Kids and Miralax - how to make it better to take?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK so without the long story - my DS (age 11) is now on a daily dose of Miralax. (We go back to the pediatric GI in June.)

He was a solid milk drinker (now on a non-dairy diet). Really isn't a fan of juice. Hates gatorade and soda.

He has tried taking Miralax as a "shot" with water and stuffing a GS Thin Mint cookie in his mouth after but that didn't go well.

Tonight I thought he was going to burst into tears when I was prepping. I know he had a long day - but this taking Miralax daily is getting old quick. (And we have been going it for over a month now!) (Tonight it was in guava juice with an oreo mint cookie "chaser".)

Am I missing some unicorn idea? Like could put it in some applesauce and just have him drink a glass of water after? Mix it with a little non-dairy ice cream and then have water?

Is there anyone that has some idea of how to make it more palatable?


Help!!!

Unicorn idea: Have your son evaluated for ADHD, which is the root of encopresis/chronic constipation. Once he goes on ADHD meds his encopresis will drastically decrease. Also, guava is a known constipating agent. Do not use this if you are trying to get them to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily doses of Miralax are possibly dangerous to kids.

Miralax is only indicated for adults, and for usage no longer than one week. CHOP is doing a study on neurological issues that they’re finding in kids who have taken lots of it. You should look into it.

Put him on the natural calm powder at night (not the kind with calcium). As PP said, Mg really moves the bowels.

If he was a heavy milk drinker, that was likely what was constipating him. I’d push water on him, and try the magnesium.

This gets posted about here on DCUM a lot. It is often misrepresented, whether deliberately or not.

To be clear, the CHOP study was in response to parental concerns and social media discussions filled with guesswork and misinformation. It's not being done because a researcher thinks that Miralax is probably a problem -- it's being done to settle the question, same as studies were done to settle the faux MMR/autism connection question.

As CHOP states in the original research brief, "At this time, however, we are not aware of any scientific study indicating that PEG 3350 is dangerous or causes neurobehavioral symptoms." https://heuckeroth.research.chop.edu/peg-3350-study

CHOP still recommends Miralax for pediatric colonoscopy preps: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/kohl-s-gi-nutrition-and-diagnostic-center/colonoscopy-preparation

NASPGHAN (The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition) has a FAQ about Miralax here (PDF): https://cmcpediatrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/PEG-3350-FAQ.pdf

8. Why is the FDA sponsoring a new study on the safety of PEG 3350 and what new information do they hope to find out?
The FDA is interested in investigating the safety of PEG 3350 use in children and for prolonged periods. Although PEG 3350 is a very large molecule which is not absorbed by the gut due to its size, there are concerns that smaller compounds, such as ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol, could be found as impurities in the manufacturing process of PEG 3350 or formed when PEG 3350 is broken down within the body. The FDA is investigating if these smaller compounds are absorbed by the gut and accumulated in the bodies of children taking PEG 3350. Some families have reported concerns to the FDA that some neurologic or behavioral symptoms in children may be related to taking PEG 3350. It is unclear whether these side-effects are due to PEG 3350. This study is the first step towards trying to determine if there is truly a link.

10. What should I do if my child is currently taking PEG 3350?

Generally speaking, if your child has been prescribed PEG 3350 as part of his/her treatment plan, and you feel this medicine provides benefit, you should feel safe continuing PEG 3350. At this time, PEG 3350 appears to be safe based on current medical literature. We recommend discussing any concerns you have about the safety of PEG 3350 with your child’s health care provider. If you would prefer for your child to stop taking PEG 3350, discuss other treatments options with your child’s health care team before stopping PEG 3350 therapy. Although abruptly stopping PEG 3350 is not considered dangerous, it could lead to a relapse/worsening of constipation.

Yes I was afraid to give my child miralax for two years because of all these posters and tried everything else. My three year old developed voiding dysfunction, we dealt with constant accidents, discomfort, etc. Finally a pediatrician said again to use miralax and told me she gives it two her own children everyday and they have a very good diet and do all the other things to help constipation. I give a small dose of miralax every day and she poops regularly, but i have to keep the routine or the voiding dyisfunction starts again.

[Anonymous]

It's flavorless - it's colorless - it's your kids problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's flavorless - it's colorless - it's your kids problem.

NP. I can’t drink it in water. It makes the water “thick” somehow. Some people are more sensitive to this than others.

Non-dairy milk? Applesauce? No problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK so without the long story - my DS (age 11) is now on a daily dose of Miralax. (We go back to the pediatric GI in June.)

He was a solid milk drinker (now on a non-dairy diet). Really isn't a fan of juice. Hates gatorade and soda.

He has tried taking Miralax as a "shot" with water and stuffing a GS Thin Mint cookie in his mouth after but that didn't go well.

Tonight I thought he was going to burst into tears when I was prepping. I know he had a long day - but this taking Miralax daily is getting old quick. (And we have been going it for over a month now!) (Tonight it was in guava juice with an oreo mint cookie "chaser".)

Am I missing some unicorn idea? Like could put it in some applesauce and just have him drink a glass of water after? Mix it with a little non-dairy ice cream and then have water?

Is there anyone that has some idea of how to make it more palatable?


Help!!!

Unicorn idea: Have your son evaluated for ADHD, which is the root of encopresis/chronic constipation. Once he goes on ADHD meds his encopresis will drastically decrease. Also, guava is a known constipating agent. Do not use this if you are trying to get them to go.

Correlation is not causation. While encopresis/chronic constipation may frequently be comorbid with ADHD, ADHD does not cause it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter went vegetarian on her own and it completely cured the constipation she’d had since she was a toddler. She eats tons of dairy now, just subbing beans instead of meat and that did the trick for her. She still barely drinks anything (which made miralax and milk of msg ineffective). Just thought I’d share in case this helps someone.

How nice for you. Dietary changes, toileting schedules and Miralax weren't enough for my DS with encopresis. We had to do the Modified O'Regan Protocol (MOP). Yep, I had to administer enemas to my 6 yo on a daily basis for over a month, then every other day for a month and then twice a week for a month. At the same time he was on Miralax. It was over 6 months before the encopresis cleared and another 6 months for his rectum to return to normal and he was able to sense when he had a BM.

Just sharing in case others, like I, wasted too much time on diet changes and plain old Miralax "clean outs".

https://www.bedwettingandaccidents.com/what-is-m-o-p

[Anonymous]

Try mixing it in a hot liquid, like hot chocolate.

[Anonymous]

Posting in support of miralax - giving a small dose daily got us through early years (3.5-5) when the gastro told us that she was just too small to eat the volume of vegetables and fiber her body required to go to the bathroom. At age 6, we were able to stop using it, but I was so grateful to not having a crying kid in the bathroom. Chronic constipation is so painful and it made her avoid the bathroom for a while. We mixed it in a small morning hot chocolate.