Help! Drs not taking this seriously

[Bluffysummers]

Dd 2.5 has had diarrhoea for 3 weeks now. Can’t get a GP appointment for love nor money. So we’ve been going out of hours, they are saying oh it’s a tummy bug, cut out irritants like tomato, spice and dairy for the time being. Fine have done but it’s not getting better.

We have another OOO appointment later but Is there anything I can do at home? It’s not fair on her and I’m not sure what to feed her?

What would you give a toddler with a dodgy tum?

Keep trying to get a GP appointment.

I’d ring 111 and ask to see out of hours GP at your local hospital. Your local GP sounds like they are bent on robbing you off. You need a real second opinion.
Unexplained diarrhoea for 3 weeks straight usually means some sort of infection and a stool sample should be analysed.
Make sure you are keeping him hydrated with Dialyte or similar.

*her and I think Dialyte makes a Pedialyte for children now.

@EmpressCixi

I’d ring 111 and ask to see out of hours GP at your local hospital. Your local GP sounds like they are bent on robbing you off. You need a real second opinion. Unexplained diarrhoea for 3 weeks straight usually means some sort of infection and a stool sample should be analysed. Make sure you are keeping him hydrated with Dialyte or similar.

We’ve already seen 2 Out of hours GPs and now seeing a third today but they aren’t taking it seriously and they don’t even have stool sample kits at the OOO centres. I don’t even know what to feed her

be veyr firm and insistent. Emphasis the 3 weeks, and that you have modified her diet.
Ask if they can do the stool sample and if not please refer you over to A&E or a paed clinic etc where they can do one.

Can you weigh her and see if she has lost weight?

GP services are appalling now. It's so hard to get an appointment (maybe not at every surgery, but at most). Many GPs have largely decided not to do boring things like actually see patients in person. Keep trying OP and I hope your kid feels better soon.

May well be food intolerances or allergy. Lactose is a common one in children so maybe cut that out and ask for a paediatric referral.

@Nelliephant1

May well be food intolerances or allergy. Lactose is a common one in children so maybe cut that out and ask for a paediatric referral.

Already cut out dairy

@steppemum

be veyr firm and insistent. Emphasis the 3 weeks, and that you have modified her diet. Ask if they can do the stool sample and if not please refer you over to A&E or a paed clinic etc where they can do one.

Can you weigh her and see if she has lost weight?

She’s down about 200g

How is she in herself, plenty of energy or lethargic? Is she dehydrated or ok? Any sickness? I’d be feeding plain foods like toast, apple slices etc and giving plenty of fluids. I do have a friend whose son is prone to diarrhoea and it can take a while to get back to normal. If she’s otherwise ok, I wouldn’t worry too much but see if you can get to a GP who’ll explain things properly to you. Even a phone call appointment might help. Hope she feels better soon.

Hi OP, I had this with my eldest. She was never poorly with it as such, but it was a bit of a nightmare. We had all the tests going (we had to get a referral to paediatrics) and all came back fine. They just put it down to toddler diarrhoea which would settle down on its own - which it did after about 12 months!! Not what you want to hear but just wanted to also reassure you that it can be nothing serious. More info here patient.info/childrens-health/acute-diarrhoea-in-children/toddlers-diarrhoea

@Retrievemysanity

How is she in herself, plenty of energy or lethargic? Is she dehydrated or ok? Any sickness? I’d be feeding plain foods like toast, apple slices etc and giving plenty of fluids. I do have a friend whose son is prone to diarrhoea and it can take a while to get back to normal. If she’s otherwise ok, I wouldn’t worry too much but see if you can get to a GP who’ll explain things properly to you. Even a phone call appointment might help. Hope she feels better soon.

Completely herself and eating and drinking fine. Only upset after a bowel movement predominately because she’s a) got diarrhoea cramps before but b) mainly because we were potty training so she’s mortified

Contact your Health Visitor, they might be able to get you a GP appointment

@Herbie0987

Contact your Health Visitor, they might be able to get you a GP appointment

We don’t have HV past 1 year old here…

The third doc has said she’s not got blood in it and no temp so it’s all fine and dandy just don’t have any dairy and do bland foods… so f’ing frustrating

Stop going to the OOH drs - it’s the wrong service.
They are there for unwell emergencies that cannot wait until gp reopens.
They can’t do investigations like stool tests or onward referrals to clinic.
They are very much a service that is deciding: well and go home for follow up if needed versus unwell and needs admitting.

If your child is well but has diarrhoea they won’t admit (rightly) and this you feel ignored.

Ongoing diarrhoea does need investigated but you’re looking for answers from the wrong service.
It could be anything from a toddlers diarrhoea to a longer term condition.

Have you rang each day for a gp appt or made an advance one if available at your practice?
Start with a food/bowel movement/symptom diary and make arrangements for a stool test for culture.

Otherwise I think you’ll just feel that you’ve got nowhere with ooh but it’s not the right service for ongoing investigations/management.

@TisTheSeasonToBe

Stop going to the OOH drs - it’s the wrong service. They are there for unwell emergencies that cannot wait until gp reopens. They can’t do investigations like stool tests or onward referrals to clinic. They are very much a service that is deciding: well and go home for follow up if needed versus unwell and needs admitting.

If your child is well but has diarrhoea they won’t admit (rightly) and this you feel ignored.

Ongoing diarrhoea does need investigated but you’re looking for answers from the wrong service.
It could be anything from a toddlers diarrhoea to a longer term condition.

Have you rang each day for a gp appt or made an advance one if available at your practice?
Start with a food/bowel movement/symptom diary and make arrangements for a stool test for culture.

Otherwise I think you’ll just feel that you’ve got nowhere with ooh but it’s not the right service for ongoing investigations/management.

Well, the nhs website says to call 111 if out of hours which is what we have done today.

The other 2 times I’ve managed to get an appointment, I’ve called the drs, (day 7 and day 14) and they’ve said they can’t book me an appointment at the surgery and sent me to the ooo GP practice service sooo what do you suggest I do here 🤷‍♀️ She’s 2.5 and whilst ‘ok’ in herself no lethargic or in pain, any time she eats she has diarrhoea, she’s getting afraid to eat anything. She does need to be seen and tbh as it’s been going on 3 weeks, it can’t really wait.

The GP won’t see us, ive called every day and gone down in person (that’s how I got the OOO GP appointment) I asked for stool sample container at GP and told they don’t have any and to get it from OOO GP.

I second the toddler diarrhoea. Especially as she's well in herself.
But I would just go into the GP surgery and ask for a stool sample pot, collect it and drop it off with clinical details attached saying you will call for the results in a week. ( it takes a minimum of 24 hrs to grow anything and chuck in a weekend and it'll be a week.
I would imagine it'll just clear up by itself but might go on, on and off for months or a year.
Good luck.

Reduce dairy for few weeks, keep up with fluids. Check weight not dropping or leveling off

Till you can see the dr, have you tried the BRAT diet? (Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) Also (as a rule) avoid all fruit with an "r" in it.

No fizzy drinks squash etc

Not answering your original question I know but your GP surgery service is unacceptable and needs a formal complaint putting in if you have the bandwidth to do that. Contact the surgery in writing stating you are making a formal complaint about lack of appointments and inappropriate referrals to OOH. Copy the complaint to your CCG (Google), they are the ones that pay the GPs.

We had this - toddler diarrhoea.

Try some probiotics. Get some healthy gut bacteria in her, OP.

@Feetupteashot

Reduce dairy for few weeks, keep up with fluids. Check weight not dropping or leveling off

Weight is levelling over, she’s lost 200g which I guess isn’t too bad but not ideal

Put on very bland diet toast with dairy free marg carrot sticks, potato as plain meat ect sounds like she has a intolerance to something keep a food diary for to bland food for at least a week and see if it clears up first and as much dry food avid sugar too in fruit