To think the gps at my surgery shouldnt advise patients on things they know nothing about?

[Koothrapanties]

Dd has bad reflux and cows milk protein allergy.

It took months to get her a diagnosis and this was only once she was so ill she was admitted to hospital with blood in her poo and every other symptom on the list. She was in a very bad way. I had gone to the gp again and again, but had been dismissed as a hysterical first time mother.

She was put on domperidone, gaviscon and nutramigen (special milk) by her paediatrician and has been thriving ever since, still very sicky, but much better.

We had to go to the gp to get her medications on repeat prescription and were told by the gp to get her off of domperidone because it was an antipsychotic and very dangerous for her. We tried to wean her down on it but she started projectile vomiting again and was losing most of her feeds. Spoke to the paediatrician who was very cross that the gp had meddled and explained that what she had said was rubbish, and explained any side effects domperidone can cause.

I saw another gp for myself today and quickly asked him how to arrange dd's change to the next stage of nutramigen at 6 months. He told me to give her cows milk because nutramigen is not nutritious enough apparently?! I told him that the paediatrician had said not to even try to introduce it until after 12 months as she had such a bad reaction, and The gp didn't seem best pleased.

The last gp I saw for my pelvis problem also told me I have a problem with my ICG joint, which my physio has told me doesn't even exist! They were all laughing at the letter she had sent to them which made no sense apparently.

This isn't good enough surely? I understand GPs aren't experts in every area, but they shouldn't be giving out dangerous advice like they have for my dd! If they don't know, then surely they should leave it to the specialist dealing with the problem? Aibu?

I am not trying to make generalisations either, silversixpence.

But this is the 2nd time my GP practice has attempted to overrule specialist Senior Consultants so as not to reveal their own incompetence - all in the last 18m. This is not to count the experience we had with ds pylorhic stenosis, or the eczema, or the tongue tie. It is very clear.

I am sure there are good GP's too but many people are unhappy with the service they receive and bad GP's are not rooted out so continue to practice for many years.

I have not seen the words ALL GPS are ----

We are just reporting bad experiences with particular ones.

Surely you can understand that it's extremely hard when your kids sick and no ones taking you seriously and every day/week that goes by where your babies are in pain and miserable is a week to many and a week out of their lives you NEVER get back.

It's just hard and upsetting.

No ones generalising here

Silver - again, please see my title.

Giles - I remember googling "my baby doesn't smile" and "I don't think my baby likes me". I took it quite personally too , it's hard not to!

I think the GP is mixing domperidone with droperidol...

My mum once wrote a prescription for tio pepe (sherry) instead of thiopentone.

:( i can't believe the dr told you either to go onto cows milk at six months as the formula wasn't nutritious. That's not"doing their best with what they have"

That's dangerous advice that would have made your dd unbelievably ill.

I don't think there's any excuse fir that part.

SilverSixpence, the OP was very careful to phrase her thread so it was clear she was speaking about specific GPs at one specific surgery.

What do you think she should have done? Just let them get on with it and never seek support from anyone?

Should we have the same attitude towards all other members of a group?

Noone be allowed to complain about things handled badly in their child's school in case all teachers feel got at?

Noone allowed to complain about a HV dishing out dangerous advice in case that's unfair on HV's who are up to date with their information?

Noone allowed to complain about their own MIL, because there are so many lovely MIL's out there who sacrifice themselves for their children's families?

Noone allowed to write about an irresponsible parent because that's unfair on all us responsible parents?

I think most people realise that not all GPs are bad at their jobs.
I for one know of a GP (who thankfully is no longer practicing) who fobbed off a patients and prescribed Gulptus linctus every time you went in, no matter what the problem was, even when I went in with a painful verruca?!. He once diagnosed me with Scurvy - turned out it was eczema triggered by an allergic reaction to washing powder. He refused to run any tests on a relative of mine for 3 years, told her she had IBS and to stop complaining - she needed a total gastrectomy when the actual cause of her pain was found on year 4 of complaining of being in horrific pain.
However when I moved I got a fantastic GP, I couldn't be happier with the care I receive now! He is always happy to listen, never rushes me, and always refers anything he feels is beyond his abilities. I have had every test I have needed thanks to him fighting my corner. He is also happy to try things my way - like when I asked for a HB check when I had migraines - he said it wasn't usual practice but it made sense to check. My HB was 6! He has now changed the policy at the surgery so people with persistant migraines get a blood test.
He also believes worried mothers that their is an issue when you go in, and I have never heard of him fobbing off patients.

The thing that worried me is that another mum would have taken the word of the gp and thought it was ok to put their dc onto cows milk. Luckily I remembered what the paediatrician had said.

Big bum, I'd rather have the sherry [old lady emoticon].

My old GP refused to give the prescription for the meds that the consultant had prescribed. They also tried to take me off 4 antihistamines (40mg day) down to one, when the consultant was trying to up them to 285mg

That's what I'm thankful for too. That being a second child I knew what it was supposed to be like and knew that dd wasn't behaving normally. I dread to think how bad it could have got if I'd taken the colic diagnosis not that colic is a diagnosis or had dd put on medication she didn't need for a condition she didn't have.

krooth yes the idea of another mum walking out that drs door convinced milk was the answer could have been very serious indeed!!

I do wonder how many infants there are out there who have just been fobbed off and have never been treated. I do think if we hadn't gone private we wouldn't have got anywhere, which is an awful thought as I totally resented having to do it.

Between me and my friends there are several of us or our children who have had a really rough time due to things like asthma and intolerances being missed.

There are often threads on mn that are really worrying

I was going to say the same as TheBigBumTheory and I really think that or similar os what happened.

GPs have a huge knowledge but can't possibly know everything.

They should check if they don't know though.

The old adage is

GPs know a little about a lot

Specialists know a lot about a little

It doesn't help that most drug names look like a random selection of countdown or scrabble letters.

My brother was badly mismanaged by his gp for years about his underactive thyroid. It wasn't until I made him push for a referral to an endocrinologist that his medications were changed and he became a totally different person. He lost weight and was happy again.

I'm expecting no.2 and am already thinking about if this baby has reflux, eczema and a cmpa, what I'll do about it. Hopefully this time it'll be easier as I'll have already been there and done it.

Just wanted to add my dd was on nutramigen until around 14mths, no added extras and it was fine for her.

Please complain about the GP who told you to give your DD cow's milk, that's really dangerous advice!

Here is some information about making a complaint:
www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/GPchoice/Pages/GPcomplaints.aspx

www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx

GPs conduct over 200 million consultations per year. Some will not go as you might hope. It's free and it's bloody good. YABU.

I have an absolutely fantastic GP. She's really amazing. I will wait two weeks for an appt with her. There are also several other GPs at the practice who I've seen for urgent or emergency appts who are kind, helpful, practical and who listen to the patient/parent and try to help.

There is one GP at the practice who I refuse to see after she told me my son did not have reflux and to take him off Gaviscon and refused to give me a repeat prescription. He screamed for 48 hours until I thanked everything good and holy I hadn't thrown the remaining sachets out and put him back on it at which point he became the happiest baby known to man.

Thankfully I've not had the same problems with his skin. Problems, but there is definitely a lack of knowledge about intolerances, reflux and allergies amongst certain sectors of General Practice it seems (note, not all)

argy

If you can post any medical reason why putting a six month milk intolerant refluxy baby onto COWS MILK then I'm sure op will agree with you that she's being unreasonable and it's just a different medical opinion despite being under a specialist.

I couldn't praise my GP enough... After my consultant messed up a procedure which now means I am unable to walk, my GP has been great and really fought hard for me to get the help I need.

OP not criticising you at all, I do understand how frustrating it can be when you aren't getting the right help,and support. I also appreciate that you said the GPs "in your surgery" and weren't generalising.

However, this:

"Bless, they know very little don't they? I can't remember the last time I was correctly diagnosed by a GP. I try to avoid going at all costs, and even when I do have something wrong, I find the nurse practitioner of more use

I live in fear of any of us becoming properly sick. Never trust a GP."

I find patronising and a massive generalisation.