Help please - has my 2yold got reflux/silent reflux - doctor being useless.

[TiffanyAteMyBreakfast]

How do I get my doctor to take the possibility of ongoing reflux/silent reflux seriously? Should I demand a referral to a paediatrician? No idea if I've spelled that right!

I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience of reflux/silent reflux in the older infant/child and specifically advice on how to get help for it from the GP.

My 2yo has had big problems sleeping since birth. Early days - lots of vom, gurgling and spluttering, I felt feeding made it worse. Thought he'd grow out of it.

As he's grown the problem has persisted but (mostly) without the vomit. Almost every night he wakes with sharp pains, it then sounds like he brings stuff up into his throat, he then coughs and splutters like mad and you can hear stuff in his throat (even when he has no cold, or runny nose). Most nights we have to rock him to keep him asleep through the pain/coughing for approx 1-5 hours. He often wants to bf for comfort and this sometimes seems to make it worse.

Have been to the docs lots on this and I've told him I suspect reflux/silent reflux (about six months ago). Got infant gaviscon for two weeks which made things better. When I went back he just dismissed this, said 'good' like the problem was solved. I stupidly didn't argue with this.

Problem continued and for ages I've thought maybe it's teething (causing pain at night and excess liquid in throat). No teeth coming now though so I'm back to reflux.

Would love any thoughts/suggestions/experiences as am feeling rather desperate. Thanks.

My DS was younger than yours when his silent reflux was diagnosed but it took a trip to A&E to get to that point. To cut a long story short, the cranial osteopath we were seeing suggested that silent reflux might be the problem and that, as the GP might not take it seriously, I should take him to A&E. I thought I'd give the GP a chance and, yes, he looked a little doubtful but faxed a referral straight through to the paediatricians at the local children's A&E. They agreed that it was silent reflux and started him on a regime of 3 drugs: infant gaviscon, rantidine and motilium. It did help and now, at 13 months, he is a lot better and was discharged from the paediatrician's care at Christmas.

TBH, given your worries, I would push for a referral to a paediatrician. My understanding is that reflux does normally begin to resolve itself once a child is 1-2 years' old so the fact that it hasn't for your son (if reflux is the problem) suggests that some investigation would be helpful as he may need something to help manage the symptoms until the sphincter at the top of his stomach matures sufficiently.

If your GP won't help, think about taking him to A&E yourself - and try to make sure it has a specialist children's A&E. If you're reluctant to try that, you might want to consider continuing the infant gaviscon regime yourself. You can buy it over-the-counter at chemists. We had no problems once we explained it had first been prescribed for him.

Something else that may help is to restrict your son's intake of acidic foods such as citrus and tomatoes as these can aggravate reflux. This was a suggestion from my DS' consultant. Ensuring that he stays upright for at least 20 mins after all feeds, whether of solid food or milk, is also supposed to help. In the same vein, elevating his mattress, if you're not already doing so, might be worth a go.

Anyway, I hope you get it sorted soon. It is very distressing, I know.

Sariska thank you so much for your thoughts, suggestions, and understanding.

I read another thread on here where people mentioned giving up dairy (me and him, as I'm still bfing). Does anyone have any idea if that will be of any use in silent reflux in the older infant?

I have similar problems. My ba is 13 months old. He's always been unsettled. I haven't had a full nights sleep since he's been born. He never slept much (1o mins) thru day when he was a baby cause every time i left him down he woke and cried. (I did try to let him settle himself but he squealed until i picked him up). He is still waking several times per night..squealing and arching back and if i pick him up he clings on as if his life depends on it. He hates being put on back to get nappy changed..especially when i raise his legs up. He's always been unsettled and irritable during day. However he has good moments and bad, good days and bad. I always thought he was teething, even since birth but he only got 2 teeth just before he turned 1. He demands attention 24/7 and won't let me set him down. If i set him on the floor he won't even crawl back to me. He just sits there screaming and rocking himself back and forth. He cries when i try to spoon feed him. I'ev also noticed taht he sometimes has bad breath. I've also seen him bring up mwhite mouthfuls nad swallow them right back down again. It's as if he wants to eat but is in pain. He was on 25% when born and went down to 2% at 3 months. He was also breatfed and around this time i had a hard time breastfeeding. It was as if he wanted to feed, but would cry, and not take a feed. His weight remained on 2% until 6 weeks ago when it went up to 25%. I feel he has silent reflux and doctor told me it wasn't without even listening to what i had to say. But i asked for a referral and he did it. I then went to the Health Visitor the next day to keep check on ba's weight. He has lost 5oz in 6 weeks. I was 19 3oz 6 weeks ago and now only weighs 18 14oz. I've been convinced since the day he was born that there's something wrong but doctor won't take me seriously!

That sounds a nightmare missintellect! You said the doctor did a referral... what's happened since then? Have you seen anyone at the hospital? Sometimes it's so hard to get the health professionals to take parents' concerns seriously, grrr.

my ds is just 1 and from birth had problems with feeding and after feeds ...he was always being sick and just generally uncomfortable he started on gaviscon this helped a little for a about 6wks then i came across sma stay down milk witch really helped ..i was finally given this on precription from the gp but with him gettin chest infections ever 4-6 wks we got referred to to the hospital . we went several times and he had x-rays and examinations and know we have been told he has reactive airways diease secondary to the reflux ...hes on 2 lots of medications...which is 5 times a day now and also antibiotics 3x a day to prevent infection.cant u see another gp and tell them u need to be referred as ur concerned and need this sorted ....hope u get it sored us parents know our children better than anyone how dare the gp just fob u off x

I'll have to wait 2 or 3 weeks now on referral. i'll let you know what happens T. I think he only referred me because i handed him a list of symptoms. My son has also had poor weight gain. And...i've heard that doc will only take you seriously if there is 'failure to thrive'. Demand a referral!!!