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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect a GP to diagnose conjunctivitis in a baby...

13 replies

frisbyrat · 14/01/2008 16:02

... instead of saying vaguely that we should see how it develops, when I confront him with a 3 month old with runny and bloodshot eyes, and sending us away. Now not just ds, but also dd, dh and I have conjunctivitis.

I guess I should have been able to work out what it was, but I wasn't thinking, and by the time I clicked, we'd all shared towels etc. Bugger.

Can a baby have eye drops?

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Original poster
frisbyrat · 14/01/2008 16:18

Oh dear. Clearly I am expecting too much of the NHS.

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chocchipcookie · 14/01/2008 16:23

I took my DS to St. Mary's Hospital in Roehampton years ago. Couldn't get a doctor's appt so went to A&E, he was so miserable. Had exactly the same experience. Was told by a young registrar that it was an allergy! I asked for a second opinion only to be told I would have to wait for hours. I was so furious and wrote to complain. Took days to get to the doctor to get the bloody eye-drops.

edam · 14/01/2008 16:24

what a pain in the bum. Grrr.

kekouan · 14/01/2008 16:45

YANBU. You can always call the HV if you can't get hold of the doc though - wouldn't they have been able to prescribe the drops?

Original poster
frisbyrat · 14/01/2008 16:49

Don' think there's any point to my doing the same, chocchip, though I know I should. The fact that on every occasion I've wanted an immediate appointment I've been given this GP suggests he has lots of empty slots. I wonder why...Hmmm
Thanks for the empathy, edam!

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Original poster
frisbyrat · 14/01/2008 16:51

Good idea. HV only in on Mon and Wed, though. Will try ringing my handy pharmacist friend for advice.

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kekouan · 14/01/2008 16:53

Don't know if it's the same for you, but if I leave a message on my HV's answerphone then someone usually gets back to me, and at the very least might be able to leave a prescription at reception for me...

I'm aware that i'm very lucky with our GP surgery...

PortAndLemonaid · 14/01/2008 16:59

Mind you, on the flip side as a child I had what was blatantly an allergy and was treated for conjunctivitis for three weeks before the GP thought that maybe trying another track would be a good idea. So perhaps it's not always easy to diagnose.

Babies can have eye drops, and at three months old you may even stand a chance of getting them in -- when DS was nine months we had to wrap him in a towel like a cat in order to stand a chance of getting near his eyes with the drops (ah, happy memories).

muppetgirl · 14/01/2008 17:01

Ahhhh we're having a problem with the old sticky eyes! Ds has had sticky eyes since birth HV's keep saying it's a blocked tear duct all will be okay. Different HV insists I see a dr. I do he says conjunctivitis and gives us drops. Ds has no reddness, isn't bothered by the eyes and he's had it for 8 weeks (at the time) surely we would all have it too? We use the drops -it get MUCH WORSE. We go back, he says still conjictivitis and let's try some different drops and take a swab phone back in a week for the results. Eye drops make eyes MUCH WORSE so we stop using them. Phone up drs for results of swab (today) as instructed told we will be added to the triage list and a dr will ring us back. 3pm (6 hrs later) Dh phones up again as we've not heard anything receptionist says that we've not been added to the triage list and also it can take up to 2 days for the dr to phone you back you know (think hoity toity woman and you're there) 2 days????? And the procedure is that they recpetionist phones you to tell you when the dr will call you (still with me? Lost the will to live yet?)

So get this -I have to wait in for 2 days (possibly) so the recpetionist can ring me to tell me when the dr will ring me to give me the results of the swab?

Anyway she rang at 4 ish and said the dr will ring me at 5ish......today. Wish us all luck.

tyaca · 14/01/2008 17:42

YANU... is there anything you can get from chemist

beautifuldays · 14/01/2008 17:46

my dd had conjunctivitis in devember. doc wouldn't prescribe eye drops as they are apparently reluctant to give anti-biotics when chances are it'll prob clear up on it's own in 2-3 days.
unfortunately for my dd it went on for 6 days until they finally gave in and prescribed antibiotic drops

you can get antibiotic drops from the chemist but only suitable for people over 2yrs old.

are you breastfeeding, cos breastmilk is very good for soothing itchy eyes

poor you. it's horrid i know

perpetualworrier · 14/01/2008 18:22

Last time I took DS1 to Doc with suspected conjunctivitis, he was writing the prescriotion before we got through the door. We never did get to sit down and he didn't examine DS1. One extreme to the other !

Original poster
frisbyrat · 14/01/2008 21:42

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. Sounds like some of you have had much worse experiences than me..

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