pediatrician. Miralax says to use a capful, but that was WAY too much. We used to get it on prescription and now it is over the counter. However, the added fiber should help, Benefiber or its CVS equivalent comes in tablets and powder you can add to drinks. If bowel movements are stuck, our pediatrician recommended drinking 8 oz. of pear or apple juice as hot as she can take it. That tends to help things along about an hour later. I could only find pear juice in the Gerber baby section.
But everyone is different, some have BM's daily or twice daily, some only once every other day or even 2nd day. As long as he is comfortable and not withholding for fear of pain, then he should be fine.

You may want to try adding Miralax to one of his drinks once a day. Ask your doctor for dosing information. Miralax binds water to stools to help move it along and make them fuller. I have had three different doctors suggest this for my daughter's constipation - sometimes diet alone just doesn't provide everything the body needs to pass productive stools. It is non-habit forming and safe, but definitely talk with your doctor before starting. It is bought over the counter.

Hi! I am not a doctor, nor do I know if this is a solution, but have you had him checked for IBS, dairy allergy or even a gluten allergy? It is obviously digestive problems and those are possible causes. Good luck!

I have two kids with food allergies so I am CONSTANTLY checking their B.M's for blood or strange colors etc. I often see squiggly almost fuzzy poop that floats (we call it kitty poo at our house) when they eat something they are not supposed to. When they do eat something they know not to, they both spend a LONG time in the bathroom. Neither one of them have ever been constipated, ever. But, my son who is six says it feels like he always has more to get out. With this type of poop, it ususally stings their bottoms.
I am really suspecting a food sensitivity. I personally do not think that he is constipated, especially if he is a good eater and drinks plenty. This type of B.M is common among those with Celiac's disease. (gluten intolerance)
I think it would be worth your time to check on line at the signs and symptom's of Celiac's or even other food intolerances. You are a good mom to be checking his B.M. They can tell you so much about your health.
My best suggestion is to pay attention to how he feels after he eats certain foods and to keep a food log. It's a pain, but so worth it to find out what is going on. No, this type of poop is not normal for anybody. I am sure of that. I think Something is going on in the small bowel. There are small hair like fingers called Villi that line the bowels. When they are inflamed, mucous covers them and they can't absorb properly. People go YEARS with out knowing that they have food intolerances. It is when they finally avoid the offending food and feel better and realize it was a problem.
Good luck with this.

-No matter what it is, probiotics are a good idea to help his healthy bacteria get back in check

Hi Mom - My youngest has constipation issues and this sounds like it might be the culprit. He had an xray done and what it showed was compacted feces in the large intestine. He was having regular soft bm's but they were moving around the impacted portion. Soft and watery stool are common symptoms of constipation. Since it's summer, you might consider loading him up on some strawberries or other fruits he likes and give him lots of water to drink and see if that helps to clear him out. You could also talk to your doc about starting him on OTC Miralax to break up the hard impacted stool and give him a clean start.

Hope that helps!