By Dr. Hodges
The other day I saw a 7-year-old boy who’s still in diapers because he has both pee and poop accidents. The first time I saw him, months ago, I ordered an x-ray, which showed his rectum was absolutely stuffed with stool. I referred him to a gastroenterologist for therapy to get the boy cleaned out.
A few months later, he returned to my clinic. He’d had two urinary tract infections, such a rarity in boys that I got worried I may have missed a congenital problem, like a blockage of his urethra. I asked his mother to continue giving him Miralax so that his stools would be borderline diarrhea, and I set him up to be evaluated in the operating room with a cystoscope, a tube that goes through the urethra into the bladder.
But I could barely get the scope in his bladder because of a big mound behind the bladder neck. I pulled out the scope and put a finger in the boy’s bottom — and found the biggest mass of poop I have ever felt.
This poor kid had been wetting for four years because nobody ever bothered to check for rectal stool.
Dr. Hodges-
On my way home from work (night nurse!) I was lucky to catch you on Doctor Radio and have some questions. Our 8 yr old son (ASD, ADHD) started Abilify (also on Focalin) a few months ago and now we have chronic decreased bowel motility. I hesitate to label it constipation because his stool is soft and he has had some loose leakage as well. No bed wetting!-Yet! Our Doctor did recommend Miralax, twice a day 2 min toilet sitting and increased fiber in diet. Slight improvement (soft stool every 3-4 days, was everyday) but unable to get off Miralax and Sennekot. We added probiotics, oatmeal/prune muffins. Any suggestions??-our son is also severely allergic to all dairy, eggs and peanuts. He refuses mushy texture foods but I can hide things in muffins. We encourage water as well. Thanks for the great info this am! Does your book give any info on constipation related to meds?