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

[Anonymous]

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!!!

[Anonymous]

Sorry PP, I mixed it with OJ or Gatorade. That was my only suggestion. And I mixed up a whole bottle at a time in an attempt to avoid my daughter watching me mix it. She too was on it daily due to severe kidney reflux (made worse by constipation).

Could you try Calm magnesium powder instead? It really moves the bowels as well. The watermelon and pink lemonade flavors aren’t bad.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why he hates it so much. It’s tasteless. Are you making sure it dissolves completely?

[Anonymous]

Its not tasteless and has grit. Can you switch her to a pill?

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Miralax in water? It’s undrinkable. I am able to cover the taste in orange juice. You might also want to split the dose between the morning and the evening.

[Anonymous]

Can you try some other juice flavors and see if you can find one he likes? We found orange, or mango worked well, but I think anything he would like would work.

[Anonymous]

You need to dissolve it in a glass of water, not a shot!! Let it sit for a few minutes so it’s completely invisible.

[Anonymous]

Dissolve in liquid and blend into smoothie with frozen fruit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its not tasteless and has grit. Can you switch her to a pill?

IME, it only has grit if it hasn't had enough time to dissolve. My DS was on it for nearly 4 years. We mixed it, mostly, with lemonade.

[Anonymous]

I first take a cap full of Miralax and then add maybe an 1/8 cup of water to dissolve it completely. Stir it up well until it is completely clear.

I then add it to about 4-6oz of something my child REALLY wants to drink- lemonade, gatorade, gingerale, etc. He also drinks it with a straw and that helps a lot.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Do not let your child use Miralax. If you have a doctor who is still prescribing this, I’d find a new doctor. Google NY Times and miralax and you’ll find many articles on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do not let your child use Miralax. If you have a doctor who is still prescribing this, I’d find a new doctor. Google NY Times and miralax and you’ll find many articles on this.

+1

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

You need to let it sit for several minutes to dissolve completely, and in a full glass of beverage. It's much better that way. Have you tried almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk? He really has tried and disliked all 20+ flavors of Gatorade?