Pain Since Doc Added Medicines

[OBXMom]

We recently moved, and my 9 year old son with celiac disease met his new GI doctor. As far as we were concerned, he was doing fine, although food moves very slowly through his system, and even with his daily miralax he has 5 or more small, prolonged (but soft) bowel movements a day. His doctor had his belly xrayed and learned that he had too much stool, and added metamucil and senna to his daily routine. He has been having fewer but more substantial bowel movements, but now his tummy hurts almost all the time (when pain was infrequent before.)

Do you think it is more likely that the metamucil, which is bulking things up, or the senna with its impact on the muscles, is causing the pain? I have tried to call our doctor, but the offices have been closed for the last couple of days because there is so much flooding here in Virginia Beach, and I thought I'd see if anyone here had any thoughts.

[ravenwoodglass]

You could try dropping both and then adding them in one at a time after the pain abates. Also did you check to be certain that all the stuff the doctor gave him is gluten free? Doctors don't know so don't assume just cause a doctor handed it to you it is safe for him. Does your son get enough soluable and insoluble fiber? Fruits and veggies and perhaps a bit of flax seed ground and added to a fruit smoothie might help more.

[OBXMom]

Thank you for your thoughts, I did discontinue both, and he was better right away. Last night we also put some flaxseed into the bread we made. My son definitely doesn't get enough fiber, but we are working on it. (We had to go through feeding therapy at our Children's Hospital last year to try to get him to eat more foods, and he is better but we are still working on it.)

I was hoping to hear if either Senna or Metamucil caused anyone else pain - I would have added a subtitle if I could have figured out how. . .