HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

What Causes Fecal Incontinence With Dry Flaky Stools?

Hello, My almost-6 yr old (aprox 45 lbs) daughter is experiencing fecal incontinence. She has a constant oozing stool in her underpants along with dry flaky bits of stool. she eats a diet high in fiber, low in refined sugar/cabs, low in dairy (only yogurt a couple times/week), etc. we assume the sneaky poo is due to constipation. it is getting worse and she hasn t had a BM in 5 days! (at least not a successful one. She has tried many times with limited output ) she is drinking a minimum of 6 (8oz) servings of fluid per day with at least 4 of the 6 being pure water and the rest being diluted juice (and she s had 16 oz of diluted gatorade in the past 24 hrs). she hasn t ever taken laxatives until two days ago. i gave her one chewable pedialax (magnesium sulfate, i think) before bed and one in the morning with no result. then i gave her three tablets last night before bed with no result. I gave her 4 tabs almost 5 hours ago along with 16 oz of water on an empty stomach. since then she s only had one egg white, a large bowl of watermelon, a glass of diluted apple juice, and a cup of warm peppermint tea with honey. She does not seem ill other than slight lethargy. though she hasn t had a BM in 5 days, before that she had three pretty typical ones in a period of 36 hrs. she does have a history of digestive difficulty and fecal withholding but never until now has she experienced this soiling. it is dry and fluid at the same time and is occurring constantly.
Wed, 30 Dec 2015
Report Abuse
Pediatrician 's  Response
soiling is one of the symptoms of constipation. hard pellety stools in spite of all the dietary modifications suggest that she is either in the initial stage of treatment. she will need regular disimpaction with oral drugs in addition to all the dietary habits. initially she might need daily laxatives twice or thrice a day for a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks.dietary modifications though definite and first line will take long time to regularise her bowel habits. make sure she has/had no spinal abnormalities or her bowel habits during her newborn period was uneventful.
I find this answer helpful

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Encopresis


Loading Online Doctors....
What Causes Fecal Incontinence With Dry Flaky Stools?

soiling is one of the symptoms of constipation. hard pellety stools in spite of all the dietary modifications suggest that she is either in the initial stage of treatment. she will need regular disimpaction with oral drugs in addition to all the dietary habits. initially she might need daily laxatives twice or thrice a day for a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks.dietary modifications though definite and first line will take long time to regularise her bowel habits. make sure she has/had no spinal abnormalities or her bowel habits during her newborn period was uneventful.