Children With Constipation Before Diagnosis

[Mummyto3]

Has anyones child been through really bad constipation that didn't clear up on meds before diagnosis? I don't know how long my daughter has had it but it was spotted on a scan for something else back in Dec. Since going on laxatives she's also been soiling. The enema didn't make a blind bit of difference and neither has her recent clearout at home on high doses.

My worry with biopsy is they're going to find something when they look down into her intestines. She had markers done, where she swallowed 20 and then a few days later had an xray. 14 markers were still in there 5 days later in two parts of her colon and it also showed she was very impacted.

Anyone had something similar in their child?

[Kitty133]

Not my child, but happened to me...was sent to the ER by my Dr as she was certain it was my appendix-I was completely impacted. After taking so many laxatives that did not work at all, I had to take a colonoscopy prep--finally that worked.

I then had biopsy and gene test that confirmed celiac. Don't be afraid if they find this-much better to know.

Was frustrating that Drs in ER would say I need to eat more whole grain high fibre foods-I did all the time! that was the culprit.

Within days of switching to a gluten-free diet-BMs normal.

Good luck-I am sorry your child is suffering...

[ElseB]

Constipation was my predominant symptom before diagnosis, and still is the major symptom if I've been glutened.

[Roda]

My oldest son has had constipation issues since birth. Nothing helped: undiluted juice, prunes, mineral oil, and fleets enemas. He had a gastrografin enema when he was 2.5 yrs old(same as a barium enema just different contrast) and since it draws water into the bowel and colon it helped flush him out. We did the test to look for a cause of his constipation. After he was put on miralax and took it for a good year or more. He continued with issues with constipation so we limited his dairy and made sure he had lots of fiber. This was all long before I was diagnosed with celiac. He still has issues (he is almost 10.5 yrs now) with going about every 2-4 days and he will get abdominal distention and gas pains if he hasn't gone in awhile. I have a GI appointment scheduled for July 28th to see if we can get him scoped. Since my diagnosis I have had him blood tested three times and he always comes back negative. His current allergist feels he is either gluten intolerant or a sero negative celiac and feels he should be gluten free with his brother and I. Hubby wants to exhaust all testing with him since he regrets not doing the scope for our youngest son (he is 6) and that the picture is much murkier with him.

Now my youngest son has never had constipation issues. He has always been like clock work and everyday. He had a negative blood test after I was diagnosed and had his ttg come up positive last Nov. I put him gluten free based on the positive blood test. After 4.5 months we did a gluten challenge and it only lasted 3 days when my hubby called it quits. He had a very noticible reaction to it and it laid to rest any doubts for him. We noticed he became constipated after the challenge. He also got glutened June 18th and became contipated and didn't go to the bathroom for at least 5 days. So I guess he is somewhat backwards.

I also had constipation issues before diagnosis. Funny, my oldest sounds so much like me when I was young. Now if I get glutened within hours I bloat up and by 2 days later I have raging D and fat malabsorption.

[Mummyto3]

The odd thing with my daugher, which I've mentioned to a dr and nurse, is that she is regular, but because of soiling they say it's constipation and the xray showed impaction. She goes at least 3 times a day, but I don't witness what comes out or how much. She used to be worse by going 3 times in a row and using up tonnes of loo roll. I'm keen for her to be properly cleared out ie. having a scan once having had treatment rather than guessing like we recently did with clearout at home. This has been extremely hard on her and we've had to involve school so she could have somewhere to change herself if need be. At 9yrs old, it's a very big deal being different to her friends and having to use a different loo.

I gets lots of constipation myself. I didn't realise this until the bowel nurse starting see my daughter and I saw the Bristol Stool Chart. I'm regular but still struggle and the consisitancy is of constipation. If the tests come back pos I don't know if they'll want to biopsy me as I'm sure daughter will be pos for that, so surely they'd assume I'd be pos too.

Only a few more days!

[Roda]

What is happening to your daughter is that the stool behind the constipated/impacted stool is watery and is leaking around the constipated stool which is why she is probably having the soiling issues.

[anna34]

We went through this with DD before diagnosis. It was totally frustrating because they told us to feed her fibre, whole grains, and prune juice - nothing helped. The enema didn't help. Daily laxatives didn't help. I can empathize with you about the amount of bathroom tissue, soiled laundry, and repeat trips to the washroom. The previous poster is correct about the watery stool leaking around the impacted stool. It was explained to us that after all of this going on for a while the muscles that prevent stool from leaking out become weakened and the child simply cannot hold it in. They told us we had to re-train the muscle by feeding her special fibre cookies every day (packed with gluten) to force her to go regularly.

Well, the good news is, that the gluten-free diet has corrected all of the issues and did so within a couple of weeks!

If you haven't been tested yet yourself, consider doing so. I found out about my celiac following DD's diagnosis and it has made a world of difference in my life.

You're not alone. Good luck with everything.

[Mummyto3]

Mine and hubbys test came back 'normal' even though I have some of the symptoms. The rest of us will be mostly gluten free anyway because of my daughter. I might do a challenge to see if I have at least an intolerance.

I read about the leaky gut bit and was told. It just doesn't make sense in my mind, if she can have a BM 3 times a day, why doesn't the impacted faeces come out too?

[shayre]

Just adding my 2 cents...

My kids are not constipated, but I was sooo constipated since I was a kid. I was raised by my dad, so he never really noticed...and it wasn't an issue that I wanted to talk about. I could go for a week or 2 back then without a BM...more as an adult. As a kid, I didn't really know that it was a problem. In my late teens I started to see my first GI doc on my own. Well the usual response, eat more fiber...low on bread and cheese. After a few times of that...I let it go. Later again, I was put on Miralax, Amitiza and whatever OTC junk that they thought would help. NOT!!! I have also been told that I was impacted, though no one had to tell me that...it was obvious. Now at 40...I know that its celiac disease. Boy, I wish that I would have known this so long ago. I still struggle with issues, but when I went gluten-free I was going everyday! Then I would reach a plateau and get constipated. Then I would figure out something else in my new diet that may contain gluten, then remove it...then I'd start going again. I still go back and forth between severe constipation and having more frequent hard BMs. I am still tweeking my diet though. It's frustrating. I never leaked though, and that may be because my stools were usually always dry and hard.

[Mummyto3]

Just adding my 2 cents...

My kids are not constipated, but I was sooo constipated since I was a kid. I was raised by my dad, so he never really noticed...and it wasn't an issue that I wanted to talk about. I could go for a week or 2 back then without a BM...more as an adult. As a kid, I didn't really know that it was a problem. In my late teens I started to see my first GI doc on my own. Well the usual response, eat more fiber...low on bread and cheese. After a few times of that...I let it go. Later again, I was put on Miralax, Amitiza and whatever OTC junk that they thought would help. NOT!!! I have also been told that I was impacted, though no one had to tell me that...it was obvious. Now at 40...I know that its celiac disease. Boy, I wish that I would have known this so long ago. I still struggle with issues, but when I went gluten-free I was going everyday! Then I would reach a plateau and get constipated. Then I would figure out something else in my new diet that may contain gluten, then remove it...then I'd start going again. I still go back and forth between severe constipation and having more frequent hard BMs. I am still tweeking my diet though. It's frustrating. I never leaked though, and that may be because my stools were usually always dry and hard.

Thing is, we don't know how long she's really been constipated. I had no idea until the scan on her bladder for another issue. She only started soiling when she was put on senokat, that's what seems to have kicked it off

[sreese68]

I had this. Constipated without really knowing it. Mine resulted in constant pain in my lower right side that lasted for months and months. Had various tests and scans to figure out what the pain was. It was stool back up. I was quite surprised! I did and do have a BM every day, but like you, I didn't realize it wasn't normal according to the Bistrol chart. And I didn't realize it wasn't normal to have to strain to get it all out!

Mine has taken quite some time to clear up as my other food intolerances also result in constipation. Brown rice is FAR worse on my digestive tract than gluten. Anyway, if you daughter's or yours don't clear up gluten-free, you may want to look into other foods as a secondary cause.

[shayre]

Oh Senokot...AWFUL STUFF! I remember those days, when I was trying to relieve myself. I hated it. I am not in your situation, bu to me...no wonder their is leakage! That stuff for me was just as bad as XLAX! The cramping and liquid diahrrea. It was gross. I would consider Miralax and talking with your doc about it. I know that docs put kids on Miralax all of the time, and it keeps the stool soft and moving...no liquid build up. Plus, it's ONE ingredient. You don't have to worry about additives or long term effects on the intestines. They say that senokot is not harsh, but it certainly was for me. Ugh, brings back bad memories...

[Rachel McC]

my 6.5 year old daughter has struggled with constipation for over a year, and it has only gotten worse since we took her off gluten, dairy and soy. she has had many episodes with fecal impaction and the requisite clean-outs have been horrible. the leaking described in the above posts is exactly what happens to her...

i was extremely reluctant to start, but since taking ex-lax every day, she is finally regular. it's really terrible that she cannot go without it, but i don't know what else to do. if she would eat veggies, i'm sure she would improve but she just won't.

[PadmeMaster]

Rachel: Have you tried smoothies? My sister, Princess, is a bit of a picky eater (Before she was here she lived off of whatever junk she wanted, as she was the spoiled one who actually GOT food. So while she lives some veggies, there is a lot she doesn't like.). She eats Peas and Corn, but that's about it. But in her smoothies, she's had romaine lettuce, Kale, Spinach, and Broccoli (yep. Frozen Broccoli. We had NO food in the house and I wanted a smoothie. That one was excellent.)

Kids of all sorts LOVE smoothies. I've met one kids who *claimed* he didn't like them (for his mom he was a picky eater.. Mom was "home"schooling him.. She made a blueberry smoothie and he loved it, although he wouldn't tell his mom that.)

PM me and I'll be glad to give you some suggestions on amounts of greens to put. BTW, contrary to what the blender commercials say, you don't *have* to let the kid see.. Just tell them what "bad stuff" is in it Like the other day I told Princess that the smoothie was chocolate (It was Kale as the green, and I didn't feel like explaining what Kale is).

On topic, though: I've always been "regular" myself, but based off what I've read, I doubt it was normal until I went gluten-free. It hasn't been normal this year for any length of time, between stomach bugs and who knows what else. I don't normally get D when glutened, but am having issues due to milk lately. It went away until I had more milk You'd think I'd learn...