My 2 1/2 yr old holds her bowel- help!

Question

Our daughter is 2 and half and she has been having issues holding her bm's for over a year now. We have tried diet, children's laxative, suppositories, enigmas, mineral oil, and chiropractic adjustments over the past year and a half. Every time we introduce a new method it with work and then she will start holding again. The last two things that we have been doing with her is mineral oils (1tsp 2 times a day) to loosen bowels and make it hard to hold it and chiropractic adjustments weekly. This was working but now she is holding again. Suppositories and enigma don't really seem to work anymore and I don't want to keep putting unnatural things in her but how long can she go without going. right now is the longest she's ever held it and we are on day 6!!! I'm trying NOT to freak out but I'm really at the end of my rope with concern for her. I really believe that its her just stopping herself because when she does go its soft. When i put her on the potty to just try to go she freaks out- we have been making her sit there a few minutes a couple times a day to just feel like its normal. We have used treasure box but that doesn't work anymore.... does anyone have any suggestions???? and how long is too long????

This discussion is related to 2 year old holding bowel.

RysMomma924 · Answer

I am looking into another doctor- I like the fact that our doctor is very natural and doesn't really push a lot of drugs BUT he doesn't seem to take note of our concerns with this situation. He kind of just brushes it all off and I really hope this isn't something that could of been prevented. We are not doing all these treatments at once these are just things that we have tried. I don't like the enemas or suppositories because they don't seem to work on her so why would i keep using them- right!? The only thing is has been on consistently is mineral oil and doctor just told us to use milk of magnesa a long with it daily..... I am also looking into a gastronoligist. She finally went the other day after 7 days!!! she has never gone that long. And without trying to give to much TMI it was soooo big! but mostly soft and she just pushed it out (after lots of encouragement)  but thats the longest she's ever gone and it was huge.

AnnieBrooke · Answer

I don't think this is generated by anxiety (though by now there is doubtless plenty of anxiety surrounding the issue), it really sounds like encopresis.  If it is, the mom shouldn't stop giving something that has a stool-softening effect entirely, since the colon can fill up so much that it in fact can take a procedure at the hospital to empty it.  That said, the suggestions by the doctor regarding giving child something (and it was for a long time, like a year) ran more along the lines of Benefiber and not so much on mineral oil.  (If it's encopresis, chiropractic won't help.)  But it's for the child's doctor to determine.  I mentioned the article because one thing the doctor who wrote it says is that quite surprisingly often, pediatricians don't know much about the treatment of encopresis.   OP -- if your daughter's doctor has not started to talk about the possibility of encopresis, I'd look for another doctor for her.

margypops · Answer

Try backing off from all the things you are trying it is possible that it has created an anxiety ,all the enemas, suppositories and meds  are probably uncomfortable plus she has heard your concern , take a step back and let her be .the fact she freaks out when you try to put her on the potty tells,its too much. Make sure she is getting plenty of fruit veg, bean, roughage ..

RysMomma924 · Answer

Thanks so much for your knowledge and taking time to comment. I will check it out! Thanks

AnnieBrooke · Answer

If her lower intestine and colon are distended by so much holding of the stool in the past, they will not function very well, and it can take up to a year or more of one, consistent treatment (not jumping from one to another) for the colon to shrink and come back to normal functioning.  She might have so much room in the pouch that used to be her colon that it does take several days for the stool to fill it enough for her to feel the urge, not to mention having the functionality for the colon to squeeze.  Encopresis is not well understood by some doctors, the article I saw written by a doctor about it especially mentioned that it is not treated for a long enough period of time for the colon to heal and to begin to regain its functional ability to compress and push the stool along.  There was a really good article in Parents magazine about it, I think the issue was May, 2010, and it was called something like "When Your Child Just Can't Go."  You might see if you can track it down online or get a copy of the magazine at the library, and read the article.  It might give you a new approach.