probiotics help poop but cause ? depression?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 our 6 yr old is now pooping almost daily without laxatives from the

culturelle and attune...it is amazing and wonderful.

The problem is that since we started pro-b's again she has been VERY

DIFFICULT.  She was just KICKED OUT OF the school aftercare Thursday

for being so angry, crying all of the time, and finally hitting the

teacher.

She seems VERY DEPRESSED.  She thinks everyone hates her and she told

me for the first time every today as she was attacking me that she

hates me.   (the attacking part is not new)

I know that the stomach is like a 2nd brain.....so i am wondering if

maybe i am overdoing it with the pro-b/s?

She is on the adult dose of culturelle and i give her a half of an

attune bar daily both at the same time, before bed.

Maybe it is too much?

Hate to lose the daily pooping but man, she is a mess.

I am afraid to take her anywhere and cannot stay home wit her.  I am on

by myself this weekend as dh works every other weekend.  I am really

sad to see my girl so sad. 

jeanie ward wrote:

 

I couldn't agree more with the baby lax. They are a gel, which

you get done in one shot, opposed to putting the wax sticks in, then

waiting for it to melt. This is very uncomfortable for a child. Thank

you for whoever invented these.

From:

Renae Schley <raeschleygmail>

To: miralax

Sent: Thu, May 13,

2010 10:50:29 PM

Subject: RE:

supplemental fiber - GREAT DR SEARS info on constipation

 

We use the

unflavored benefiber mixed into my daughter’s milk twice a day and then

we use one pedia-lax fiber gummy per day, she is 2 ½.  She drinks 3 8oz

milks per day, and 2 4 oz juices.  I always give the benefiber in her

milk b/c I know she’ll drink the full 8 oz, and I always give the fiber

gummy right before a milk or a juice I know she loves and will drink

right down, because, it’s true you don’t want to increase fiber without

also increasing fluids.

 

Here is some great

info from Dr. Sears in general:

 

The following is Dr. Sears' ten-step plan for

treating constipation:

Drink to go. Not drinking enough

fluids is also a subtle contributor to problems with constipation,

especially in the very young and very old. The colon is your body's

fluid regulator. If you're not drinking enough, your colon steals water

from the waste material and gives it to the body, causing the stools to

be water deprived or hard. People eating high-fiber diets actually

increase their risk of constipation if they don't drink extra water

along with fiber-rich foods, since fiber needs water to do its

intestinal sweeping job. More fluids in your diet put more fluids in

your bowels, lessening constipation.

Add more fiber foods to child's diet.

Fiber softens the stools by drawing water into them, making them

bulkier and easier to pass. Fiber foods for older babies are bran

cereals, graham crackers, whole-grain breads and crackers, and

high-fiber vegetables such as peas, broccoli, and beans. (For a

fiber-rich diet, see fiber foods.)

Get moving. Exercise improves

digestion and speeds the passage of food through the intestines. A

moving body gets the bowels moving, too.

Ease the passage of stools. Your

infant may need a little outside help with a well-timed suppository. As

they are going through a phase of learning how to have a bowel

movement, many babies in their early months grunt and draw up their

legs to push out a stool. But the straining baby may appreciate a

little outside help with a well-timed, well-placed glycerin

suppository. Available without prescription at your pharmacy, these

look like tiny rocket ships. If your baby is straining, insert one as

far into the rectum as you can and hold baby's buttocks together for a

few minutes to dissolve the glycerin. These are especially helpful to

lubricate the rectum if baby has a rectal tear or bleeding . Don't use

for more than a few days without your doctor's advice.

Wiggle it out. As soon as you insert

the glycerin suppository, wiggle it a bit, which stimulates the tense

rectal muscles to relax and eases the passage of the hard stools.

Insert liquid glycerin. Liquid

glycerin (Babylax) may be gently inserted by dropping it into baby's

rectum, which often stimulates a bowel movement.

Use natural laxatives. When using a

laxative, try the most natural first. Begin with diluted prune juice

(with pulp), a tablespoon or two for the six- month-old and as much as

eight ounces for the toddler. Try strained prunes or make a prune puree

(stew your own or buy commercial), either straight or disguised (mixed

with a favorite food), or spread it on a high-fiber cracker. Apricots

and the four P's – prunes, pears, plums, and peaches – usually exert a

laxative effect. If these seem insufficient, here are other ideas to

try:

Psyllium husks (basically, very fine

flakes of psyllium bran, available at nutrition stores) are a

natural-fiber stool softener. This bland laxative is served sprinkled

on cereal or combined with a fruit-and-yogurt mixture.

Dosage of psyllium:

Adults: Begin with one teaspoon and increase to one tablespoon once a

day as needed.

Toddlers and children: Begin with one teaspoon a day and increase to

two teaspoons a day as needed.

Be sure to take psyllium with an eight-ounce

glass of water. For this concentrated fiber to work the intestines need

lots of fluid; otherwise, psyllium can "gum up" in the intestines and

actually increase the constipation. You can also mix psyllium powder in

a smoothie. Psyllium is also available over-the-counter as Metamucil.

Nonprescription laxatives, such as

Malt-supex (a malt-barley extract) or Metamucil (psyllium powder), may

soften your child's stools.

Flax oil is a favorite. A healthy

alternative to mineral oil is flax oil, which not only has laxative

properties, but is a valuable source of omega 3 fats as well. (Although

you may hear that mineral oil is a good oil to relieve constipation,

because it is a mixture of hydrocarbons dried from petroleum products,

I have never been convinced of its safety. And, unlike flax oil, it

certainly has no nutritional benefits.) Unlike mineral oil, which

slides through the intestines, possibly taking vitamins with it, flax

oil is a nutrient that facilitates absorption of the vitamins.

Dosage of flax oil:

Infants: one teaspoon a day

Toddlers: two teaspoons a day

Children and adults: one tablespoon a day

Flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)

is an even a better laxative than flax oil since it contains fiber.

They look similar to finely ground bran flakes and mix well with soupy

cereal, or even better, added to a high-fiber smoothie .

Dosage of flax seed meal:

Toddlers: one tablespoon a day

Older children and adults: two tablespoons a day

Stool-Ade - Make a smoothie. See Dr.

Sears' School-Ade recipe which also doubles as Stool-Ade.

An easy way to get lots of fiber and laxative foods into your child is

by making a stool-softening smoothie

Over-the-counter suppositories.

Besides glycerin suppositories, try glycerin suppositories that also

include a laxative ingredient. These may be used periodically if the

constipation is severe and resistant to the above simpler measures.

Use an enema as a last resort. Baby

Fleet may be tried if your toddler is miserably constipated and nothing

else is working. It is available without prescription, and directions

are on the package insert.

 

Stool aide-

SCHOOL-ADE: A BREAKFAST-ON- THE-RUN SMOOTHIE

Here is a Sears family recipe for a smoothie we

give our children and ourselves for a quick and nutritious breakfast as

they are hurrying off to school and we are rushing off to work.

3 cups milk or soy beverage

11/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

1-2 servings Juice Plus+® Complete or similar

multinutrient supplement

one frozen banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen

(e.g., organic strawberries, papaya, mango)

2 tbsp. flax oil or 1/2 cup flaxseed meal

4 ounces tofu

2 tbsp. peanut butter (optional)

Combine all the ingredients and blend until

smooth. Serve immediately after blending while the mixture still has a

bubbly milkshake-like consistency.

We formulated this recipe based on the principle

of "synergy." The nutrients consumed together enhance each other's

benefits, so the whole nutritional effect is greater than the sum of

its parts. I have prescribed this recipe for several hundred

school-children and their parents, and we drink it ourselves four to

five mornings a week. It's a powerful performance booster for working

parents and school-children.

Because fiber steadies the absorption of

carbohydrates and therefore contributes to a steadier blood sugar, we

suggest using rich sources of fiber, such as flaxseed meal (i.e. ground

flax seeds, containing both the oil and fiber), although flax oil has a

more palatable consistency than flaxseed meal. For additional fiber, if

you don't mind a grainier texture, add 1 tbsp. or more of oat bran.

SCHOOL-ADE QUICK

2 cups of milk or soy or rice beverage, or 1

cup milk and 1 cup yogurt

1 serving Juice Plus+® Complete

2 tsp. flax oil

1 small frozen banana, cut up

1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen

(e.g., blueberries strawberries, papaya)

2 ice cubes if fruit is not frozen or if you

want a lighter taste

Makes one 20-ounce serving. (approximately 550

calories).

 

 

From: miralax@yahoogroups .com [mailto:miralax@

yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of goodfountain@ gmail.com

Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 1:41 PM

To: miralax@yahoogroups .com

Subject: supplemental fiber

 

 

After doing some calculations on the foods my dd typically eats in

a day, I don't think she's getting enough fiber. And since her issue is

around frequency of movement, not difficulty in going, increasing her

dietary fiber seems like a good step.

I will do my best to get it in through food she eats, but I think I'd

still like to supplement with some fiber for awhile to see if it helps.

Something along the lines of Benefiber, but it has to be gluten free.

Any suggestions?

Also, I have read 2 different numbers on reco'd daily intake of fiber.

One is add +5 to the age of the child (she's 5, so 5+5 would be 10g

dietary fiber per day). Elsewhere I read 25 grams is the reco'd daily

intake. That's a big difference!

Does anyone have any knowledge?

Thanks!