Bit of a dilemma concerning GP surgery

[ilovecaboose]

I originally joined the surgery because, although NHS, it combines 'alternative' medicines with conventional, it gets a special grant to do so.However over the past year or 2, they have been having problems getting drs, and the ones that they are getting ignore the alternative medicine.

So basically I have brilliant HV and crap drs (and also an hour round trip to get there). Surgery down the road, HVs on rotation (so can't guareentee seeing same one), but OH's experiences and others tell me GPs are really good.

Ds has some problems with his stomach (its almost permanently swollen and causes him quite a bit of pain) that we have seen 4 different drs over, none of which will do anything or even look at his stomach. They just send me away.

We still use the HV quite a bit at the mo over ds eating problems and other concerns.

I am really torn. I don't know how I will cope with ds eating without HV support (he is really severe and she is a lifesaver), but I want to get something done about his stomach, yet our drs can't even be bothered to look at it.

Any advice?

not sure if this is the sort of advice you want but DD had a swollen belly and was really fussy with food for a few weeks. she ended up being hospitalised with severe constipation. one the poo cleared she was back to eating and her belly went back to normal.

you need a decent doctor

change immediately to the one that is closest

what are you doing having a 30 min journey to GP .. that's daft

btw how old is baby?

Thanks for the responses.

Ds is 22 months. Problem has been ongoing since birth - originally terrible colic, but hasn't really eased since he has got older. Constant switch between diorreah (sp?) and constipation, terrible wind that kinda thing, which contributes to his eating problems as diffcult to eat properly when tummy hurts all the time. Recently he's been able to sleep through it but otherwise it was keeping him awake screaming several nights a week.

Just thinking over all that has happened recently with them (well in past yr) and its just not acceptable, plus long journey makes it difficult. One dr told me there was no reason for babies/kids to have any form of milk after they started crawling (milk is only for tiny babies apparently - bizzare).

I'm gonna talk it over with OH tonight - if it wasn't for my HV I would have left ages ago without even thinking about it.

has he had any tests?

have you tried any elimination diets .. gluten? cassein

really, really think you should get bolshy and insist on some action from gps .. insist on it .. unfortunately with our modern NHS s/he who shouts loudest gets action

He hasn't had any tests - they refuse to investigate at all. I haven't tried cutting any food groups out cos I didn't know where to start, and his diet is so poor as it is I worry about doing without guidance (IYSWIM). I asked if it could be an allergy, but they just said the only allergy children get is milk and it was unlikely to be that so don't both trying it.

The gps just won't listen and at most say - 'its a sensitive stomach'. What does that mean? How can they tell without even looking at it.

One GP (since left) once put him on a diet of only milk products and fruit (when his stomach was unbelievably bad) but it didn't help so they didn't care.

I need to swop I think as the bastards at the moment just treat me like a complete timewaster from the moment I walk through the door.

Children CAN be allergic to milk!

Had a friend whose DD was severly allergic to dairy - projectile vomited any time a dairy product came near here. Unfortunatley medcial establishment only listed when child was 8mths and v. underweight/sized and a Bulgarian paediatrician took an interest (was living in Bulgaria at that time). What really frustrated my (Irish) friend and her (Scottish DH) was that they had taken their DD to docs in UK and they just said she had reflux. As soon as they cut dairy out she was a different child.

TOTALLY unacceptable. Can you talk to your hv about it, and see if there is any way you could get referred elsewhere?

Cutting out food groups - and I would start with wheat - is not too hard and you can get plenty of help on Mumsnet from people who have been through it. (My dh is wheat intolerant so I have to avoid wheat for him, although not for me and ds).

I've taken my ds to see the GP just for a mildly upset tummy and of course they have checked his belly - it's a matter of routine.

If you want to email me about eliminating wheat, my email is tribunicia underscore potestas at hotmail dot com.

That's incredible. If you take a child complaining of stomach pain to a dr, how can the dr not even look at the stomach? You should make a formal complaint about something like that.

Thanks for the responses, the more I think about it the worse the drs strike me as being.

Tribpot - have emailed you about cutting out wheat.

Truth is I get intimidated by drs easily and I start out fighting and end up a shaking wreck.

Definately time to swop drs now I think, as don't think the situation will change with these (plus I end up seeing a different one every time I go whether I want to or not).

As they are alternative - has anyone suggested probiotics? They can't harm him and you may notice a big difference.

What are his poos like?