Could my son have an obstruction?!
Question: My 3 1/2 yo son likes to eat string or yarn(any kind). He has passed this string in his bowel movements. A couple of weeks ago, there was a massive amount of yarn I had to pull out and it broke off. He has never passed the rest of it. This is very painful for him. He gets scared to go to bathroom and sometimes gets himself constipated. He has not had a normal bowel movement since. We took him to the dr who advised us to give him mira lax and also took an xray which showed an extensive amount of fecal material. With the mira lax and 2 fleet enamas given to him per dr orders he continues to just pass liquid when you goes to the bathroom. The dr tried to unimpact him yesterday but there was nothing low. Sent for another xray. Shows a little less fecal matter but it is high. I will not know until tomorrow what the next step is. I don't feel the dr is taking me to serious. Could he have an obstruction? Why would the fecal matter not pass down so he could get it out?
Answers: My 3 1/2 yo son likes to eat string or yarn(any kind). He has passed this string in his bowel movements. A couple of weeks ago, there was a massive amount of yarn I had to pull out and it broke off. He has never passed the rest of it. This is very painful for him. He gets scared to go to bathroom and sometimes gets himself constipated. He has not had a normal bowel movement since. We took him to the dr who advised us to give him mira lax and also took an xray which showed an extensive amount of fecal material. With the mira lax and 2 fleet enamas given to him per dr orders he continues to just pass liquid when you goes to the bathroom. The dr tried to unimpact him yesterday but there was nothing low. Sent for another xray. Shows a little less fecal matter but it is high. I will not know until tomorrow what the next step is. I don't feel the dr is taking me to serious. Could he have an obstruction? Why would the fecal matter not pass down so he could get it out?
Truthfully, it will probably pass on it's own. Now, mind you I am not a doctor, but with bowel obstructions, the fecal material continues to build up. From my undertanding, you say that his x-rays are showing less fecal matter. When you say liquid,. do you mean liquid stool? If so, it's not an obstruction. Partial obstruction, possibly, but if he's passing things (including water), then the bowel is not totally obstructed. Bowel obstructions are not really caused by fecal matter. They are mostly caused by bands of scar tissue, tumors, hernias, diverticulitis, or abscesses. If none of these are present, it's just REALLY bad constipation.
All that being said, any time you feel your doctor is not taking you seriosuly, ask him to explain things to a little better. Sometimes doctor's forget that their patients don't have a background in medicine, and therefore leave things out. your doc is probably not worried for a reason that is very obvious to him (i.e. he sees no mechanical obstruction and there are no signs of neuromuscular obstruction), but not so obvious to you. Miralax is a really effective. I was actually clogged for 13 days (I kid you not). I went to the doc on the 5th day, sure I had an obstruction or paralytic ileus. Basically he said here take this miralax. It took several days for it to work, but eventually it did. So don't worry too much... your doc is probably right, but if you really want to be sure, get a second opinion from a GI specialist.
Oh, and get rid of all the string in your house!
Yes, he sounds like he has a bowel obstruction. If all methods of removal fail, surgery will be the next course.
Do what it takes to child proof your home so he can't get ahold of yarn, string, etc. I would ask a pediatrician why your son craves it. My brother used to eat dirt when he was little. The doc told my mom that was because he was craving iron. Once he was put on iron pills, the dirt eating stopped.