OT: miralax for kids? UPDATE: post #13

[sparks19]

So my DD has had some ongoing bowel issues. We've been working with the doctor and we were trying a few things before going to a laxative. fiber, probiotics, high water content fruits, keeping hydrated etc. nothing is working so I think the next step is going to be Miralax.

We have an appt this afternoon

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with using miralax with their children.

DD is almost 4. she's not potty trained because of this bowel issue which is extremely frustrating for her and for us. she WANTS to use the potty but with this issue it seems like she spends all day on the potty because she just can't go but she feels like she needs to.

What are you experiences with Miralax and children? did it work for your family? Any upset tummies or cramps?

 

[Angeni11]

Our pediatrician had our son on it when he was potty training due to constipation issues and it worked great. We noticed when we forgot to give it to him. This is the child who drinks tons of water and loves fruit too. He no longer needs to use it and has no issues and it never seemed to bother him. It did make his stools softer which helped him a lot. He is now 3.5 years old.

 

[justbishop]

The dosage that our ped advised us to give DD gave her explosive poo. I did reduce the dose and it seemed to help her issues, but I have also read that using it daily for a long time can lead to a dependence, so I stopped.

I have cut out cow's milk for drinking (she still gets it in her cereal and I do cook with it), and while the consistency isn't as loose as our ped said it should be, that seems to at least get her pooping each day. For the calcium, we are trying a combo of almond milk and fortified OJ (cut with water).

ETA: she has also been getting blueberries or grapes every day, which seems to help.

 

[acomasdiaz]

DS was on it after he too experienced issues and his pediatrcian recommended it. He was 3 and on it daily for quite some time. Although it was not near a full serving. With time, we gave it to him less and less. Now, we use it once every couple of weeks. He is almost 4 and we're also still working on potty training because of this issue but things are slowly getting better.

 

[Bearshouse]

DS(11) has been on Miralax since it came out. The generic works just as good for him as Miralax. The dosage like others said will depend on YOUR child. Some need all 17grams others do not. DS gets 1/4 cap full every other day. That is what works for us.

For us dependence on Miralax isn't an issue since he needs it long term because of disabilities. Miralax beats any other option we had tried! Talk to your doctor and see what happens. Remember only YOU can be an advocate for your child.

Bearshouse

 

[sparks19]

glad to hear some first hand experiences

The nice thing about our doc is she isn't going to try to force us into using a certain thing...she's not like that but I know she mentioned the possibility of a laxative before but we agreed that we should try other avenues first. I have heard about the dependancy thing from one other person and i'll be sure to mention that to the doctor and see what she thinks

I'm just assuming it's going to be miralax that she recommends. I'm not certain. appt is in one hour.

I'll be anxious to see if this works.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I have used it occassionally with my DD. She had constipation issues start when she potty trained, and they were made worse by a medication she started taking when she was 5. I only give about 1/2 the dose recommended on the bottle and on an "as needed" basis rather than daily. In the beginning, I was giving it to her about once a week, and it really helped. The once a week dose seemed to keep things moving for several days. It didn't upset her tummy much, if at all. She's gotten better about not "holding it in" and the effects of the med she is on have lessened with time, so I haven't had to give it to her in at least 6 months. I never heard anything about it creating a long-term dependence.

 

[sparks19]

I'm glad I posted this because I would have gone with the dosage that was recommended to me and not thought to try different dosages to find the right balance.

thanks for the help guys

Did this make your children a little more regular? like basically she's going like 10 times a day when she's "clearing out" I'd like her to experience some sort of regularity. once or twice a day is more normal and she won't be spending half her day in the bathroom.

 

[POOHDRMR]

My dd used it when she was 3 for about 4-6 months(can't remember exactly)It worked great.She has been constipated since birth basically and it was causing her to get a hemeroid.She was on a small dose I think and she never minded drinking it.It made it easier and more regular for her to go to the bathroom.We stopped it when she stopped drinking milk as her main beverage and started drinking more water as that seemed to help her out.

 

[luvallprincesses]

My DD 10 used it for about a year when she was 2-3 years old and no adjustment of diet or fluid intake made a difference - we started with a couple of teaspoons and increased a little every other day until we found the minimum that would work to keep her regular. If we forgot it for one day, we would regret it - so it was really needed for her. Then every few months, tried to decrease her off of it - failing a few times, until finally she was able to function without it. I wanted to let you know that 7 years later, no effects to her digestive system or otherwise. That was my big concern also. I did recently see an ad on TV for a new product - I thought it was called Kidlax? You might want to check into that product.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I remember your other threads.

Mirilax is not addicting. It will help bulk up and train her bowels so she can have normal BMs. Once she becomes normal, you may be able to wean it.

Remember what I said before. When someone's constipated like this, it's not just what's at the "end". It's all the way through their bowels. Stool that sits in the bowels becomes hard and then the colon expands so it just sits there.

Your DD needs help with this. The mirilax will help her. I understand you're nervous about giving it to her, but she needs it and she needs you to help her.

she spends all day on the potty because she just can't go

Please give her the mirilax.

 

[ckrum]

DD had bowel issues beginning as an infant. I changed her last poopy diaper at 11 months. After that, she sat on the toilet to BM because of the extreme pain. This went on until she was around 5 years old. We tried everything before a new dr. recommended Miralax. This was before it was available OTC and it was crazy expensive. Well, it worked! DD was on Miralax for 6 months and then on an as needed basis. She had no side effects and no longer needs it. It was a true miracle for us.

 

[sparks19]

back from the doctor.

There was never a question of whether I would give it to her or not but wanted to know peoples personal experiences... did it work or not. I was never really nervous about giving it to her.

Doc suggested we go with a stool softener. gave us a prescription for... uh... something that starts with C. I don't have the prescription yet (hubby is picking it up on his way home) so I can't remember the exact name. it's on the tip of my tongue. cura-something? maybe?

She said to try this everyday for a couple of weeks to try to get her system regulated and then we can start trying to lower her dosage and eventually get her off of it if her system allows. it will be gentle on her system and gentle on her tummy... so she shouldn't get any cramping.

She said likely whats happening is she's got a poop in there that is hard and STUCK and everything that comes in behind it has got to "squeeze" around it but she can't get the blockage out. so hopefully the stool softeners will do their thing and get her back to normal.

If nothing works then we go on to the pediatric gastro enterologist so hopefully this works and it doesn't come to that.

but I'll tell ya... for a kid who is plugged up she sure is chipper lol

 

[RMulieri]

We use it all the time.We start with HALF the recommended dose and then go up as needed.The last time we started with the full dose and she had explosive diarrhea for days

 

[AmandaRG]

We use it MWF, 1/2 dosage for both of our girls. No matter what they eat, they seem to have trouble. We eat whole grains, and they only have a cup of milk at dinner, and they love to eat their fruits and veggies with the exception of bananas and corn.

Hopefully it works for you like it has for us!

 

[Mommy2Abby]

My DD who is now 4 has used Miralax every day since she was about 6 months old. My ped told me that some people just struggle with ongoing constipation issues, no matter what they eat/drink.

Miralax has been wonderful for us! We have gradually been able to reduce DD's dosage over time, so she now only gets about a teaspoon each day, mixed with her milk. I have tried several times to wean her off completely, but she seems to struggle after a few days and my ped told me that some people need to take it their whole life. There are no other side effects that I have noticed. DD never complains about her tummy hurting or anything.

I hope you get things worked out for your DD. Constipated children are no fun!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My 12yo had issues with constipation from his medication when he was 3 to 5 years old and the doctor gave him Colace (a stool softener) which helped him. When my now 7yo was a baby he would get constipated alot so the pediatrician had us put a teaspoon of corn syrup in his formula once a day. When he got older and was potty training we had to start using Miralax for awhile, but not daily, I think we used it twice a week. When he became more regular I started all of my kids on Fiber Advance Gummies. They take one daily (except my oldest who takes two). It works great to help keep them regular and the kids will remind me if I forget to give it to them.

 

[sparks19]

My 12yo had issues with constipation from his medication when he was 3 to 5 years old and the doctor gave him Colace (a stool softener) which helped him. When my now 7yo was a baby he would get constipated alot so the pediatrician had us put a teaspoon of corn syrup in his formula once a day. When he got older and was potty training we had to start using Miralax for awhile, but not daily, I think we used it twice a week. When he became more regular I started all of my kids on Fiber Advance Gummies. They take one daily (except my oldest who takes two). It works great to help keep them regular and the kids will remind me if I forget to give it to them.

Yeah Colace is what the doc gave us glad to hear it worked for you.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

My DD5 has this problem too. At first we couldn't understand why a 5 yo would keep pooping her pants, but after talking to other moms I began to understand what the problem was. She too had a large mass that was stuck and everything was leaking around it and she had no control of her bowels at that point. Miralax helped but didn't cure the problem. Then I heard (and it works) thing to do is first give her enough to clear out the mass and then use the Miralax as "matience" to keep it from returning. I found that dairy, especially cow's milk was the culprit and as long as I limit how much she has I hardly have to give her the Miralax anymore.

 

[sksjasams]

My DS12 began struggling with constipation about 2 yrs old, maybe even earlier. His doctor prescribed Lactulose Solution (also called generlac or enulose). It is a fruity flavored syrup. You can adjust the dose up or down as needed. No stimulant or dependence. It works perfectly and is even more benign than Miralax. We have been told he can stay on it indefinitely and he still takes it daily. Ask your DD's doctor about it.

Good luck.