Wrong prescription from GP - what would you do?

[Liloosmum]

At our 6 week check the Doctor (not my usual GP) thought that my daughter had a little bit of thrush in her mouth and gave me a prescription for daktarin gel for her. I didn't have any symptoms and was not given a prescription. I later checked with the health visitor and was told I should treat myself as well so I bought some canesten cream. I stopped using the cream after 10 days and then felt the usual symptoms of thrush so went to see my GP yesterday.

He prescribed more canesten cream and antibiotics. I thought that antibiotics could cause thrush and wouldn't get rid of it so spoke to the health visitor again today. She said that he had put in my notes that I had mastitis and prescribed antibiotics to treat it.

I have not got mastitis and he didn't mention that to me. The health visitor is now going to talk to my GP to get me the correct prescription.

I am very unhappy that neither GP have given me the necessary treatment. I have been with this GP for nearly 10 years and think he is a good doctor and have never had a problem before. But, I would like to write a letter to the surgery to make sure that in future the correct treatment is given. My husband doesn't think I should as it is just a one-off (although neither GP seem to know how to treat thrush). What would you do?

I printed off the BfN leaflet and took it to get correct treatment. Perhaps drop him a copy off.

I think you should give the GP a ring and ask to see him again, so that he can explain what he's prescribed and why - and ask your HV or DH to come with you.... explain why you want to see him again, so that he can have a chance call a consultant lactation expert and have some up to date and accurate information for you. Tell him to find out more for you.

I always tell mu GP as much as I can before I go to visit her - she's trained in paediatrics, and she will have always rung the consultants in the children's hospital for an expert opinion before I go to see her with DD.

You may well have mastitis - I had it on and off for months until I started taking soya lecithin granules in my porridge - it emulsifies the fat in the milk so that it doesn't block the ducts.

Thinking back, I was very against taking anti-biotics whilst b/f etc etc, but with hindsight I should have just taken them... I was emotionally attached to the idea of purity of mother's milk or something etc etc.. Mental images of Perfect Madonna and Child are hard to uproot..

Best of luck with it... thrush can be difficult to get rid of: some people swear by grapefruit seed extract as a drop. Ask your GP about this also.

Contact a lactation consultant privately if you can and have no joy with your GP and your HV.

Leave it. GP's are human too. You haven't taken the AB's , so no harm done.

I would definitely highlight it. To get mastitis confused with thrush is a pretty serious error IMO. Totally different medical problem and totally different treatment.

Also as an aside, I believe they are no longer supposed to prescribe daktarin for under 4 months. Nystatin is what's usually given.

Check this as I am not an expert, but I am pretty sure this is correct as the protocol changed between my two babies and I queried the reason, and was told it is because Daktarin gel is now considered a potential choking hazard.

Don't worry - I am personally highly sceptical that a baby could choke on Daktarin unless you squirted it in in chunks, but it is perhaps more evidence that he's not up to date.

although yes - as others have said - do check what his rationale was in giving you the antibiotics. He may have honestly felt that you did have mastitis - however they are not that hard to tell apart, and in either case I would have thought he should as a courtesy explain his diagnosis and treatment plan.

I did check about using the daktarin gel for a 6 week old with the health visitor and was told it was okay as long as I didn't squirt it directly in her mouth. It is because of the risk of choking that it is no longer advised in the leaflet.

I'm sure I haven't got mastitis and would have told him that if I'd mentioned it. I had an abcess with my first DD and so know what to look out for. I also had thrush then (as a result of all the antibiotics to get rid of the mastitis) so know the difference.

I just don't want anyone else that maybe doesn't know as much about thrush/mastitis as I do to receive the same treatment.

I think you should write or speak to someone - not in a "how dare you" kind of way, but just in a "I wanted to highlight that I feel I was prescribed the wrong treatment for a recent bout of thrush."

I can understand the people saying "give him a break, doctors make mistakes too," but this doesn't sound like a mistake. It sounds like someone who doesn't know the difference between two conditions and doesn't know the current treatment protocol.