GI doc

[amber682]

Ok, so my son (almost 3 yrs. old) has been having ongoing problems with constipation. We tried just increasing his fiber and using colase syrup (rec.'d by his nutritionist) but had no luck. Still lots of crying and csreaming when he poops, not going for days at a time, big, hard, dry stools, and occasionally a streak of blood. This is all compounded by the fact that now he fears pooping and holds it in for as long as possible.

So the last clinic visit we decreased his enzyme dosage again, he's now at half of what he was previously. We also are now trying to use some Milk of Magnesia instead of fibersure, and I also picked up some glycerin suppositories. I was told if he hasn't improved in 3-4 weeks to call the GI doc and set up an appointment, just to be sure there's not something else going on. That gives us about another 2 weeks, I'm very nervous!

Anyone know what I should expect from this doctor? I'm thinking he'll prob want to try some stronger stimulants or laxatives first off. We've never dealt with any sort of bowel problems before, no blockages or anything like that. But I'm afraid of all the tests they may want to do. Any opinions or advice?


P.S. I did a little research online that suggested 3 things must be done: emptying out what is currently in the bowel tract with enemas or laxatives, making sure any new stool being formed is soft with the help of fiber or stool softeners, and eliminating the pain associated with pooping. Sounds good to me, maybe the doc will implement something like this?

 

[amber682]

Ok, so my son (almost 3 yrs. old) has been having ongoing problems with constipation. We tried just increasing his fiber and using colase syrup (rec.'d by his nutritionist) but had no luck. Still lots of crying and csreaming when he poops, not going for days at a time, big, hard, dry stools, and occasionally a streak of blood. This is all compounded by the fact that now he fears pooping and holds it in for as long as possible.

So the last clinic visit we decreased his enzyme dosage again, he's now at half of what he was previously. We also are now trying to use some Milk of Magnesia instead of fibersure, and I also picked up some glycerin suppositories. I was told if he hasn't improved in 3-4 weeks to call the GI doc and set up an appointment, just to be sure there's not something else going on. That gives us about another 2 weeks, I'm very nervous!

Anyone know what I should expect from this doctor? I'm thinking he'll prob want to try some stronger stimulants or laxatives first off. We've never dealt with any sort of bowel problems before, no blockages or anything like that. But I'm afraid of all the tests they may want to do. Any opinions or advice?


P.S. I did a little research online that suggested 3 things must be done: emptying out what is currently in the bowel tract with enemas or laxatives, making sure any new stool being formed is soft with the help of fiber or stool softeners, and eliminating the pain associated with pooping. Sounds good to me, maybe the doc will implement something like this?

 

[amber682]

Ok, so my son (almost 3 yrs. old) has been having ongoing problems with constipation. We tried just increasing his fiber and using colase syrup (rec.'d by his nutritionist) but had no luck. Still lots of crying and csreaming when he poops, not going for days at a time, big, hard, dry stools, and occasionally a streak of blood. This is all compounded by the fact that now he fears pooping and holds it in for as long as possible.

So the last clinic visit we decreased his enzyme dosage again, he's now at half of what he was previously. We also are now trying to use some Milk of Magnesia instead of fibersure, and I also picked up some glycerin suppositories. I was told if he hasn't improved in 3-4 weeks to call the GI doc and set up an appointment, just to be sure there's not something else going on. That gives us about another 2 weeks, I'm very nervous!

Anyone know what I should expect from this doctor? I'm thinking he'll prob want to try some stronger stimulants or laxatives first off. We've never dealt with any sort of bowel problems before, no blockages or anything like that. But I'm afraid of all the tests they may want to do. Any opinions or advice?


P.S. I did a little research online that suggested 3 things must be done: emptying out what is currently in the bowel tract with enemas or laxatives, making sure any new stool being formed is soft with the help of fiber or stool softeners, and eliminating the pain associated with pooping. Sounds good to me, maybe the doc will implement something like this?

 

[amber682]

Ok, so my son (almost 3 yrs. old) has been having ongoing problems with constipation. We tried just increasing his fiber and using colase syrup (rec.'d by his nutritionist) but had no luck. Still lots of crying and csreaming when he poops, not going for days at a time, big, hard, dry stools, and occasionally a streak of blood. This is all compounded by the fact that now he fears pooping and holds it in for as long as possible.

So the last clinic visit we decreased his enzyme dosage again, he's now at half of what he was previously. We also are now trying to use some Milk of Magnesia instead of fibersure, and I also picked up some glycerin suppositories. I was told if he hasn't improved in 3-4 weeks to call the GI doc and set up an appointment, just to be sure there's not something else going on. That gives us about another 2 weeks, I'm very nervous!

Anyone know what I should expect from this doctor? I'm thinking he'll prob want to try some stronger stimulants or laxatives first off. We've never dealt with any sort of bowel problems before, no blockages or anything like that. But I'm afraid of all the tests they may want to do. Any opinions or advice?


P.S. I did a little research online that suggested 3 things must be done: emptying out what is currently in the bowel tract with enemas or laxatives, making sure any new stool being formed is soft with the help of fiber or stool softeners, and eliminating the pain associated with pooping. Sounds good to me, maybe the doc will implement something like this?

 

[amber682]

Ok, so my son (almost 3 yrs. old) has been having ongoing problems with constipation. We tried just increasing his fiber and using colase syrup (rec.'d by his nutritionist) but had no luck. Still lots of crying and csreaming when he poops, not going for days at a time, big, hard, dry stools, and occasionally a streak of blood. This is all compounded by the fact that now he fears pooping and holds it in for as long as possible.

So the last clinic visit we decreased his enzyme dosage again, he's now at half of what he was previously. We also are now trying to use some Milk of Magnesia instead of fibersure, and I also picked up some glycerin suppositories. I was told if he hasn't improved in 3-4 weeks to call the GI doc and set up an appointment, just to be sure there's not something else going on. That gives us about another 2 weeks, I'm very nervous!

Anyone know what I should expect from this doctor? I'm thinking he'll prob want to try some stronger stimulants or laxatives first off. We've never dealt with any sort of bowel problems before, no blockages or anything like that. But I'm afraid of all the tests they may want to do. Any opinions or advice?


P.S. I did a little research online that suggested 3 things must be done: emptying out what is currently in the bowel tract with enemas or laxatives, making sure any new stool being formed is soft with the help of fiber or stool softeners, and eliminating the pain associated with pooping. Sounds good to me, maybe the doc will implement something like this?

 

[sdelorenzo]

Don't wait another few weeks to speak with the GI dr. Was that the nutritionists idea? The GI dr is the expert, they should be the ones to address this sooner rather than later. You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to help his bowel movements and make sure he doesn't have a partial blockage. If you call to set an appt, the receptionist might tell you it will be weeks before your son can be seen. If it were me, I would page the GI dr and have them call me at home, maybe not today on New Years but tomorrow.

Have your son ever seen the GI dr? At our clinic, it takes 6 or 7 months before a new patient can be seen by a GI dr. They are that busy. You would of course have to get the CF dr to get you in sooner to see them. I have always included my kids GI dr in decisions about their enzymes, calories, etc. My kids have never had bowel constipation thankfuly but my nephew with cf has a lot. The way I see it is that the CF dr is a pulmonologist. They know the lungs. The GI dr knows the digestive track. The nutritionist knows a tiny amount about the GI track compared to the GI dr. The GI dr is a great resource! Don't be afraid of any tests, see them as a way to help Vinny feel better.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 6 and Jack, 4 both with cf

 

[sdelorenzo]

Don't wait another few weeks to speak with the GI dr. Was that the nutritionists idea? The GI dr is the expert, they should be the ones to address this sooner rather than later. You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to help his bowel movements and make sure he doesn't have a partial blockage. If you call to set an appt, the receptionist might tell you it will be weeks before your son can be seen. If it were me, I would page the GI dr and have them call me at home, maybe not today on New Years but tomorrow.

Have your son ever seen the GI dr? At our clinic, it takes 6 or 7 months before a new patient can be seen by a GI dr. They are that busy. You would of course have to get the CF dr to get you in sooner to see them. I have always included my kids GI dr in decisions about their enzymes, calories, etc. My kids have never had bowel constipation thankfuly but my nephew with cf has a lot. The way I see it is that the CF dr is a pulmonologist. They know the lungs. The GI dr knows the digestive track. The nutritionist knows a tiny amount about the GI track compared to the GI dr. The GI dr is a great resource! Don't be afraid of any tests, see them as a way to help Vinny feel better.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 6 and Jack, 4 both with cf

 

[sdelorenzo]

Don't wait another few weeks to speak with the GI dr. Was that the nutritionists idea? The GI dr is the expert, they should be the ones to address this sooner rather than later. You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to help his bowel movements and make sure he doesn't have a partial blockage. If you call to set an appt, the receptionist might tell you it will be weeks before your son can be seen. If it were me, I would page the GI dr and have them call me at home, maybe not today on New Years but tomorrow.

Have your son ever seen the GI dr? At our clinic, it takes 6 or 7 months before a new patient can be seen by a GI dr. They are that busy. You would of course have to get the CF dr to get you in sooner to see them. I have always included my kids GI dr in decisions about their enzymes, calories, etc. My kids have never had bowel constipation thankfuly but my nephew with cf has a lot. The way I see it is that the CF dr is a pulmonologist. They know the lungs. The GI dr knows the digestive track. The nutritionist knows a tiny amount about the GI track compared to the GI dr. The GI dr is a great resource! Don't be afraid of any tests, see them as a way to help Vinny feel better.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 6 and Jack, 4 both with cf

 

[sdelorenzo]

Don't wait another few weeks to speak with the GI dr. Was that the nutritionists idea? The GI dr is the expert, they should be the ones to address this sooner rather than later. You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to help his bowel movements and make sure he doesn't have a partial blockage. If you call to set an appt, the receptionist might tell you it will be weeks before your son can be seen. If it were me, I would page the GI dr and have them call me at home, maybe not today on New Years but tomorrow.

Have your son ever seen the GI dr? At our clinic, it takes 6 or 7 months before a new patient can be seen by a GI dr. They are that busy. You would of course have to get the CF dr to get you in sooner to see them. I have always included my kids GI dr in decisions about their enzymes, calories, etc. My kids have never had bowel constipation thankfuly but my nephew with cf has a lot. The way I see it is that the CF dr is a pulmonologist. They know the lungs. The GI dr knows the digestive track. The nutritionist knows a tiny amount about the GI track compared to the GI dr. The GI dr is a great resource! Don't be afraid of any tests, see them as a way to help Vinny feel better.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 6 and Jack, 4 both with cf

 

[sdelorenzo]

Don't wait another few weeks to speak with the GI dr. Was that the nutritionists idea? The GI dr is the expert, they should be the ones to address this sooner rather than later. You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to help his bowel movements and make sure he doesn't have a partial blockage. If you call to set an appt, the receptionist might tell you it will be weeks before your son can be seen. If it were me, I would page the GI dr and have them call me at home, maybe not today on New Years but tomorrow.

Have your son ever seen the GI dr? At our clinic, it takes 6 or 7 months before a new patient can be seen by a GI dr. They are that busy. You would of course have to get the CF dr to get you in sooner to see them. I have always included my kids GI dr in decisions about their enzymes, calories, etc. My kids have never had bowel constipation thankfuly but my nephew with cf has a lot. The way I see it is that the CF dr is a pulmonologist. They know the lungs. The GI dr knows the digestive track. The nutritionist knows a tiny amount about the GI track compared to the GI dr. The GI dr is a great resource! Don't be afraid of any tests, see them as a way to help Vinny feel better.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 6 and Jack, 4 both with cf

 

[Ratatosk]

DS had issues off and one with constipation when he was a baby and also when we switched from formula to whole milk. We were able to use milk of mag. A friend of mine's granddaughter, who also has cf and is the same age as DS, was put on maintenance dosages of miralax because of continued issues with constipation.

Has this always been a problem. I know when DS was being potty tried, he had poop holding issues...

 

[Ratatosk]

DS had issues off and one with constipation when he was a baby and also when we switched from formula to whole milk. We were able to use milk of mag. A friend of mine's granddaughter, who also has cf and is the same age as DS, was put on maintenance dosages of miralax because of continued issues with constipation.

Has this always been a problem. I know when DS was being potty tried, he had poop holding issues...

 

[Ratatosk]

DS had issues off and one with constipation when he was a baby and also when we switched from formula to whole milk. We were able to use milk of mag. A friend of mine's granddaughter, who also has cf and is the same age as DS, was put on maintenance dosages of miralax because of continued issues with constipation.

Has this always been a problem. I know when DS was being potty tried, he had poop holding issues...

 

[Ratatosk]

DS had issues off and one with constipation when he was a baby and also when we switched from formula to whole milk. We were able to use milk of mag. A friend of mine's granddaughter, who also has cf and is the same age as DS, was put on maintenance dosages of miralax because of continued issues with constipation.

Has this always been a problem. I know when DS was being potty tried, he had poop holding issues...

 

[Ratatosk]

DS had issues off and one with constipation when he was a baby and also when we switched from formula to whole milk. We were able to use milk of mag. A friend of mine's granddaughter, who also has cf and is the same age as DS, was put on maintenance dosages of miralax because of continued issues with constipation.

Has this always been a problem. I know when DS was being potty tried, he had poop holding issues...

 

[amber682]

Thanks for the replies. We've been dealing with this for atleast 6 months. The doctors at the clinic have known about this as long as its been going on. It started before potty training, and actually, now that he is almost fully potty trained, it's making things difficult (he does not want to poop on the potty).

The nutritionist has been telling us all along that it's mostly fear based, it hurt so he holds it in, making the next stool harder and drier, so it hurts again, etc. She told us months ago to use colace syrup and fiber (like fiber sure). Finally this last visit I told her we need to do something else, it's not working at all, and may be getting worse. Instead of this happening every couple weeks, it's almost every time he poops now. And he's gone from going once or twice a day to once every 2 days. So she decreased his enzymes (again) because she said we came from the other clinic we used to go to on almost the highest rec. dose of enzymes. We are now at about half that, with no change whatsoever.

So I guess I'll be calling the GI doc. Hopefully he'll be willing to try something stronger, like miralax? It doesn't seem to be a blockage type thing. It's onvious that it hurts like hell when he goes, I wouldn't want to go either. TMI but once the stool gets to the rectum is when he starts holding it, it's so close we can see it right there, but he knows it will hurt so he does anything and everything he can to hold it in (walking on his tip-toes, squeezing his butt cheeks together, refusing to sit on his bottom).

I am just a little worried about maybe invasive type tests that might need to be done. Although at this point, it can't possible be worse than what he goes through every time he poops.

 

[amber682]

Thanks for the replies. We've been dealing with this for atleast 6 months. The doctors at the clinic have known about this as long as its been going on. It started before potty training, and actually, now that he is almost fully potty trained, it's making things difficult (he does not want to poop on the potty).

The nutritionist has been telling us all along that it's mostly fear based, it hurt so he holds it in, making the next stool harder and drier, so it hurts again, etc. She told us months ago to use colace syrup and fiber (like fiber sure). Finally this last visit I told her we need to do something else, it's not working at all, and may be getting worse. Instead of this happening every couple weeks, it's almost every time he poops now. And he's gone from going once or twice a day to once every 2 days. So she decreased his enzymes (again) because she said we came from the other clinic we used to go to on almost the highest rec. dose of enzymes. We are now at about half that, with no change whatsoever.

So I guess I'll be calling the GI doc. Hopefully he'll be willing to try something stronger, like miralax? It doesn't seem to be a blockage type thing. It's onvious that it hurts like hell when he goes, I wouldn't want to go either. TMI but once the stool gets to the rectum is when he starts holding it, it's so close we can see it right there, but he knows it will hurt so he does anything and everything he can to hold it in (walking on his tip-toes, squeezing his butt cheeks together, refusing to sit on his bottom).

I am just a little worried about maybe invasive type tests that might need to be done. Although at this point, it can't possible be worse than what he goes through every time he poops.

 

[amber682]

Thanks for the replies. We've been dealing with this for atleast 6 months. The doctors at the clinic have known about this as long as its been going on. It started before potty training, and actually, now that he is almost fully potty trained, it's making things difficult (he does not want to poop on the potty).

The nutritionist has been telling us all along that it's mostly fear based, it hurt so he holds it in, making the next stool harder and drier, so it hurts again, etc. She told us months ago to use colace syrup and fiber (like fiber sure). Finally this last visit I told her we need to do something else, it's not working at all, and may be getting worse. Instead of this happening every couple weeks, it's almost every time he poops now. And he's gone from going once or twice a day to once every 2 days. So she decreased his enzymes (again) because she said we came from the other clinic we used to go to on almost the highest rec. dose of enzymes. We are now at about half that, with no change whatsoever.

So I guess I'll be calling the GI doc. Hopefully he'll be willing to try something stronger, like miralax? It doesn't seem to be a blockage type thing. It's onvious that it hurts like hell when he goes, I wouldn't want to go either. TMI but once the stool gets to the rectum is when he starts holding it, it's so close we can see it right there, but he knows it will hurt so he does anything and everything he can to hold it in (walking on his tip-toes, squeezing his butt cheeks together, refusing to sit on his bottom).

I am just a little worried about maybe invasive type tests that might need to be done. Although at this point, it can't possible be worse than what he goes through every time he poops.

 

[amber682]

Thanks for the replies. We've been dealing with this for atleast 6 months. The doctors at the clinic have known about this as long as its been going on. It started before potty training, and actually, now that he is almost fully potty trained, it's making things difficult (he does not want to poop on the potty).

The nutritionist has been telling us all along that it's mostly fear based, it hurt so he holds it in, making the next stool harder and drier, so it hurts again, etc. She told us months ago to use colace syrup and fiber (like fiber sure). Finally this last visit I told her we need to do something else, it's not working at all, and may be getting worse. Instead of this happening every couple weeks, it's almost every time he poops now. And he's gone from going once or twice a day to once every 2 days. So she decreased his enzymes (again) because she said we came from the other clinic we used to go to on almost the highest rec. dose of enzymes. We are now at about half that, with no change whatsoever.

So I guess I'll be calling the GI doc. Hopefully he'll be willing to try something stronger, like miralax? It doesn't seem to be a blockage type thing. It's onvious that it hurts like hell when he goes, I wouldn't want to go either. TMI but once the stool gets to the rectum is when he starts holding it, it's so close we can see it right there, but he knows it will hurt so he does anything and everything he can to hold it in (walking on his tip-toes, squeezing his butt cheeks together, refusing to sit on his bottom).

I am just a little worried about maybe invasive type tests that might need to be done. Although at this point, it can't possible be worse than what he goes through every time he poops.

 

[amber682]

Thanks for the replies. We've been dealing with this for atleast 6 months. The doctors at the clinic have known about this as long as its been going on. It started before potty training, and actually, now that he is almost fully potty trained, it's making things difficult (he does not want to poop on the potty).

The nutritionist has been telling us all along that it's mostly fear based, it hurt so he holds it in, making the next stool harder and drier, so it hurts again, etc. She told us months ago to use colace syrup and fiber (like fiber sure). Finally this last visit I told her we need to do something else, it's not working at all, and may be getting worse. Instead of this happening every couple weeks, it's almost every time he poops now. And he's gone from going once or twice a day to once every 2 days. So she decreased his enzymes (again) because she said we came from the other clinic we used to go to on almost the highest rec. dose of enzymes. We are now at about half that, with no change whatsoever.

So I guess I'll be calling the GI doc. Hopefully he'll be willing to try something stronger, like miralax? It doesn't seem to be a blockage type thing. It's onvious that it hurts like hell when he goes, I wouldn't want to go either. TMI but once the stool gets to the rectum is when he starts holding it, it's so close we can see it right there, but he knows it will hurt so he does anything and everything he can to hold it in (walking on his tip-toes, squeezing his butt cheeks together, refusing to sit on his bottom).

I am just a little worried about maybe invasive type tests that might need to be done. Although at this point, it can't possible be worse than what he goes through every time he poops.