Laxatives: things carers ask about
Constipation in children is treated with laxatives. These add water to the poo, making it soft and easy to pass.
Only give laxatives to children if their doctor has prescribed them.
Is the medicine safe?
Yes.
All the medicine does is add water to the poo, making it easier to pass. The medicine is not addictive or dangerous, but needs to be given every day for it to work effectively. How much water should my child drink?
Can children become dependent on the medicine to do a poo normally?
Absolutely not.
The gut can become irreparably damaged if it is permanently streched, so taking the medicine will actually prevent problems later in adulthood.
What does the medicine look like?
The medicine is a powder that comes in individual sachets. You need to mix the powder with water or other drinks.
I have used this before and it didn't work
It can happen that parents get the impression that laxatives don't work. This can happen because:
Sometimes, doctors prescribe large amounts of medicine to get out a hard lump of poo (they call this Disimpaction). In this case, they actually want the poo to become very soft, so that the bowel can be emptied completely.
The medicine draws water into the poo, making it easier to pass. This is exactly the intended effect. Stopping the medicine at this point makes the poo hard again, and difficult to pass.
The laxative can lose potency if it is not prepared following the instructions. If you are mixing it with juice, yoghurt, etc., first mix the powder with the correct amount of water.