My 8 year old son has always passed bowel motions regularly, mostly having 2x/day. We went on holidays last week and he had some different foods, including more dairy, which he has previously had an intolerance to (cows milk protein intolerance). He has not passed a bowel motion now in 5.5 days and is feeling nauseous, lethargic and doesn t want to sit up. He has not eaten any dinner the last 2 nights. He is drinking lots of water and still eating some fruit. His diet is usually varied and good for his age.I have used a stool softener for 2 days and on the advice of a pharmacist, given 2 doses of Actilax, a laxative. This has produced nothing, although he has twice had a small amount of leakage on his underpants.Any advice on what to do next? I do not want to give him any more laxatives as I have read this is not good practice.Thank you
Hi... Thank you for consulting in Chat Doctor. I think your kid is having habitual constipation. I have certain questions and suggestions for you. Questions:1. Did your kid pass motion or meconium on day one of life?2. Since how long is the kid constipated?3. Does the kid have any bleeding along with hard stools?4. How much milk does the kid consume per day?5. Does the kid eat fruits and vegetables (fiber diet) appropriately? You can get back with answers at the following link - www.ChatDoctor .com/doctors/ Chat Doctor.  Natural methods are the best to relieve constipation.2. Constipation is a risk factor for UTI3. Maximum milk consumption per day should not exceed 300-400ml4. Minimum 3-4 cups of fruits and vegetables to be consumed per day5. Toilet training - that is - sitting in Indian type of lavatory daily at the same time will help a lot. Hope my answer was helpful for you.  I am happy to help any time. Further clarifications and consultations on Chat Doctor are welcome. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish your kid good health.