Do I need a new Pediatrician?

amother

Thu, Mar 10 2011, 6:22 am

My son has been complaining for the past few weeks that he keeps getting "dizzy" and he feels like he is going to faint. He is almost 8 and is not usually a big complainer. He told me it happens most often when he runs or at recess, but this week it happened while we were sitting at the supper table. In general he is a weak kid, he is very skinny and has core muscle weakness. Last summer he was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma and he has an inhaler, so I immediately thought that this could be a symptom of his asthma flaring up. I called the pediatrician and spoke to a nurse. I told her his history and she was going to speak to the doctor and call me back. When she called me back she said "the doctor said he should be eating 3 meals a day and getting enough sleep." I was like "hello, did you not understand my concern?" She reassured me that she did, and that it's nothing. In general the doctor is right on target but this time I felt completely misunderstood. I was sitting at that supper table and saw my son literally turn white in front of my eyes. I imparted my concerns and was duly dismissed. I am not a neurotic parent but this whole thing concerns me. What do I do now. I can't continue with a pediatrician that I second guess AND I still don't know what's wrong with my son!

tikva18

Thu, Mar 10 2011, 8:19 am

Definitely call again. I'm really proactive, so I not only would call, but would insist on being seen and then getting a referral (if needed) to a cardiologist (but then again, my dh has heart issues - and has since birth - so I'm really aggressive in that department).

mamommommy

Thu, Mar 10 2011, 8:24 am

I don' think that you need to switch doctors, but I do think that you need to simply call the doctor and leave a message that you want to speak to him and for him to call you back. You don't need to tell the whole story to to anyone else.

obagys

Thu, Mar 10 2011, 8:28 am

I'm pretty much going to echo what's already been said. You don't need to switch doctors at this point - you simply need to actually speak to the doctor, or have your son checked out by him. Never rely on an intermediary (ie, the nurse) when it comes to an issue so important.

ChutzPAh

Thu, Mar 10 2011, 9:47 am

And I find that half the time these aren't really "nurses" being the intermediaries but secretaries or medical assistants. You need to call back and speak with the actual doctor. There is no need to switch practices at this point.

overthehill

Thu, Mar 10 2011, 10:02 am

ChutzPAh wrote:

[size=24]And I find that half the time these aren't really "nurses" being the intermediaries but secretaries or medical assistants. [/size] You need to call back and speak with the actual doctor. There is no need to switch practices at this point.

LOL- You are so right!

These "nurses" and "medical assistance" sometimes masquerade as regular women/girls who have been trained to perform medical procedures such as vaccines, and draw blood, dispense meds.. and half the time they dont have any form of degree. Sometimes they answer questions based on what THEY think the answer is and they never ask an MD.

With that said, I would physically bring my son into the office and request that a full work up including blood, BP be done to rule out anything important that cant be seen on the surface