So.......after O being put on ranitidine Sunday we initially saw some immediate improvement but by no means was he how he should be. Tuesday is clinic day at our HV's so off we went to get O weighed and talk things through with her. Despite good weight gain (for his size!) he is still showing significant signs of reflux. The HV wasn't happy that we couldn't get a Dr's apt for 3 weeks and said that she wanted him seen asap by a Dr. She rang the surgery for us and demanded an appointment, they tried to fob her off, however she spoke to the practise manager and was able to demand an apt.

HV advise us to carry on with the ranitidine, also use Gaviscon with is, and to help O's constipation switch to lactose free formula. She got us a dr's apt for 5:30 this evening to discuss all of the above.

Our Dr's apt was as much use as a chocolate teapot. I came away feeling so demoralised. She made O's health issues all about me, and spent most of the appointment preaching about PND to me etc. Im not mocking PND at all when I say this, its awful and should be taken seriously but I am not suffering from this. I haven't gone to the HV or the Dr as a cry for help for me, I have gone because my little boy is in pain and I want to do something about it. I had a rant at her about it and she said that its ok because he is so young he wont remember being in this pain and that in a few months he will grow out of it anyway . SERIOUSLY!!! You wouldn't be able to treat a pet like that would you. Babies aren't some second rate citizens who should be left to be in pain just because they won't remember it.

She suggested that when he  cries I should take him out for a ride in the car to settle him.

She said that apart from what he is already on there was nothing else she could do for his reflux.

She said she would be surprised if he even had reflux as he isn't sick. This is the third GP to tell me this. So.....why was silent reflux ever diagnosed then???

I asked about domperidone, she said it wouldn't help any more than ranitidine and there are no other drugs that would help with reflux. I'm sure she is wrong.

I asked about prescription formula or off the shelf anti-reflux formula...she said she wouldn't waste my money on "gimmicky formula's" and hadn't heard of prescription formula.

She feels he is more upset because I am tired and upset.....how she assumed this I don't know. In myself I feel fine. Again she was making the apt about me.

I'm so fuming with her....but at the same time she was a nice lady. So frustrating. We are no further forward and I am sure that she has labelled me as a tired stressed out frazzled mum....which I am not.....not at the moment anyway. She was just totally unhelpful. Despite me questioning her a number of times.

I just don't know where to go or what to do now. I need a brick wall so I can bang my head against it. I have to admit that O isn't so bad that I can't leave it a week to see if it works...he isn't refusing feeds....more fussing at feeds and refusing half way through but equally I don't want to take what my GP has said as the end of the matter when I know there is more help out there.

Can anyone share their meds, how long they took to work, what else I could/should be asking for???

You need to get a referral to the hospital.  A lot of the medication regimes that are out there GPs won't / can't prescribe.  

JB....but surely by the time we are refered to see a paed...and the appointment comes through O will have grown out of it. I found with C that as soon as we weaned, reflux was never an issue.

Isn't it frustrating.

We were referred at our 6 week check, given an appt when she would have been 16 weeks.  H rang and spoke to our GP who then sent through a request for an urgent referral which came through for the following week.

Zoe was initially on Gaviscon from 2 weeks old; moved on to ranitidine and erythromisin (not sure how that is spelt, it is an antibiotic that was being trialled in tiny regular doses for treatment of reflux) at 8 weeks.  We also discovered that by using the ready made cartons she was better.   The effectiveness of that combination started to reduce over time so I went to the chemist and ordered in Enfamil AR formula, used it for 2 weeks and proved that with that formula she needed no medication at all.  Went back to the GP who then prescribed the formula.

My GP's are fuckers. Fancy telling me the formula's are gimmicky. Bastards.

Munchkin I've no experience of refluxbut I'd be raging at how she treated you today. I'd complain to the practice manager but meantime buy a tin of "gimmicky" formula and see if it works for O. Then I'd prob speak to HV to see how she advises moving it forward, she sounds like someone who's been helpful  

I hate how a lot of GPs don't seem to act in the best interests of their patients.

Hello, I rarely post but domperidone acts in a different way to ranitadine - I can't remember exactly but don't understand why crazy doctor has fobbed you off? The other drug that is meant to be the best is omeprazole.

I'm not sure how old your little one is but my daughter stopped all signs of being in pain at 4 months but unfortunately is still very sick at nearly 1! Sounds like your HV is very supportive can you seek referral through her?

Reflux is so s**t I really feel for you x

Well that's two drugs mentioned on here that my gp has never heard of. Isn't it amazing!!!

I'm torn between finding another apt with another gp and complaining. I don't eat to complain because ultimately I need them to help me. All I want to do it see my boy pain free :-(

This is shocking. Remember, a gp is a general practitioner, not a specialist- they sometimes know *** all, as you well found out!

Ask to see another dr. If needed go to a and e. We got fobbed off for nearly 2 months, all the while Henry was suffering terribly. Spent a small fortune on different formulas. Eventually (as a result of going to a and e) prescribed omeprozole which didn't touch it, but then given neocate and he changed into a different baby. No pain!

Don't give up, keep being you baby's voice

Like everyone said done give up munchkin. I can sympathise about the gp.. I'm asking to see a different one when I go back with h.. Giving the gaviscon another day first...

That should have said dont!

Oh and my Health visitor today also told me all these formulas are just companies ways of getting people to spend more money!

The joke is that if they are gimmicky then the nhs is wasting millions every year prescribing them to parents. I'm getting angrier about it by the minute.

I'm outraged for you! Your GP sounds worse than useless. Sounds like a visit to a&e might be required.

Poor o, but poor you too x

Oh yeah, gimmicky because Henry will take twice as much neocate than he was normal cows milk formula. Gimmicky in that it stopped his 10 nappies a day. Gimmicky because he's no longer writhing around in pain hours every day. What a bell end. You must complain, if anything, just so they're forced to educate themselves

D was in so much pain at ten days old we got an out of hours appointment for gavison, didn't touch the pain for her. After another evening of d screaming in pain for 7 hours solid we took her to a and e as breath had got so bad from screaming. We found out then that if baby under 12 weeks is taken to a and e they have to be seen by a pead. This is how we got ranitidine and domperidone prescribed for her silent reflux. Just a thought.... As gp's are rubbish. I went to gp for repeat prescription and was told babies do cry you know,

Oh Munchkin, sounds awful for you having to see your boy go through all that pain and then the GP being so dismissive of it, and just saying he'll outgrow it!?!?  I'm astounded!  No suggestions, but I hope you get some help.  I'm sure C had silent reflux as a baby, but it wasn't until he was older and heard more about it that I realised what had probably been causing all his crying and upset, it really isn't nice xx

It sounds like you have a decent HV, so I'd get straight on the phone to her and demand some help. There's a huge difference between pnd and a demanding baby - sounds like that Dr will miss both. I'd also get to a chemist and buy enfamil. No drs in my surgery had heard of it, but I went in armed with a tin and told them they had to prescribe it as it worked. Thankfully they did.

Unfortunately silent reflux always seems to be disregarded as they don't puke and lose weight - but the pain is awful to watch.

Good luck x

Blimey, no wonder you're raging, that GP was beyond useless. I'd definitely complain so that other mums in your position aren't fobbed off and I hope you get some help, even if you have to go to A&E. Massive hugs to you xx

I am constantly amazed at how uneducated GPs are! I'm lucky that  ours had children of his own that had reflux that no one would treat so he's right on it.

Domperidone works by speeding up gut motility so less chance of milk coming back up, ranitidine reduces the amount of acid produced so work very differently.

The anti reflux formula is much much thicker so is less likely to come back up. We're using all three and did with Sammy.

If your practice is that crap I think you'll have to go to a&e. both mine have piled on weight despite the reflux.

Don't give up!