I am so sick of paying the Dr's when they are guessing on my kids all the time!

[CouponQueen23]

I have 3 children and each on has battled the Strep come and go. I am just about at my wits end. I continue to toss tooth brushes disinfect the whole nine yards. My 2 older children have been doing pretty good latley. My littlest one has been the one really sick started on April 25 I though he was just dealing with sinus, alleries. He was running a fever and what not then during the night of the 26 he spiked a fever of 104.7 so I got him right in to the Dr's the next morning. They did a rapid strep culture. It was possitive for strep I felt horrible he had been dealing with that for couple of days before I knew it was serious. ( I figured allergies changing of the season) The Dr goes on call goes on to tell me how painful strep is and it shouldn't go untreated. Yes, I know this why do they think I brough him in. He was awake alot the night before so he fell asleep during the visit. I mentioned the fact that he had big blotches on his tounge. She didn't really seem to concerned about the tounge then. So as we were leaving she tells me she would like us to come back. So ok I get him his antiobiotic I give it to him faithfully twice a day for 10 days as directed. And In between all that his re check appointment was on wed. May 4. we go in for the appointment he is getting to the point he HATES Dr. offices, so he yells kicks and screams all the while we were doing the weigh in and blood preassure check, the nurse skipped BP and Heart Check and checking ears she figured he was to un cooaprative to deal with. So after sitting there for well over a half hour past his scheduled appointment the Dr comes in she sits down and starts to ask questions and he screams. She looked in at his tounge and said ok that's all I needed! Ok I am ticked right about then. I figured they wanted to check the strep sittuation out. So Ok whatever we leave. So he contuinues to take his Med thurday and friday this is of last week the 7 & 8 th of May. So on Monday am when he woke up I was talking to him and I said to Dh his throat is starting to sound restricted, He said keep a watch of it. We disscussed the kids getting sick Dh made the comment about having all their tonsils taken out and be done with it. So later in the day Ds was getting warm and told me his tounge/ throat hurts. I looked in his throat and I could see it was red and both sides are white. So I call the after hours for and appointment. ( this is with in the office that handel my kids so all there files are there) So the Dr on call sees him ofcourse my Ds had had motrin he had a fever of 99 so not horrible. Dr says I think it is nasal allergies. I said you don't theink it is still strep he said no the 10 of antibiotic should have cleared it up ok, so he s sick again dealing with this pain and he wants to guess that it is not strep. He doen't want to culture him because #1 the child is so sick of Dr's already and #2 he thinks that the rapid strep are not acurate and they seem to treat for strep even when it is not strep. Ok so he tells me to use numbing drops. So he writes a perscription for lidicane (sp) to numb his throat I dropped it off at the pharmacy the next day and the Dr has not been on since and they pharmany is not sure how to fill it they and the Dr's staff do not know excactly what the Dr meant to write so I have a sick boy on my hand and I am terribly frustrated. Not for nothing but the fact that my co pay per visit is $15 and extra for lab visits I am just about sick of the Dr's staff and the pharmacy telling me to go back or come back and ask to see a different Dr. I have already spent my grocery and working on my gas budget. I am about to take him back in tommorro and tell them I want him cultured and they can hold thier had and wait until I get more money. They will just have to send me the bill. I feel like they just wnat to keep making people come back. I have not problems spending money yes it frustrates me but not nearly as much as my shild in pain and suffreing and all I can do is give him motrin and tylenol to keep him comfortable. So frustrated. so at this poin the perscription has not been filled and the pharmacist tells me to give him mylanta fore his sore throat. I have not medical knowlege what so ever but I feel like I could be doing a better job than the quacks I havetaken my son to latley. Thanks for reading this really long vent. Please no harsh words it only take a little to make me cry right now I just want him to feel better soon.

[meggers]

I hope he feels better soon. I would be frustrated too. Hugs!

[3timesoccermom]

Wow, what a bummer for all of you. I agree with you on the docs just being so cavalier about "bring them back" etc. They don't realize (or care, more likely) that's it's sometimes not quite that simple.

First thing I was thinking when I was reading was wondering if you had been able to get him to take ALL of his meds. That is so important on not getting a return visit of strep (or whatever the antibiotics are treating). So many times people start to feel better then they stop short of completing the treatment, not realizing they have only killed the weakest germs, not the stronger ones so then they go another round with that garbage.

But, I see you did finish the course of treatment with him so not sure what's up. Keep bumping your thread if you don't get enough responses and maybe one of the nurses on the site can give you some advice.

In the meantime, hang in there you poor little Mama!!

[rbunnymom]

Hugs...hang in there. You are being a great Mom.

[Spanelli8706]

So sorry you are going thru all of this. Poor kid! Have you thought about maybe finding a new pediatrician? If you aren't happy with how they are running the office, it may be in all of your best interest if you shop around for a new Dr. After much disappointment & stress at our old Peds, we finally decided to find our kids a new Dr and the service we receive now meets my expectations so much better! Perhaps the white on his tongue is some sort of infection... Good luck with everything.

[CW&M Mom]

Yup...fire the ped...get a new one.

We had my son in the ER Friday night with strep. They didn't even bother culturing him. They looked at his throat, felt his huge lymph nodes..and said...it's strep. or another bacterial infection.


All three of my kids came down last year with a mysterious strep like infection last summer...but they all tested negative, even the long culture. But they each had full blown puss on there throat. The ped basically said...the only virus that causes that is mono..and no way do all three kids have mono..so we are treating it as another bacterial infection.

So yup...I fully believe in firing doctors that are not working out. As for the tonsils...the two things I would suggest you try. First have everyone in the house tested to see if they are a carrier of strep. Cause if (as an example) dad is a carrier..he can keep spreading it to the kids and he never himself get sick.

B. I would suggest an antibiotic shot first before resorting to tonsils. That often can clear the problem because it works so fast and works so long in there bodies.

good luck!

[mezzchick]

Wow! This sounds like me when I was 18. On antibiotics for 10 days, 2 days later, I'd have strep again. I even ended up in the hospital with an antibiotic IV. After going through that for about 5 months, I finally got my tonsils out. Can you get him to an ear, nose, and throat Dr?
Poor baby! I know what he's going through and its not fun.

[shashabell]

He obviously needs antibiotics. If it were my son, I would demand that the doctor write a script for it.....and then shop around for a new pediatrician. Ask around and see who has a great one that you can start going to.

[JulieDB]

I can relate! My daughter has been soooo sick this school year. She has missed 20 days already, 5 of which were caused by an allergic reaction to a prescribed medicine. Caused severe stomach issues and it took a that long to get it out of her system. Meanwhile she remained sick with what I brought her in there for and that was a respiratory thing.

This week she has been complaining of a sore throat. Like you, I thought allergies or cold. So many kids at her dance studio were complaining of sore throats. But then they started not coming in to dance. And you have to be really sick not to come in this close to recital (next month).

I finally allowed her to stay home from school (had been sending her in because they were doing testing) because she was nearly comatose on the couch. That is not like her at all. Dr. said she didn't seem to have strep or mono (also going around the dance studio) and thought it was a virus. She did have a fever but the quick strep test showed nothing. We're still waiting for the regular test results. Today she felt much worse. Still has a fever and the meds she was told to take (Tylenol and Mucinex) are not helping at all.

I am frustrated. She has already missed so much school that her grades will drop one level. Or so they say on the school's website. But I fear that she is too ill to go in tomorrow. She still had a fever when she went to bed. My mom said to take her back to the Dr. tomorrow. They may not be able to do anything for her but at least I can get a note from them.

It has gotten to the point where she doesn't even want to go in to the Dr. because she says they either won't do anything for her or will make her more ill. Which is what happened when she had the allergic reaction. Gah! I don't know why everyone is getting so sick this year! Luckily I have managed to escape most of it but I have been sick a few times this year.

[CouponQueen23]

Thanks everyone. It has been a wild last couple of days here. My son has been taking the tylenol and mortin flip, He has been home bound and loving beeing out side. I figure I will keep him home asway from others just incase he is contagious. His throat is looking much better, his appetite is comming around. He is not in pain at this point. Still no call from the pharcacy for the script from the Dr. ( that really ticks me off about that whole deal!) As far as the little guy goes he seems to be feeling much better. My other 2 children are not complaning of anything. I am feeling a little run down my self. I have been cleaning and trying to get caught up on everything I have put off all the while he was not feeling good. He just wanted mommy and to be cuddled alot. I have noticed a lot of yellow pollen like alot dusting our vehicals. My van sat idle in my driveway for the last couple days and when I took it out to night I had to use the wipers to clear the window to see. If this throat starts acting up again I have an ENT Dr that was really good with our middle child (hen he needed tubes in his ears) I will take our DS to have him seen there next time. I will also ask about the good vs bad of having tonsils removed. The last Dr we seen said he was against tonsil removal because then after the tonsils are removed there is bronchits because the tonsils are there to help filter. My mom was telling me about some study that was saying sugar is good to help rid the body of strep and certain infections. I will have to research this a little more she said it was on the news a day or so ago. I am so far behind on everything. I will look in to it though. Thanks everyone. I will definitly be asking around I know our little town in limited to where we can get our care locally, but quality care is important to me and I might be taking my kids else where. Its gonna cost me a $15 co pay no matter where I take them and I would just assume have them see a Dr we like and trust! My kids are not their little lab rats.