Bowel Leakage!!! | Autism PDD
I forgot to add, welcome!
WELCOME,This is a great place to shair info,you can get lots of support here,Also having an older child you will help alot of parents.
God bless,Linda
Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you found us, as there are other families dealing with this same issue. If you search on "encopresis", you'll find other topics devoted to this subject.
I have not deal with this myself, but below are some relevant articles from my collection of online resources. Good luck with everything.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/1 12/4/939 - Study showing that constipation in autistic children can be more severe than the usual symptoms suggest.
http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/cdd/patients/enco2.asp - very reader-friendly article about encopresis (bowel movement accidents)
Have had an on going issue with our son for years now with bowel
leakage. We have tried lots of methods, even currently with a behaviorist for
over a year. He is now 15yrs old and still can't wipe and holds his BMs and
has leakage before movements. Looking into specialist. any one else have
this problem with their child? Seems like low muscle tone involved. Good
luck to all moms with younger kids, it doesn't get easier as they get older.
PS Had full blown urination bouts last year turned out to be a dental pain
issue. Son has a high pain threshold and is nonverbal. Glad that is over, but
still dealing with #2. Any comments welcome.
Wow thank you for all your responses so quickly. I have never tried a forum
before this is great to be able to relate to others with similar issues. I will
read more of the forum and see if I can be a help to others as well. We have
gone through many things with our son and would love to share any
knowledge we might have in dealing with our kids.
My son is almost 13 and has this same problem. My ped sates that generally, this is caused by constant constipation, from holding in the BM's. We are currently treating Adam with Milk of Magnesia. She told us to give it to him every day for a long time until his BM's become normal. He is not there yet. (this is the second time in 6 mos we are trying this). Then when the are normal for several days. Do the corn test. Have him eat a tablespoon of corn and watch when it comes through his body. If it is within 24 hours he is cleaned out. Then you have to make up a reward for him to sit on the potty everyday and try to go. This worked pretty well for us until we went on vacation and he got backed up again. He has been having accidents with the MOM, and really bad gas, but I think it is cleaning him out. Hopefully this time it will work for us. Good luck.
P.S. Nice to see someone with an older child on the boards.
We have dealt with this since my DS was born. He too has low muscle tone. We have found by observation that on the days he is really physically active, he will have a BM on his own. He tries to hold it in, but he cant lol I dont know why all that physical activity works, but it does. That might be a harder thing to do with your son being 15. Also, we have a prescription med that works like a charm. We give it every other day in a drink. It is flavorless and dissolves in the drink. It keeps him going, and he cant hold it in after a day or two of being on his med. It is called Glycolax and comes in a powder from. Hope this helps you! Hi and May I Say...I'm returning to these forums after several years of being just too frantic/crazy/busy to get on-line. It is reassuring, as well as sobering, to find comfort in numbers; I too have been battling the encopresis/chronic constipation issue since my almost-12 y/o daughter was 4+. (high-functioning autism, ???poss. early onset bi-polar disorder.. on Resperdil and Depakote).
Our story is typical, MRS never really got complete bowel control as a young child, had an unfortunate adventure with a "bowel-training" program at age 4-5 which left us with her with-holding poop for over 2 weeks, and has since had a life-long resistance to any "pro-active" use of the toilet.
We have seen a GI specialist, worked with behaviorists, etc. etc. and have been following a treatment plan including glycolax (75 gm twice per day!!!!!) and trying our darndest to enforce a behavior program of "sitting" on the potty for 15 minutes twice per day. She still resists though, and unless we are always completely on top of her (difficult given age, school-time, as well as other factors in our family life)does not always follow regimen. Periods of control seem to wax and wane,and recently she seems to be almost indifferent to her accidents and is soiling daily.
Obviously there are alot of issues associated with this problem; most significantly our concerns about how other people will respond/effects on her self-esteem (she attends a special day class at a public middle school and mainstreams for part of the day, including P.E.), the tremendous "dis-hygienic" aspect of having to deal with poopy panties and clothes, finding "poop pellets" throughout the house (the dried poop falls out of her pants), etc. etc. Even with double washes and double rinses I am still finding fecal matter in the washing machine and dryer which is a real health issue to the entire household, not to mention a real gross-out!
Her father/stepmother (we are divorced) deals with it by placing sanitary pads in her panties to address the mess, so I decided to do it with her as well. I have tried to use similar-style pads (extra-long with the wrap-around wings) but she has complete melt-downs over how they feel. Using "light-day" pads has been acceptable to her but of course, does nothing to contain the "ick". I have (just) finally resorted to getting adult-diapers and advising her that if she does not "do her potty-time", and therefore has an "accident", she will have to wears these instead of panties. Today was the first day this was put to the test, she started out in panties and while we were shopping had an accident (I found out because the back of her skirt was stained). When we got home I instructed her to clean up (wipe herself, put soiled panties in a plastic bag) and then advised her that either she follow her program of sitting on the toilet or she would have to wear a diaper. I was suprised, and more than a little upset when she chose the diapers over taking time to "sit" on the potty. I asked her how she was going to handle wearing the diapers to school, especially as she has to change in the locker room for PE, and she responded that she would stop having accidents by then (school starts in 3 days). I told her that in order for this to happen she needed to cooperate with "sitting" for 15 minutes, she is still refusing and says she will start it "later".
HEEEEEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP????
This problem has been on-going for over 7 years and my daughter is now well over 100# and 5' tall, even if it was possible there is no way that I can MAKE her sit on the toilet and try to have normal BMs, and yes, we have tried letting her have books, listen to music, play with the GameBoy, etc. etc. while on the toilet. She attempts to deceive us by sitting on top of the closed toilet, and at school the teachers were amazed to find out that she was having accidents as she was not telling them or asking for her clean clothes (we believe she was throwing away her panties and going without).
Several years ago our pediatric GI once told us about a treatment involving hospitalization for several days, giving a GI prep via NG tube and getting her "cleaned-out", then hoping that between diet and behavioral intervention (bowel training)the bowel would regain tone/sensory function thus resolving the problem. When I raised this issue a few years ago he said that she was too old and would not tolerate it (NG tube, etc) well.
I am at a loss. She has not yet started menstruating, although she does have breast and pubic hair development, and I dread the thought of her personal care (or lack of) in regards to managing menstrual discharge (did I mention that handwashing, washing herself properly in the shower, etc., despite constant prompting, is less than adequate??). I would appreciate any advice or input that anyone could offer.
Sorry this post was so lengthy, I think I needed to vent as much as anything else, especially since MRS's attitude spills over onto her NT 8 y/o brother who is being resistant to "pro-active" toileting and is having problems with constipation, urgent rushes to the toilet, and of course, accidents on occasion.
Thanks,
Susanne
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