Doctor says 4mo is fine, I know she's not.. WWYD?

[Feelingverydishonest]

4mo DD has had a chesty cough for over a month. She screams in pain after every cough and burp. Is not taking her bottle properly and won't lay on her back.
I took her to out of hours on Xmas eve after 111 told me I needed to go, doctor looked as if he had been up all night checked her over while she was asleep and said she's fine and told me she didn't have a chesty cough, I disputed this and he told me I was a paranoid FTM.
DP Took her again to normal GP a few days ago as it got worse and DM has pneumonia so wanted to check - doctor once again said she was fine and sent them on there way
My poor little girl seems to be in so much pain, constantly coughing, rattly chest, screaming (and I mean screaming!!) in pain every 5 mins or so when she coughs. Started taking about 2 hours toget to sleep do to it and waking up every few hours with it.
So WWYD? After 2 doctors have said she's fine should I just leave it? after a month it's getting worse rather than better! Or should I take her back? I don't want to waste there time but I don't know what to do! Any advise will be greatly appreciated

[Bowchickawowow]

Unfortunately A&E are more efficient than GP's in making things happen. I have a friend who works in A&E and she said a lot of the people they see are unwell adults who have had ongoing problems that GP's have dismissed, which suddenly worsen, leading them to seek emergency / out of hours treatment. A lot of these cases result in A&E instructing GP's to refer patients for outpatient investigations. She gets really frustrated with GP's, not with patients. Anyway, I hope your DD is getting better OP.

[3littlefrogs]

Op - don't put a 4 month old on a pillow.
Either put the pillow under the mattress, or raise the head end of the cot on a couple of books.

Then you need to make sure she can't slide under the covers. I don't know what people use these days - is it called a "grobag" or something?

You didn't answer my question about her weight/nappies?
Did the OOH doctor check about this?

[MinceSpy]

Personally I would take her to A&E now and get her properly checked out.

[Feelingverydishonest]

3little frogs - she does use a grow bag and I put the pillow under matress as was scared of suffer cation - although the doc just said to put it on top I didn't trust that. She has had good nappies, I don't take her to weigh ins but when I've weighed her she's still following the right curve.
Mince spy - I was tempted but I don't want to waste there time if 3 docs have said it's fine.. I'm at a loss and don't understand how a baby can catch 3 viral infections with just a cough and be in this much pain from it.. I also don't understand why she would only feel her teething after she burps or coughs? None of it adds up - but then I have has minimal sleep the past month so not much is making sense in my head at the moment!

[3littlefrogs]

It does sound like reflux.
Very difficult to get taken seriously though.

[MinceSpy]

I really don't think you would be wasting any one's time. If she is so distressed it needs checking out. The pillow directly under head advice is dangerous.

[Nextchapterabouttostart]

How is she today? Is it worse after feeding? It does sound like silent reflux, if she is still very unsettled take her to be seen again. Is she breathing fast?

[Bugsylugs]

For the last month what have you been giving her for the pain?
Does she only get distressed after coughing and burping?
You all seem to be implying the doctors haven't assessed but that is not what I am hearing from op.
Does she get distressed after feeds and on lying down if not coughing?
bow what rubbish

[PacificDogwood]

I don't think that out of hours or A+E are best places in this scenario, but follow-up and repeated review at GP's.

She could well have reflux and no, there's no easy test (usually a 'trial of treatment' to see if anti-reflux meds made a difference or barium swallow - a hospital based x-ray involving contrast medium is required).

No worried parent is ever 'wasting any dr's time' - many conditions need to be seen and reviewed and reassessed to arrive at the correct conclusion.

Always trust your gut - if you are worried about her, get her seen.

[Bugsylugs]

Absolutely what pacific said

[youarekiddingme]

My sister had seen 4 drs or at least gone 4 times when she ended up at A&E. I was an emergency by then as the baby just screamed and screamed in obvious pain and coughing hurt more. Having a damaged oesophagus from reflux is an emergency - it's not the cause (dairy intolerance) that's the emergency but the fact no diagnosis leads to such damage.

feeling she's your DD - if your instinct says something's wrong go back tomorrow. Then Tuesday, Wednesday etc until they find out why the poor mite is in so much pain. Taking cal pol for long periods isn't good for her and if there's stomach damage due to reflux it will be making it worse.

[youarekiddingme]

bugsy you've obviously had better experiences than we have here. I had a friend take her DD to GP 3 times. She asked abut Scarlett fever as had a sore throat and then rash. GP wouldn't entertain anything beyond a virus. After 7 days if not eating a thing or moving off the sofa (very active child!) she went back again saying she's not well, something is not right. Still got temp, rash and has a cough and physically keeps shaking.

Sent away and blue lighted to hospital 2 days later with temp of 42 and pneumonia. The hospital dr picked up pneumonia with a stephe scope - hardly top of the range medical equipment!

[youarekiddingme]

Oh and hospital said rash typical of Scarlett fever and pneumonia is a complication of untreated Scarlett fever. Her dd still uses an inhaler 18 months later.

[Bugsylugs]

kidding I am not disputing people can give examples of poor practice or possibly the condition has changed so it is easier to diagnose or one Dr has seen the condition and another hasn't. I only meant from how's post hospital does not equate to great Drs and GPS bad and trying to tell a public forum second hand knowledge is not helpful professionals should be that her relative isn't.

A parent should always go with their instinct but remember when a Dr says it is a virus they do not mean the person is not ill just antibiotic will not work.

[helensburgh]

Hope you got some help.

But youarekiddingme, I really hope or are kidding , a dairy intolerance is not an emergency.

Goodness me no wonder the nhs is in a mess

[helensburgh]

A damaged oesophagus cannot be diagnosed by a and e.

And pneumonia cannot be picked up with a stethoscope, impossible.

An X-ray is needed, FACT

[Feelingverydishonest]

She hasn't got a runny/blocked nose which I also would have thought would be the case with a virus but the dr just said she couldn't hear anything in the chest so said it must be higher up and therefore viral! Hope your ds gets better soon, I've been using the baby version of vaper rub at the moment to try to help

[homeaway]

Op to help her loosen her cough you can take her into the bathroom, close the door and turn the taps on hot, sit with her in there for a while ( i used to sit on the loo!!)and the steam should help her.,obviously don't let her near the hot water. This used to help when my kids had croup.

[youarekiddingme]

I have not said a dairy intolerance is an emergency anywhere here - in fact I said the opposite. However an undiagnosed dairy intolerance caused such damage - a 3 month old ended up in a and e. (I am very aware of what allergies, intolerances and allergic reaction requiring immediate medical assistance is as my DS has idiopathic anaphylaxis).
I don't expect people to agree with me as I respect peoples opinions but please return the respect by not misquoting me.

Why can't a and e diagnose oesophagus damage? They take symptoms, do endoscopy - diagnoses given. Yes it can be done via GP, referral to gastro and then for scopes.

My point with pneumonia is that consultant listened to chest - could hear that no air was circulating part of lungs and so x rayed - the gp didn't even listen to chest and wouldn't entertain anything beyond a virus. The one she saw before the blue light to hospital didn't even assess - just said she could see it had been dx as a virus on 2 previous visits.

I've had excellent experiences myself with nhs and a and e/CAU - DS has a myriad of medical problems. But I do believe there are times a and e is appropriate for ongoing problems.

[youarekiddingme]

How is your DD? Do you feel she is getting better at all? The steam suggestion is great and I use to put vapour rub in the bath so it can up with the steam.

[Bowchickawowow]

I wasn't giving second hand advice. I was commenting on why people end up going to A&E when a condition worsens, having already seen a GP and why other posters might be suggesting going to A&E. The person I know is a junior doctor on A&E so does have first hand experience and it is backed up by the fact that just under 40% of the patients that go into A&E where we live are referred back to their GP or to outpatient services.

[MrsHerculePoirot]

When DS was little and we suggested reflux, I just bought some infant gaviscon from the pharmacy and used it for two days. It made a clear difference so then I rang my GP and they happily then gave it on prescription for us. I have no idea if that would help, but it did help us.

[Feelingverydishonest]

Will try the steam with vaper rub thanks :) Poor little mite is just getting worse every day :( tonight I've mistaken her cough for someone knocking at the door it's so heartbreaking but am going to take her back to docs tomorrow, if they are still no help will try gaviscon !

[helensburgh]

You are kidding.

Are you saying, that a and e do endoscopes??? On children?..