The miracle of probiotics

Anyone that has a child with Spina Bifida will probably tell you that the chronic constipation and the diapering/toileting needs is the hardest part, or at least comes in as a close second. That's how it is for me at least. Even compared to the surgeries, hospital stays and the casting. It's always the little daily things that add up to bother us isn't it? It's the same thing here. My son has been on laxative since he was 8 months old. The older he got the more he seemed to need. We tried many forms of laxative to try and get a good bowel form and consistency and to keep him regular. Each seemed to have failed in one way or another. Miralax was always able to get him going but it always turned into diarrhea, we would back off a bit and then he would be constipated. Fen cho worked for a minute but then it wouldn't anymore. Chiroklenz worked great for a long time but his body seemed to adapt and it stopped working. Senna has never worked for him.

Right now his current laxative is an herb called Cascara Sagrada. It works wonders! The consistency is great and the frequency is much better than it has been in the past but what has really helped is putting him on probiotics. I have been told for years that I should put him on probiotics. My aunt told me when he was a young toddler, my mother reminded me through the passing years and once in a while I would hear a mother of a child with spina bifida rave about how much it helps. So why it has taken me so long is beyond me. I guess I felt like such a simple thing couldn't really help so much. I guess I felt that if none of the laxatives were helping why would probiotics help so much. I think part of me was afraid to try it and have yet another thing or idea fail me. I am so glad we are trying it now.

I went to the health food store, and picked out a probiotic with multiple strains.

I love both of these products. Especially the PB assist cause it does not need to be refrigerated 

I started him on a pill a day for about a week or two. I didn't notice any difference. So I decided since he has been so constipated for so long he might need a higher dose. I started giving him 1 pill 3x a day. It took about a week or so but I started to notice a difference. He was able to have a bowel movement even without the cone enema! We went on a camping trip and I packed all of his pills. I didn't give them to him even once. I totally forgot. So he went 5 days without laxative. We got home and I started him on laxative and probiotics and he was able to have a bowel movement the next day. That is unheard of for us! Normally a day without laxative would constipate him for 3 days to a week. This was 5 days without laxative and it didn't slow him down at all!

I am so grateful to the people who shared their experience with me and the people who kept reminding me to try probiotics for him!