# Please help 5 y.o. Miralax severe cramping



## itsmebaby (Apr 15, 2010)

My daughter is 5 and was prescribed miralax by her pediatrician. She had a full capful in 4 ounces of water/juice for two days straight and the last dose was yesterday. Since yesterday, she is having severe cramping and watery diarrhea. For a kid who never has a belly ache, her cries are scary for us.
Does anyone know how long it will take to get out of her system? She can't eat without this cramping that comes later and she has already lost weight from a stomach bug that had her throwing up.
Just need advice on how to ease her cramping and how long it might take after last dose to lose the effect?


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## Pinskers (May 16, 2013)

Did the doctor say how long? Is is persistently constipated? The key with miralax is to experiment with the dosage. If she's cramping, I'd cut her dose to 75% or 50% of the prescribing info. Your daughter will also, unfortunately, need to drink more to flush it out of her system faster (this is also what they do for colonoscopy prep). I recommend doing it with something electrolyte rich such as pedialyte if she's been recovering from a stomach bug, since Miralax will cause some loose stool once it gets going.

Edit: Just saw the watery diarrhea part. Yikes! Definitely cut her dosage!


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## itsmebaby (Apr 15, 2010)

Pinskers said:


> Did the doctor say how long? Is is persistently constipated? The key with miralax is to experiment with the dosage. If she's cramping, I'd cut her dose to 75% or 50% of the prescribing info. Your daughter will also, unfortunately, need to drink more to flush it out of her system faster (this is also what they do for colonoscopy prep). I recommend doing it with something electrolyte rich such as pedialyte if she's been recovering from a stomach bug, since Miralax will cause some loose stool once it gets going.
> 
> Edit: Just saw the watery diarrhea part. Yikes! Definitely cut her dosage!


Thanks for your reply. We stopped the miralax altogether and have been giving her smart water (she doesnt seem to like the salty taste of pedialyte). We are trying to balance all her symptoms. It is so hard to see her in pain. I never should have given her that full 17 grams even though the doctor said... I should have listened to my gut!


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## Pinskers (May 16, 2013)

It may take a while for the Miralax to flush through her system. I know Miralax leaves me feeling sloshy inside until it's all out. In my experience, ducosate sodium is a milder stool softener that causes less cramping and weird symptoms, but it's 50/50. It either works for some or doesn't. Fleet makes a pediatric liquid version (SUPPOSEDLY fruit punch flavored), which you can find here: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/fleet-childrens-pedia-lax-liquid-stool-softener-fruit-punch/ID=prod3946477-product?ext=gooMedicines_ampersand_Treatments_PLA_Childrens_Stomach_Remedies_prod3946477_pla&adtype=pla&kpid=sku3945326&sst=406212d2-548b-4898-92e0-a4d9d0449d49&kpid=sku3945326


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## itsmebaby (Apr 15, 2010)

Pinskers said:


> It may take a while for the Miralax to flush through her system. I know Miralax leaves me feeling sloshy inside until it's all out. In my experience, ducosate sodium is a milder stool softener that causes less cramping and weird symptoms, but it's 50/50. It either works for some or doesn't. Fleet makes a pediatric liquid version (SUPPOSEDLY fruit punch flavored), which you can find here: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/fleet-childrens-pedia-lax-liquid-stool-softener-fruit-punch/ID=prod3946477-product?ext=gooMedicines_ampersand_Treatments_PLA_Childrens_Stomach_Remedies_prod3946477_pla&adtype=pla&kpid=sku3945326&sst=406212d2-548b-4898-92e0-a4d9d0449d49&kpid=sku3945326


I will look that up! Usually, we manage her constipation successfully through diet, but she was let loose in a cheese shop and was given large amounts of ice cream too!
Thanks for your help


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## itsmebaby (Apr 15, 2010)

She was better this morning, but the bad cramping started again at about 4pm with a very small soft BM. I hope this just means that it is making its way out... She was pushing hard but nothing w as coming out. With the amount of diarrhea she had plus no food to replace, not sure what she was trying to push out!


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## Leo41 (Dec 13, 2010)

She likely is confused and has intestinal irritation/imflamation going on which makes her "feel" like there is something still there. Also it is possible that the diarrhea has come around a hard piece of stool still there. Miralax can do that... it adds water to the intestines... food that is not through the system fully will turn to brown water, but impacted stool at the rectum may not be fully broken down.

Miralax can take a couple days to get out of you fully. It can even be used for a colonoscopy prep... so the point is you can take a LOT with no real danger at all. But yeah too much and get cramps. What worries me is that it sounds like she suffers from constipation more than this time alone. Eating... and then cramping.. that is an IBS symptom... spastic colon to be exact. I suffer from this at 45, and I would never want a young child to.

Is this cramping after eating all the time, or just with this recent constipation issue. Even GI docs tend to over prescribe miralax... mine told me to do a full dose 2 times a day for 7 days.. which would have resulted in me curled in a ball of spasming pain for days. It is one of the mildest laxatives, but still.


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## Nuffa (Sep 12, 2014)

I am afraid, it's ibs. With ibs u tend to never feel "done". ThAt is why she might be pushing. Pls keep us posted.


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