constipation/lactulose/MOM

[wendmatt]

10 yo DD is very backed up and getting nauseated and feeling awful. Dr prescribed lactulose today and she took 7.5mls but is still only passing tiny poohs, so obviously still backed up. Would it be bad to give milk ofmagnesia as well? is she supposed to just wait for 48 hrs for it to work? We have used mom in the past but not for a while (she has been on miralax for alost 2 yrs now).
I don't want to mix it if it would be detrimental to her health.
We have another referral to peds gastro but not for a few weeks and she is so miserable right now
Any advice?

[Tondi G]

Looks like they can be taken together.... I found this

Milk of Magnesia works by "pushing things along the digestive tract." It increased the contractality of the muscles in the GI tract so products move along the intestines. It however, does not affect the actual products in the GI system, it just helps the products move down the GI system. Miralax, on the other hand helps constipation by softening the products, but miralax does not affect the muscles of the GI tract. I believe the issue is not what drug is stronger or better as these two drugs help through different mechanism. Often, in my practice, people suffering from constipation take both miralax ( to soften the stool) and milk of magnesia ( to move the stool down the GI tract).

[gatorsmom]

I'd call a ped to see if the 2 can be used together. Otherwise, I'd give more miralax. Our ped recommended 3 full capfulls in gatorade whe we were trying to clean out Greenbean who is 40 lbs. So that would be one safe way to start cleaning her out.

I suffer from constipation a lot too and so I know how bad your dd feels. It's miserable.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Yes, our cleanouts have been 3-5 capfuls in 8 oz of water each. We have to mix it into different things and in different fun cups to get him to drink that much. After getting an xray and seeing how backed up he was, they told us to do 6 capfuls one day and 4 the next. :eek: It definitely cleaned him out!

[MamaMolly]

If she's only passing tiny hard stools I think the milk of magnesia would make her tummy quite painful, since it seems to work by increasing the pooping contractions. IIWY I'd check in with my pediatrician first.

[wendmatt]

thanks all, I did give mom this morning and she finally went 3 hrs later, so is feeling a lot better