1 year old son with chronic constipation

[mjohnson33]

He is dairy free except for the lactulose stool softener I give him. He does not have any other dairy. Its been almost a week off soy and off lactose for almost 2 weeks and no improvement in the stool. sounds unlikely that its dairy right? Or do u think the lactulose might be causing the problem. He isn't stopped up per say...he has good days and bad days but does poop everyday BC of all the meds.

[Canwi]

Hi ladies.  I am stepping in here to quietly remind all that most of the members of BW are not trained medical professionals, and those that are cannot make an accurate diagnosis or do an accurate assessment via the internet medium.  We also have no known GAPS practitioners present in our membership.

A consideration regarding many homeopathic and naturopathic medicines is that they claim that "because the product is 100% natural, it provides relief without the worry of harmful side effects. Homeopathic medicies are considered among the safest medicinal option in the world. There is no risk of overdose or potential negative interaction with other medicines".
It is very hard to believe that there is no risk of overdose.  Anything can be toxic and have a risk of overdose - even oxygen or water.  So that claim should be considered advertising hype. 
Also because something is natural doesn't mean that there is no risk of interaction with other medications or even other natural products.  Grapefruit are natural, and yet they can cause interactions with multiple different types and classes of medications. 
What is more accurate is that homeopathic and naturopathic medications may have fewer, and possibly less severe, side-effects and interactions than what many people experience with "artificial" pharmaceutical-made medications.

Another point that should be made is that MANY medications (of all types) have had little or no testing done on LO's.  All claims, both scientific study based and anecdotal based, are from adults who have taken the medications.  LO's bodies metabolise meds in a different way than adults.  Until there is more study based information or anecdotal information, these medications will remain listed as not for children.

Please remember that ANY suggestions of medications or doses to use/try (be they prescription medications, over the counter medications, herbal medications or supplements of any type) are just that.  Suggestions.  These suggestions should be looked over by an appropriate medical professional in your own area to ensure that what you are wanting to give your child is an appropriate medication and an appropriate dose.  And remember there are many and wide variations world-wide of what is acceptable.

[mjohnson33]

Had a follow up with DS new doctor.  I took a copy of the blood work the GI doctor had done.  Turns out he is B-12 anemic and B-12 is a very important vitamin for digestion!!!!  He also said DS was dehydrated when the labs were done.  And there is some ratio that is very indicative of some sort of auto-immune response which indicates he may have a food intolerance.  So we are going to do a finger prick next week to test for the 30 most common food allergies.

I am so dumbfounded as to why/how the GI doctor missed all this?!?! 

Now DS is on B-12 drops and Vitamin D drops to try and fix the imflammation in his gut.  The dr also said that when he felt DS belly/colon that it has improved.  On MOnday his left side was empty but the right side was full which made him think there was a crimp in his colon holding things up.  Well last night it was totally full all the way, so things are moving through better.

I hope things start moving soon for him...I really like this new doctor!!! He seems to know way more about the gut and how it all connects together. 

[Canwi]

FYI: Allergy testing in under 2's is not 100% reliable and this is internationally recognised.

[Buntybear]

Hi, as Canwi says testing is 100% reliable but at least it should give you a strating point and may highlight things you hadn't considered before as a potentially allergen. Good Luck

[tigerlilly905]

Wonderful news, mj33! I'm so, so pleased that this has helped to lead you to a natural health professional who can help your DS. It certainly sounds like you are starting to get some clarity in this whole situation. I hope the positive progress continues. 

Bravo for digging deeper and working towards finding the root cause of your little mans tummy troubles.  Speaking from experience, the journey can be tricky, but it's so rewarding once the healing begins. 

Sending lots of healthy, healing vibes to your Ds.

[mjohnson33]

Thanks Tigerlilly!

I wanted to ask you....he is still on all the stool softeners b/c I am scared that if I just take him off before things start moving from the new dr that he will get severly backed up like before.....so once things start to move if its too much he will start to get the diahrrea right?  Then I know I can slow down on the stool softeners?? 

I cant wait until I dont have to rely on those meds anymore!!!

Also, do you know if the B-12 will help things move too?? 

[tigerlilly905]

I wanted to ask you....he is still on all the stool softeners b/c I am scared that if I just take him off before things start moving from the new dr that he will get severly backed up like before.....so once things start to move if its too much he will start to get the diahrrea right?  Then I know I can slow down on the stool softeners??

I'm not sure on the stool softener, sweets. What does your new ND/Osteo say about them?

Are you asking about the Probiotics causing diarrhea?  Probiotics can cause loose stool/diarrhea at first. As the good bacteria are starting to colonize in the intestines they can push out lingering feces that had previously been compacted inside the intestinal wall, if that's what you're asking.  Again, I would go slow in introducing them.

Did you talk to your new Dr. about the dosage?

I personally haven't heard about B-12 helping to relieve constipation, but it he's lacking B-12 in his system, I'm sure it will help to balance the digestive process as it heals the rest of his body as well.

Just try and take it slow and keep open communication with your new Dr. I know the ND and Gaps Practitioner we are working with both allow email questions/phone appts, does yours? It could be worth asking about if you just had a quick question, instead of having to book a full appt, kwim?

Also, I would keep a list of questions to ask for each appt. I know sometimes questions pop in our head and by the time the appt rolls aroud you forget to ask. I'm bad for that!

[mjohnson33]

I did ask the new dr about the softeners and he wants me to stop them but I dont feel comfortable with that and he is ok with that.  But maybe I can ask him the other question.....

Yeah I just thought once his body starts working the way it should he will start to get diahrrea b/c the stool softeners are too much, thats really what I was implying.  Right now, I think they are still helping him go on a day to day basis. I figured I will know when its too much for his system and I will have to back off.

New doctor said 1/4 tsp every day for 2 weeks then once I see it start to work I can do every other day then every third day for the probiotic. 

Yes, I am trying to take it slow but also nervous at the same time.  I feel like it should start working very soon unless he was really bad then I guess it will take time.  I just know I am paying cash for all this and would like to not be taken advantage of with empty promises if it doesnt start to work soon, ya know?  My doctor does take email quesitons and I definately take advantage of that!!  

Poor DS though, he screams the whole time the doctor is working on him!! He just looks at me like "help me" and I just keep saying "its ok" and rubbing his head. 

[tigerlilly905]

Yeah I just thought once his body starts working the way it should he will start to get diahrrea b/c the stool softeners are too much, thats really what I was implying.  Right now, I think they are still helping him go on a day to day basis. I figured I will know when its too much for his system and I will have to back off.

Gotcha, I understand what you were trying to say, that makes sense to me.

I just know I am paying cash for all this and would like to not be taken advantage of with empty promises if it doesnt start to work soon, ya know

Oh, I know completely. Like I said, it took me 4 ND's to find the right one for us. So now we have an ND and a separate GAPS practitioner we've just recently started working with. I agree, it can get costly, I totally know where you're coming from.

Glad you get email questions, yay!

Poor little man. I know, it's hard. I think sometimes it's just the fact that a stranger is touching them. Hopefully the process gets easier for him soon.

xo

[Canwi]

If your son is pooping because of the stool softeners and you stop them, one of two things will happen.  Nothing and he keeps pooping.  Or he gets profoundly constipated and impacted. 

This is your child.  Not mine, not the doctors, not anyone elses.  You need to decide one way or another.  You and your son will be the ones who have to work through the consequences.  Not us.  You also need to realise that this problem will take quite some time to heal regardless of the method you choose.  Your son has a bowel that needs medications to help it work.  It will not resolve in 2 weeks.  It may take 2 months or even longer until he is able to poop without some assistance of some variety be it meds, diet, supplements, whatever.  You need to prepare yourself for this to be a long process.

There are some things about this new doctor that I do think you need to look into before you take your son off his stool softeners/laxatives, which you say yourself have helped him greatly.  I've tried very hard to be non-confrontational here, but it's kinda hard. 

You are seeing an “Osteopath who specializes in dietary balance and stool testing”.  What qualifications does this person have?  I totally agree with tigerlilly905

Perhaps its b/c he specializes in osteo, not the gut specifically.

If this person does not have a Doctorate of Osteopathy (DO), then by US law they are practicing illegally under the name ‘osteopath’.

This person is also giving you potentially false information. 
Google Vitamin B12 for yourself.  Almost every piece of information I found by Googling "Vitamin B-12" says that it is vitally important for neuron and brain development, and for making blood cells.  I suspect that the reason the GI didn’t mention it is because your son has a B12 level that is normal and adequate for brain development, and that your son doesn't have Pernicious Anemia (aka B12 anemia).  If your son had Pernicious Anemia the osteopath should be slapped for not sending you to get your son seen by a hematologist, or to the ER.

I also googled “Vitamin B12 and digestion”.  One article mentioned Vitamin B12 being required for digestion specifically.  One out of probably 20 I scanned in looking this up for you.
That’s pretty weak evidence to be starting your child on a supplement.  Now Vitamin B12 is water-soluble, and the body will excrete what is excess.  So no harm potentially comes from this.

But in my mind it raises some pretty large, red flags about this person.  What else are they going to recommend that may not be necessary (ie a money making venture) or that may have harmful consequences?

Does he/she specialize in auto-immune stuff too?  If not then I’m not sure I’d be taking their recommendations on how to deal with those results and any stuff that comes from the allergy testing. 

I see you have done some thinking and that you have a plan that sounds logical and reasonable.

Yeah I just thought once his body starts working the way it should he will start to get diahrrea b/c the stool softeners are too much, thats really what I was implying.  Right now, I think they are still helping him go on a day to day basis. I figured I will know when its too much for his system and I will have to back off.

that makes sense to me.

Makes sense to me also.

[mjohnson33]

Reading the last posts I feel like I have been misunderstood.  I am not coming on here asking you all to make decisions for me or my son, in any way, shape, or form.  I have simply asked for advice from some people that have far more knowledge and been dealing with it much longer than I have.  That is all.  I am trying to do whats best for my son and I truly dont feel like being on 3 different stool softeners a day is ok. 

This new doctor did tell me that B-12 is important for digestion and I did google it and did find some evidence behind it.  I am not going in on this blind and I never would simply listen to a doctor no MATTER WHAT KIND OF DEGREE THEY HAD!  So, I want you to know that I am doing all the reseach humanly possible to make sure that I am not getting taken advantage of and that is what I use/used this site for.  SUPPORT, and now I feel like I cant get that and I have to watch what I say/do. 

Also, this new doctor is not a DO, he simply takes that sort of approach and does have alot of knowledge in auto-immune responses.  He looks at things in a different/natural way from the conventional MD that tend to go alot by the book.  My GI wanted to treat my son just like every other constipated child out there and I am not ok with that. 

With all that being said, I may take a break from here since I dont feel comforatable anymore. 

[tigerlilly905]

Quote from: mjohnson33 on Today at 09:38:59 AM.....I may take a break from here since I dont feel comforatable anymore.  ....which is precisely why I've barely posted in the last few months. Me neither.

me three...

Conventional medicine fails people sometimes. And I'd say about half the time, it was something I read here on BW from a parent, who may or may not even be a medical professional but "only" a mom who's done tons of research on her own, that clued me in to something different, although that the case far less frequently these days.

Agreed - 100%

[Jenn©]

Ladies: deep breaths please.  MJ, we are not trying to upset you/force you to make any decisions.  You came looking for advice to help Cole.  And helping you help Cole is what we want to do.  I can see you have done research, good for you.  I have seen too many folks take the first new idea they hear and run with it.  Example: DH followed a friend's advice to do a colon cleanse.  DH happens to have diverticulitis and the cleanse was sooo not pretty.  Happily I can occasionally bully him, thus kept him out of the hospital. 
Medical folks like myself and Canwi can get a bit passionate out of concern for littles.  It does not mean that a mama is doing the wrong thing/is not supported.  We just want to make sure that folks, and others who will later read this thread, are armed with info/questions to ask.  Does that make sense?  Big hugs to you and LO.  Poo issues stink, no pun intended. 

[bug_blues70]

No one comes on here to have decisions made FOR them! Lots of us are passionate about littles and about health too... which is why we don't automatically trust traditional medicine either. There is little support out there for people like us who don't think that traditional medicine always has the answer or that heavily medicating our children is the answer either. That's what I have loved about this site - there ARE other people out there who don't let their kids cry it out, other people who DO elimination diets in order to continue BF, and other people who DON"T always trust traditional medicine and are looking for other ways to help their children.