 | Constipation is a terribly serious issue. Most of his medications all work to constipate him, so we (unfortunately) take logs of them so that we don't let him go beyond 48 hours without a bowel movement. The last time we let him go beyond 48 hours, he was in a tremendous amount of pain. |
| When we were just starting out, we used a 1/2 ounce of Pear Juice every hour until he pooped. Earth's Best Organic Baby Foods makes a 4 oz bottle that we think is the perfect size. Don't go crazy with the pear juice. Our friends thought it would be fine to give their constipated son (not a Menkes son, btw) 6oz of pear juice before a three hour plane ride and had diarrhea all over him and both parents!!! (I'm sure the other passengers loved them.) Pear juice works like prune, but it tastes a lot better. |
| Eventually, when the pear juice didn't cut it any more, we got GlycoLax, a prescription laxative. Good stuff, but it is not an "as needed" kind of medicine. We found it better to use a little bit every day than to roller coaster between diarrhea and constipation. Now, Jack gets GlycoLax in the first bottle of the day and we'll replace two ounces of water with pear juice in all of the rest of the 6oz bottles that he drinks. (See Formula.) |
| If Jack still hasn't had a bowel movement in 48 hours, then we turn to the last resort: Pedia-Lax Liquid Glycerin Suppositories, available at your local over-the-counter drug store. I know it says for 2-5 years, but when you're desperate, you're desperate, and you do what you have to do. Once in, we don't leave, 'cuz something's going to come out soon. However, these are rough on the little guy's bowels, so these really are a last resort. (Also, we started out using just half of the dosage.) |
NOTE: We are not health care professionals and consider the above comments to be personal reflections on choices we made/make. We accept NO liability for your choices. Talk to your own doctors before making a change to your son's treatments or care.