Constipation

[selectivefocus]

My 9 year old daughter suffers from chronic constipation. She's gluten free since October. She can tolerate very little dairy. I finally got Miralax to clean her out and she's been feeling lighter and even her behavior is better. I hate the ingredients though. Polyethelyne glycol *shudders*. I hate it, even though it's helping, but constipation must be just as bad as the ingredients (she was showing signs of malnourishment, even though she is overweight, which is slowly improving). Anyway, is there anything natural that could keep her regular? She's limited to one serving of organic whole milk daily, no cheese or yogurt, and this helps. She had MPI as an infant, but was recently tested and had .02 above the normal threshold, so barely nothing. 

[Zodi1993]

Hi,

Try having her drink a glass of warm water. As warm as she can tolerate at least once a day. It’s an old trick that nurses use when patients have problems using the restroom. 

Best of luck  

[Jmg]

3 hours ago, selectivefocus said:

Anyway, is there anything natural that could keep her regular?

Magnesium rich foods may help: Open Original Shared Link

 

[ravenwoodglass]

Does she consume soy?  It may not apply for her but when I consume either soy flour or protein it binds me up for days.  You could try also eliminating soy and see if it helps.  Prunes or prune juice may also help. They gave it to me in the hospital after I had my son. They wouldn't let me go home till I had a BM and I was on my way home with my baby in just a couple hours after drinking a glass.

[Ennis-TX]

5 hours ago, selectivefocus said:

My 9 year old daughter suffers from chronic constipation. She's gluten free since October. She can tolerate very little dairy. I finally got Miralax to clean her out and she's been feeling lighter and even her behavior is better. I hate the ingredients though. Polyethelyne glycol *shudders*. I hate it, even though it's helping, but constipation must be just as bad as the ingredients (she was showing signs of malnourishment, even though she is overweight, which is slowly improving). Anyway, is there anything natural that could keep her regular? She's limited to one serving of organic whole milk daily, no cheese or yogurt, and this helps. She had MPI as an infant, but was recently tested and had .02 above the normal threshold, so barely nothing. 

Natural Vitality Calm uses Magnesium Citrate, I take it in a warm glass of liquid. Try 1/4tsp and work up over a week til she has loose stools then cut it back a bit so she has standard BM. Magnesium Deficiency is common with this disease and constipation can be on of the symptoms, along with in SOME cases, tingly arms, cramps/painful legs, lack of dreams, etc. Everyone is different.

[selectivefocus]

4 hours ago, ravenwoodglass said:

Does she consume soy?  It may not apply for her but when I consume either soy flour or protein it binds me up for days.  You could try also eliminating soy and see if it helps.  Prunes or prune juice may also help. They gave it to me in the hospital after I had my son. They wouldn't let me go home till I had a BM and I was on my way home with my baby in just a couple hours after drinking a glass.

No we are a strict soy free house. My 5 year old has had a terrible soy allergy since birth. Honestly, I think my  (undiagnosed at the time) celiac disease during pregnancy combined with my csections contributed to the problems with food my girls have. When I eat soy, I get acne and other skin issues almost immediately. But that's a story for another time! I personally feel that the massive amount of soy in our food is a contributing factor to the massive amount of hormonal issues in this country. Before I knew better, I gave her soy milk for almost 18 months after she came off her hypoallergenic formula as an infant, and I can't help but think that has created so many problems for her now.

[selectivefocus]

5 hours ago, Jmg said:

Magnesium rich foods may help: Open Original Shared Link

 

I tried a magnesium glycinate supplement on myself. It definitely cleans you out but it's not very gentle LOL I'll look into food sources, although I've read they aren't enough DV.

[Ennis-TX]

15 minutes ago, selectivefocus said:

I tried a magnesium glycinate supplement on myself. It definitely cleans you out but it's not very gentle LOL I'll look into food sources, although I've read they aren't enough DV.

LOL reason I say get the calm formula in the powder and start at 1/4 tsp (1/8th the dose) You can measure and dose it as your body needs if it is in a powder. the whole capsule "TAKE THIS MUCH" does not work for everyone....heck I found I have to open capsules and only take half doses of some things to work and up to 4x the dose on others to work. Everyone's body chemistry and compatibility is different, you have to find the dosing and combinations that work with the individuals body. Heck sugar/fruits/carbs make my UC flare up and I start shitting blood.

[selectivefocus]

29 minutes ago, Ennis_TX said:

LOL reason I say get the calm formula in the powder and start at 1/4 tsp (1/8th the dose) You can measure and dose it as your body needs if it is in a powder. the whole capsule "TAKE THIS MUCH" does not work for everyone....heck I found I have to open capsules and only take half doses of some things to work and up to 4x the dose on others to work. Everyone's body chemistry and compatibility is different, you have to find the dosing and combinations that work with the individuals body. Heck sugar/fruits/carbs make my UC flare up and I start shitting blood.

Do you have fructose malabsorption? I struggled with that for the better part of last year but its slowly getting better. 

[Ennis-TX]

3 minutes ago, selectivefocus said:

Do you have fructose malabsorption? I struggled with that for the better part of last year but its slowly getting better. 

Fructose, glucose, etc.  triggers my Ulcerative Colitis. I can not eat it...keto diet no fruits, grains, starchy veggies, just nuts, seeds, leafy greens, egg whites, vegan protein powders etc. I just go for a high fat/protein diet. Works best for my body and I feel much better. Every time I go off it and have a tiny bit I have tons of issues.... I doubt aborobtion of sugars is a issue...if anything that is too good considering how much they also effect my glucose levels.

[tessa25]

Cook thick zucchini slices in olive oil and salt to taste. Eat large quantities. Zucchini has fiber, magnesium and water. A perfect trio for getting things moving. 2 mile brisk walks every day also gets things moving.

 

[selectivefocus]

2 hours ago, tessa25 said:

Cook thick zucchini slices in olive oil and salt to taste. Eat large quantities. Zucchini has fiber, magnesium and water. A perfect trio for getting things moving. 2 mile brisk walks every day also gets things moving.

 

She's 9...

[plumbago]

veggies
veggies
veggies

and fruit.

How, you ask? Shakes! Ice, ginger, yogurt (maybe even vanilla ice cream instead of yogurt), baby spinach and/or kale, beets (bit of sweet and will hide the green color), quarter of banana, carrot, blue berry, pineapple, orange - whatever! I recommend more veggies than fruit, but half and half should also be fine. Sip over 30 minutes. Don't tell her there are veggies in it.

Experiment - almost guaranteed to work. Get her walking a lot too.

[cyclinglady]

I think you need to determine the source.  While it may be attributed to celiac disease, it should have resolved or improved on a strict gluten free diet by now.    Many things can cause constipation (I am sure you have researched this):

Open Original Shared Link

You mentioned a milk protein intolerance? Maybe she has not out grown that intolerance.  It might not just be a lactose intolerance which more commonly associated with celiac disease (damaged villi can not release the enzymes to digest lactose).   I would consider eliminating all milk products for a few weeks.  

And... I am big in veggies too because they are a whole food and that is most always a good thing!  

[cyclinglady]

1 hour ago, selectivefocus said:

She's 8...

Here is another clue to her constipation woes.    Sounds like she does not like veggies.  A very common struggle between child and parent!  I think KarenG made this her life long goal!  “How to get teenagers to eat more veggies” which is written in her celiac.com bio.   I do not think she won the battle or the war.  Turns out the the motivator was a girlfriend!  Ha!  ?  I do think KarenG attempted to hide veggies.  That might work!  

We love zucchini.   Tessa, I want some now!  Maybe some nice sautéed cabbage or spinach  would be nice for breakfast!  I have that in the frig.  Thinking bout my veggie garden.  Soon it will be time to plant zucchini.  

Finally, it does take time to heal.  Usually kids tend to heal faster but adhering to the diet or other issues can slow down healing.   Hang in there!  

[selectivefocus]

1 hour ago, plumbago said:

veggies
veggies
veggies

and fruit.

How, you ask? Shakes! Ice, ginger, yogurt (maybe even vanilla ice cream instead of yogurt), baby spinach and/or kale, beets (bit of sweet and will hide the green color), quarter of banana, carrot, blue berry, pineapple, orange - whatever! I recommend more veggies than fruit, but half and half should also be fine. Sip over 30 minutes. Don't tell her there are veggies in it.

Experiment - almost guaranteed to work. Get her walking a lot too.

She literally never stops moving. She plays outside for several hours when she isn't at school. Movement isn't the issue. She also eats a lot of fruits and veggies, but smoothies are not a bad idea.

[selectivefocus]

1 hour ago, cyclinglady said:

I think you need to determine the source.  While it may be attributed to celiac disease, it should have resolved or improved on a strict gluten free diet by now.    Many things can cause constipation (I am sure you have researched this):

Open Original Shared Link

You mentioned a milk protein intolerance? Maybe she has not out grown that intolerance.  It might not just be a lactose intolerance which more commonly associated with celiac disease (damaged villi can not release the enzymes to digest lactose).   I would consider eliminating all milk products for a few weeks.  

And... I am big in veggies too because they are a whole food and that is most always a good thing!  

So I definitely think she might still be intolerant, which is why I limit her to only a cup of organic whole milk per day. It doesn't bother her stomach at all, probably because it's high fat. She usually has it in her gluten-free cereal before school. Although, we had an Against The Grain plain cheese pizza last night for supper as a treat, and she felt very ill about 3 hours later, so I definitely think it's the dairy even though she didn't pop hot on her blood test to it. My other daughter had a really bad soy allergy as a baby, and recently tested negative to it, but it still makes her really sick depending on the type and quantity. 

[selectivefocus]

55 minutes ago, cyclinglady said:

Here is another clue to her constipation woes.    Sounds like she does not like veggies.  A very common struggle between child and parent!  I think KarenG made this her life long goal!  “How to get teenagers to eat more veggies” which is written in her celiac.com bio.   I do not think she won the battle or the war.  Turns out the the motivator was a girlfriend!  Ha!  ?  I do think KarenG attempted to hide veggies.  That might work!  

We love zucchini.   Tessa, I want some now!  Maybe some nice sautéed cabbage or spinach  would be nice for breakfast!  I have that in the frig.  Thinking bout my veggie garden.  Soon it will be time to plant zucchini.  

Finally, it does take time to heal.  Usually kids tend to heal faster but adhering to the diet or other issues can slow down healing.   Hang in there!  

She eats broccoli, green beans, and carrots fine, which we have almost every night with dinner. She usually has 3 or so servings of whole fruit per day and I am obnoxious about how much water she drinks. I am almost 32 years old and I like most everything, but I am not really a zucchini fan although I will eat it. I agree with the time to heal aspect of it. I read the chronic constipation can alter the integrity and shape and size of your colon and that you need to be on laxatives for 6-12 months to heal it. Does that sound like big pharma bogusness or is there truth to it? 

[plumbago]

44 minutes ago, selectivefocus said:

She eats broccoli, green beans, and carrots fine, which we have almost every night with dinner. She usually has 3 or so servings of whole fruit per day and I am obnoxious about how much water she drinks. I am almost 32 years old and I like most everything, but I am not really a zucchini fan although I will eat it. I agree with the time to heal aspect of it. I read the chronic constipation can alter the integrity and shape and size of your colon and that you need to be on laxatives for 6-12 months to heal it. Does that sound like big pharma bogusness or is there truth to it? 

Sounds like you have a definite handle on the dietary aspect of constipation. Sometimes when children's routines change and there may be a different voiding pattern, children will withhold due to unfamiliar surroundings. There are other reasons to avoid going, such as pain. I remember I used to have pain as a child. There may be something that can be done. Perhaps if you do decided to increase fiber intake, it will help soften things up. If you feel she's getting a sufficient amount as is and you don't want to add any more fiber, you can possibly talk to your pediatrician about a stool softener (senna, doculace), but I am not sure if those are safe for children or not.

I saw you posted about her blood test results on another thread, it may be helpful to include that information here, too, just for people to have as much information as possible. 

Plumbago

[selectivefocus]

3 minutes ago, plumbago said:

Sounds like you have a definite handle on the dietary aspect of constipation. Sometimes when children's routines change and there may be a different voiding pattern, children will withhold due to unfamiliar surroundings. There are other reasons to avoid going, such as pain. I remember I used to have pain as a child. There may be something that can be done. Perhaps if you do decided to increase fiber intake, it will help soften things up. If you feel she's getting a sufficient amount as is and you don't want to add any more fiber, you can possibly talk to your pediatrician about a stool softener (senna, doculace), but I am not sure if those are safe for children or not.

I saw you posted about her blood test results on another thread, it may be helpful to include that information here, too, just for people to have as much information as possible. 

Plumbago

What's frustrating is that her doctor just thinks a pill cures everything. I will literally try everything before putting my child or myself on a medicine unless its absolutely necessary. I think once this package of Miralax is gone, I'm going to stop, and see what happens with her on a limited dairy diet.

[ravenwoodglass]

48 minutes ago, selectivefocus said:

She eats broccoli, green beans, and carrots fine, which we have almost every night with dinner. She usually has 3 or so servings of whole fruit per day and I am obnoxious about how much water she drinks. I am almost 32 years old and I like most everything, but I am not really a zucchini fan although I will eat it. I agree with the time to heal aspect of it. I read the chronic constipation can alter the integrity and shape and size of your colon and that you need to be on laxatives for 6-12 months to heal it. Does that sound like big pharma bogusness or is there truth to it? 

Going on laxatives for that long can make people dependent on them. There are stool softeners that might be better if you feel you want to go with pills. Ask your doctor about them.

I agree with dropping all dairy for a bit. she may be sensitive to casien rather than the lactose. That can cause a delayed reaction. Probiotics like those in yogurt can be found in non-dairy yogurts and those might help a lot. If she likes saurkraut that is a good source of probiotics also. I understand there are some really good non-dairy cheese that have been developed. I am fine with dairy so I haven't tryed any so don't know which brands might be best.  She could still have a pizza night that way.

Hope she is feeling better soon.

[plumbago]

43 minutes ago, selectivefocus said:

What's frustrating is that her doctor just thinks a pill cures everything. I will literally try everything before putting my child or myself on a medicine unless its absolutely necessary. I think once this package of Miralax is gone, I'm going to stop, and see what happens with her on a limited dairy diet.

Ok, but Miralax is just as much a medicine as senna is! Just cause senna comes in a pill form doesn't make it any more of a medicine than something you drink. My .02.

[selectivefocus]

13 minutes ago, plumbago said:

Ok, but Miralax is just as much a medicine as senna is! Just cause senna comes in a pill form doesn't make it any more of a medicine than something you drink. My .02.

Sorry, I should have clarified. My implication was not that these medicines are not necessary for her or anyone else. She prescribed her daily zyrtec because I said she was having frequent headaches and automatically gave her a diagnosis of pollen allergies when she has no issue with seasonal allergies. :/ Navigating celiac with myself and my kids has jaded me with doctors.

[plumbago]

19 hours ago, selectivefocus said:

Sorry, I should have clarified. My implication was not that these medicines are not necessary for her or anyone else. She prescribed her daily zyrtec because I said she was having frequent headaches and automatically gave her a diagnosis of pollen allergies when she has no issue with seasonal allergies. :/ Navigating celiac with myself and my kids has jaded me with doctors.

I completely understand.

The only other thing I wanted to add was that if you do decide to do shakes (aka smoothies) make sure you really let that blender roll! Meaning, keep it blending for a good long while. I put all my veggies and fruit in (and water), and blend it, then I add ice and just let it go while I am doing my morning thing (cleaning, cooking, getting ready for work). The blender is going for at least 5-7 minutes. Some people buy a vitamix blender, which costs about $200-$300. I find my Osterizer does well, I just gotta let it blend for a while, and yes, it's a bit loud. At my old house, I would blend it  outside in the car port, so as not to bother the others. And finally, are you sure your daughter is not getting glutened at school?

[selectivefocus]

1 hour ago, plumbago said:

I completely understand.

The only other thing I wanted to add was that if you do decide to do shakes (aka smoothies) make sure you really let that blender roll! Meaning, keep it blending for a good long while. I put all my veggies and fruit in (and water), and blend it, then I add ice and just let it go while I am doing my morning thing (cleaning, cooking, getting ready for work). The blender is going for at least 5-7 minutes. Some people buy a vitamix blender, which costs about $200-$300. I find my Osterizer does well, I just gotta let it blend for a while, and yes, it's a bit loud. At my old house, I would blend it  outside in the car port, so as not to bother the others. And finally, are you sure your daughter is not getting glutened at school?

We actually have a Vitamix. It's well worth the investment for a celiac who makes everything from scratch! When we first got it I was making very spinach heavy smoothies thinking it was sooooo good for me, until I ended up with terrible joint pain from the oxalates! We fell out of making smoothies with it since we moved last September. 

Anyway! I pack lunch and snack every day for her and her sister. They are not allowed to share food at school. I am meticulous about the food I buy and the food I give them so I don't think that's a possibility. I am fortunate to be stay at home mom so my girls get homemade good food every day. In addition to all of this nonsense, she has an anaphylactic almond allergy. Last school year a child at her old school gave her what appeared to be a peanut m&m, but it was almond, and she had to be rushed to the emergency room. My whole life food wise is bananas. HAHA