To ask if there are any GPs here

[Bluffysummers]

Please I’m desperate.

My daughter has had diarrhoea for 3 weeks and our GP won’t see us, each time they’ve directed us to OOO, who can’t do anything except for dioralite and that’s just not doing anything.

She’s looking so unwell, pale and dark circles. She’s completely regressed potty training wise (obviously) so is mortified, she’s terrified to eat anything because it could trigger it. She’s bound to be getting malnourished and she was faltering growth before due to repeated infections and illnesses.

What can I do? I know I need to see the GP but what should I be asking for? I think a stool sample but I asked last week and they said they have no containers.

Weve been doing a v bland diet for 2 weeks, no dairy, no acidic or spicey foods and it’s not helping. No juice, no sugar/ sweeteners.

I’m going to beg the drs to see us but I find that works better when I know what to ask for?

Any one? Please? I’m so worried about her

@FrankLeeSpeaking

Do you have to tell them what you need the appointment for? If not, just book it.

Otherwise, I hope someone can come and give you better advice.

Yup have fo reception why the appointment is necessary, they only have same day appointments. :(

Thanks all!

‘l’ll call up tomorrow and be really firm and basically demand she is seen, if they refuse I’ll put a written complaint in to the ccg and practice manager (they’ve just been deemed inadequate by the cqc, so hopefully this will have some weigbt).

Failing that after DH finishes work, he’ll have to take her to a&e. It’s his first day at a new role tomorrow and I have a newborn, but we do have a childrens hospital near us

@Vispa

I think you need to be really pushy, demand to have her seen, flatly refuse to go to OOO (say you've done that and it didn't help, she is now deteriorating) tell them you want to speak to the practice manager, put in a complaint if they don't see her the same day, basically refuse to back down, and try and make people accountable for refusing to take action. I find making a point of (politely but firmly) asking for the name of the person fobbing me of helps make them nervous that I'm going to complain and they tend to suddenly be more helpful. Failing that I would take her to A&E. I'm so sorry OP, it shouldn't be like this

This...

Every time you go through to the GPs back it up with a strongly worded email.

Something like :

Dear Practice, whoever,
This is my xth time of calling. My toddler daughter (with underlying chronic conditions, x and y) has now had diarrhoea for THREE WEEKS.

This is an unacceptably long time.
I have tried x y and z with her.

I have rung x, y and z service and have followed their advice... And she is STILL I'll ans now losing weight.

She is deteriorating.

It is unethical leaving her in this much pain and for so many weeks.

Please get her urgently reviewed face to face today.

My telephone number is...

Forget the GP. The service so far sounds appalling. I would take her to A&E, its not like you havent tried to access your GP. Take a couple of soiled nappies with you in plastic bags so that they can see the contents, especialky if there are any with mucus.
Your poor little sweetie. Hope she gets better soon.

If you’ve got a newborn I would use your health visitor contact that to flag up a concern and see if she can help book appointment or similar. It’s awful that your being ignored but perhaps the weight of another health professional might make a difference. If not she could suggest next step. Normally health visitors are trained to work with up to 5 year olds and would do 2 year check so shouldn’t be outside her remit. Good luck op

Are you keeping her well hydrated OP. Possibly lemonade to keep her sugars up. A GP told me that once and it worked for my DD.

I'm a GP and I'd see her. Move practices. This is poor.

As others have said forget gp - they are not peds doctor and you are therefore wasting time. My cleaner had issues with her son having loose stools for weeks and unhelpful gp - I spoke to local nhs childrens unit at the hospital and they told her to call 111 and say she is not happy with gp service and say child needs to be seen asap by peds doctor. Please do that.

@softglammmmmm

I will no doubt be flamed for this - I would wait until your GP has closed and take her to A&E - especially if you have a children’s hospital near you.

Your GP should be seeing you, the receptionist is not qualified to make an assessment. If your child is still unwell after 3 weeks then this is not ok.

I am not someone who misuses A&E - in fact we are rarely at the doctor, but this just isn’t ok at all.

The receptionist isn’t making the assessment…she is passing on the message from the dr.

@passport123

I'm a GP and I'd see her. Move practices. This is poor.

They are the only ones in our catchment area unfortunately, no where else will take us, we tired

This appalling !
I think I'd lie and say she is listless, won't wake up, complaining of headaches. To get her through the door.

@Monty27

Are you keeping her well hydrated OP. Possibly lemonade to keep her sugars up. A GP told me that once and it worked for my DD.

We’re giving her water and dioralite so she’s hydrated but too much fluid is making it worse.

Hubby will be going to a&e at this rate but last time she went when the GP wouldn’t see her with a 40degree fever that Calpol wouldn’t take down, the wait was 15 hrs

I'd go to A+E. This is disgraceful.

I’ve managed to get an appointment!

They tried to direct me to OOO again but I pointed out they can’t help me, the receptionist tbh was quite nice and helpful

Hi Op
My 1 year old had the same diarrhoea- very copious and muchousy. It went on for about 10 days until my health visitor said that it was toddler diarrhoea, caused by a too low fat diet. I upped the cheese, butter, oil content, and it was like a miracle cure. I remember making her buttered pesto toast for her first snack after seeing the health visitor, and she never had another runny poo. 🤷‍♀️

@Bluffysummers

I’ve managed to get an appointment!

They tried to direct me to OOO again but I pointed out they can’t help me, the receptionist tbh was quite nice and helpful

So glad your LO is being seen, I hope you get it sorted soon and she is OK x

@Bluffysummers

I’ve managed to get an appointment!

They tried to direct me to OOO again but I pointed out they can’t help me, the receptionist tbh was quite nice and helpful

Brilliant. If you get any energy after all this I would write a letter to the GP surgery dictating the service you received, its not ok.

Ask GP whether you should chase her paediatrician as well.

I really hope you get answers OP, your poor daughter you've both been really let down by your GP surgery

@NellNorth

Hi Op My 1 year old had the same diarrhoea- very copious and muchousy. It went on for about 10 days until my health visitor said that it was toddler diarrhoea, caused by a too low fat diet. I upped the cheese, butter, oil content, and it was like a miracle cure. I remember making her buttered pesto toast for her first snack after seeing the health visitor, and she never had another runny poo. 🤷‍♀️

I saw this when I googled, she has quite a bit of high fat diary in her diet as is, plus some weight gain shakes; the OOO doctor told us to cut out all dairy, i just don’t know what to do

These are the hospital assessment/admission criteria.
The GP can't know she doesn't have any of these without examining her (I'd make that point clear if you are on the phone to them again).
If you are worried she has any of those then have her examined by a HCP whether that is GP/OOH/A&E.
Pick up stool sample pot yourself if that is an issue.
It's usual for kids to falter at weight gain when they're unwell and it may be that she's maintaining hydration, obs are fine, other causes have been ruled out and it's just supporting her through it, but you need to be confident someone qualified has assessed her and made that call based on good information and a clinical exam.

Pick up a stool sample container from GP, call them in advance to say you will drop it in and they need to test it - it could just be a adenovirus but if they go on for too long the dehydration sets in badly and it can get serious.
Put child on the BRAT diet - Bananas, Rice, applesauce (boiled apples mushy) and toast
Lots and lots of encouraging drinking more, cheers games, giving toasts, pouring out of tea pot for tea party, whatever you need to do.
Make ice pops - you can make them with dioralyte. We found the taste was less offensive in an ice pop.

I am not a GP - GP wouldn't help us when we were in this position with our child, we ended up going private and the above was the advice we got from the paediatrician.
This advice had our child back to normal in 48 hours.

A pp had a good message above that you could send. This isn't normal and they can't keep fobbing you off. 3 weeks of diarrhoea has got to be taking its toll, that's the best part of a month ffs.

I take it you've tried starving her for 48 hours, nothing but water thing?

Try ice lollies to get fluid into her without triggering the shits. Rocket lollies are good. As for food, try light salty stuff. Cheese twists, mini cheddars etc.

@Notanotherwindow

A pp had a good message above that you could send. This isn't normal and they can't keep fobbing you off. 3 weeks of diarrhoea has got to be taking its toll, that's the best part of a month ffs.

I take it you've tried starving her for 48 hours, nothing but water thing?

Try ice lollies to get fluid into her without triggering the shits. Rocket lollies are good. As for food, try light salty stuff. Cheese twists, mini cheddars etc.

Oh god yeah it’s taking it’s toll, dark dark circles, waking up really early crying (because she needs to poo or she has pood) afraid to eat, she’s bound to be malnourished now and losing weight.

It’s not fair that she’s being made to suffer.

She was fussy before but now good god, I tried her with some fried bread to see if that fat helps and she just won’t touch it. At the best of times she doesn’t really like anything too cold.

We’ve got pom bears she can have them and some crackers for her snack. She’s going to have plain rice with plain chicken for dinner, hopefully she can keep that in. I’ll buy some Ella’s kitchen apple pouches and see if that helps her

Stay away from anything fatty or fried, no dairy drinks, no orange juice. I have bouts of anxiety diarrhoea and the best things to settle it is weak squash (not orange or apple, I have raspberry and pear) salty dry food like cheese twists, wotsits, Ringos etc. Rice is a good bet. Bananas are good.

The only other thing I can think of is that maybe she is constipated and the diarrhoea is overflow. Does she normally go regularly? Is her stool just watery or is it proper poo but just really sloppy?

Son had this at the same age. It was severe lactose intolerance.