DD needs a colonoscopy...

macaroni1979 · September 2012

Has anyone's preschooler been through this? There is a 3-4 week cleansing prep of daily laxatives and stool softeners

I'm not really sure how I can send her to school while doing this. Its kind of a mess each time she goes, and we had multiple underwear changes today, no further explanation needed. So, if your LO has been through this, can you share your experience with me? I'm thinking I need to keep her home until I see if she is "going" on a regular schedule. Like only pooping in the mornings (she is in school pt) and then send her after? Also, one last thing, after only 2 days, her bottom is sore... Ideas, tips, sympathy, anything???

Littlejen22 · September 2012

Have not been through it but is that standard? 23 weeks seems insanely long for anyone, especially a toddler and I would worry about weight loss and malnutrition if I was constantly cleansing like that.

As for wiping, when my kids have diarrhea I will take a nonscented wipe you can get the flushable ones assuming potty trained and rinse them well with warm water and use that to wipe, if you do not rinse and they are sore it will burn and toilet paper will cause abraisions.

Good luck, that sounds horrible. My other suggestion is to call the office back for suggestions.

ETA: I just read Livestrong.com and this:
https://www.giforkids.com/?a=Proceduresb=colon20prep2020120to20520years

And both only reference the day before, I am very interested why your doctor would have you cleanse a child for weeks, I am totally not a doctor but that seems so unsafe to me.

lawry13 · September 2012

I have not had a child go through this but have had to do a bowel prep for surgery that might have resulted in removing part of my colon (didn't have to have that happen thank goodness). I had to do one day of cleansing and prep. That was bad enough and as an adult it was hard on my body. I can't imagine a child going through it. I would definitely recommend some sort of moist wipe and maybe check with your pedi to see if you can use Preparation H wipes. Her bottom will feel like it is on fire after a while (if it doesn't already).

I would question the length of prep. Adults who get colonoscopies only do one day of prep. The point of the prep is to empty the bowels and if you are doing this over several weeks, she is still eating and putting food back through them.

Asquared · September 2012

nothing that extreme, but my oldest is on miralax and has been for over a year and a half- she's good and regular now, but I think what I'd do is send her to school in the morning, then do the laxative and fiber afterwards. Laxatives ended up making my dd sick, but she does really well w/ miralax. She also doesn't tolerate the cottonelle wipes very well, so I use wet toilet paper and she doesn't get as irritated. What's she have to have it for?

macaroni1979 · September 2012

I know it sounds long, but 3-4 weeks is how it is done. The beginning is a cleanse of the bowel, and then the rest (lower dose) is maintenance. So hopefully the next few weeks will be a lot easier on her than this weekend was.

Thanks for the advice, I will try rinsing baby wipes with warm water and using baby wash clothes dipped in warm water to clean her little, sore bottom.

She is having the colonoscopy because of blood/mucus in her stool and when I wipe. Blood tests and stool samples haven't turned up anything, so the Dr is looking for polyps. The really strange part is that when he did a rectal exam, he felt stool in there. He said you shouldn't be able to feel stool, unless you are constipated. But, we eat a whole foods, plant based diet and she is VERY regular, her stools are soft and come out with no issue. I'm just confused as to how you can be constipated when you go eat least once daily. Part of the reason for the cleaning out, is to give her rectum a break from being dilated. (Hope that makes sense.) And I really trust the gastroenterologist, we are seen at Johns Hopkins, I can't think of a better place to be.

Asquared, what is your lo's daily dose of Miralax? He is having me give her 1.5 capfuls in 4oz of water daily.

I think I will try giving it to her after school, 3pm, and see if that works out. I just am afraid to push it back too close to bedtime.

Thanks for your help ladies

ridesbuttons · September 2012

I'd treat her bottom with zinc cream like this:

I'd be very tempted to keep her home for a few days when starting the cleansing prep (start on a Saturday maybe?) by the sounds of it.

Why so long for the cleanse portion? I don't know any kids who have had a colonscopy but many adult and it is not a 3-4 week prep, it's more like a day or two. I'd be concerned about dehydration and sodium loss over a 'cleanse' of that length. For sure I would get a second opinion.

Poor little thing!

brightning · September 2012

My child hasn't been through this but I have. My prepping process only took 24 hrs with Fleet's (one miserable, hellish day that I don't wish to relive). I can't imagine putting a child through that.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste has always been helpful for my children.

Good luck and I hope the time passes quickly!

kar5162 · September 2012

If they think she is constipated, maybe they are trying to make sure she stays well cleared out to start to help her colon shrink. Constipation can cause the colon to stretch which makes it really hard to beat constipation - they seem to like to keep the kids very regular to help things get back to normal.

That's a tough prep though. I would have thought they could have looked for the polyops without the maintanance part. Miralax is a tricky drug. That's not an unusual dose for a very backed up kid, but that much Miralax would cause uncontrolable pooping in our house. DS is very prone to constipation and hasn't needed more than 1 tsp in over a year. He didn't need any for several months and with potty training he's needed a bit more. Still, 1/4 tsp does it for him - 1/2 tsp even means extremely soft poops and 1 tsp means epic blowouts. I would move her to pull ups since my guess is she simply cannot control things on that much Miralax and use Triple Paste preventatively.

ToBeMrsT · September 2012

My DD had a colonoscopy at 22 months and the prep was 24 hours. She had to drink a white substance and then the day of they did multiple enemas to clean her out.

anonsouthernbell · September 2012

macaroni1979:
I know it sounds long, but 3-4 weeks is how it is done. The beginning is a cleanse of the bowel, and then the rest (lower dose) is maintenance. So hopefully the next few weeks will be a lot easier on her than this weekend was.
Thanks for the advice, I will try rinsing baby wipes with warm water and using baby wash clothes dipped in warm water to clean her little, sore bottom.
She is having the colonoscopy because of blood/mucus in her stool and when I wipe. Blood tests and stool samples haven't turned up anything, so the Dr is looking for polyps. The really strange part is that when he did a rectal exam, he felt stool in there. He said you shouldn't be able to feel stool, unless you are constipated. But, we eat a whole foods, plant based diet and she is VERY regular, her stools are soft and come out with no issue. I'm just confused as to how you can be constipated when you go eat least once daily. Part of the reason for the cleaning out, is to give her rectum a break from being dilated. (Hope that makes sense.) And I really trust the gastroenterologist, we are seen at Johns Hopkins, I can't think of a better place to be.
Asquared, what is your lo's daily dose of Miralax? He is having me give her 1.5 capfuls in 4oz of water daily.
I think I will try giving it to her after school, 3pm, and see if that works out. I just am afraid to push it back too close to bedtime.
Thanks for your help ladies

Have you tried cutting gluten out of her diet? Not all drs are well versed w food allergies/intolerances...

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