Docs "expertise" or Mom's "intuition"????

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Lily has been running a very low grade fever the better part of this week (never over 100 either rectal or in her ear).  She's been feeling a lot warmer than her temp says she is.  Well night before last she started in with a really bad cough and runny nose.  She has also been making gagging faces when I feed her thicker texture foods like the meats (she's 8 mos and been on solids for 4 months now) she's NEVER done that before.  

Well I took her to the doc today (btw she's 18 lbs 6 oz) and he said she has pharyngitis (sore throat with blisters) and gave her azythromicin.  Ok, I agree with that.  What I don't agree with is that he said her gagging is becuase she's developing reflux?!?!?  My first 3 were on meds for reflux, my first had it horribly.  DS2 was given meds but I only gave them to him for a week or two and controlled it other ways.  Lily has NEVER been on meds for it.  She's never had an issue with reflux. MY feeling is that her throat is sore for one, and two she has sinus drainage which is already irritating her gag reflex, add in the thicker texture foods and you have a bunch of yuckies back there making you gag.  Well he prescribed Zantac.   Said not to give it to her right away to wait and see.  He said make sure she sits up right when eating (she already does) and not to let her drink, take a bite, drink, take a bit, etc (she doesn't drink while she's eating, she doesn't like to)  

What do you guys think....is doc right that it's reflux? or do you think she's just got a lot of factors going on triggering that gag reflux becuase she's sick?

BTW you'd never be able to tell she's sick from this pic which was taken AT the doc office while we were waiting! LOL

[Michele, Katy, TX]

That's right.  She's not on whole milk yet.  I forgot!  That's good that she is taking her bottles though.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

She'll drink her bottles just fine.  It's just the stage 2 foods she's started gagging with!  As long as she's taking her bottles I'm not worrying about her food intake.  I'll just keep offering til she's ready to eat it again.  I've noticed it's easier for her when it's cold.  I guess it soothes her throat.

[Michele, Katy, TX]

I agree that most times a mother knows best.  I believe you know best in this too.  I don't think it is a coincidence that she didn't start gagging until she was sick with blisters on her throat.  I think it just really hurts bad for her to eat right now and that she may not eat well for a few days.  I would try the super soft stuff like popsicles, jello, soups, etc.  She may not even eat those, but I'd do my best to just keep her hydrated.  If you give her milk, I'd just water it down a bit.  Mary won't drink anything but milk really, and that makes it hard when she is congested because milk can actually make chest congestion worse.  So I just water it down.  

I sure hope she feels better soon!

[jtaylor102481]

ps  i forgot to add even being in the medical field my self ( both me and the DH )  i tend to trust my intuition more. for example when my lil was four months old she came down with what everyone told me was cold. I knew something was wrong she was coughin to the point of gagging and making herself sick also she was  have some wheezing that i could hear. Well i kept taking her back to the dr and they keep  telling me that it was just a cold finally on the fifth trip back from the dr i decided that i had enough and i took her to the er at the  childrens  hospital lucky that i did she was having asthma attacks  so i wasnt crazy  she ended up being admitted and finally getting her breathing issues under control . Whenever i had to take her back to her pedi when she released and i made sure to only see the dr i picked out for her ( the one who told me i was crazy no longer works for the practice )
again go with ur gut for a few days  it what i say

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Thanks!  That's what I was thinking.  I'm just not getting that Mom "feeling" that it IS reflux.  KWIM?

[jtaylor102481]

it sounds to me like she may have alot of things going on at once and i swear that must be  going around all my kids currently have the same thing.  I would wait on the Zantac for now and she how she is doing when she is feeling better. My two year old had issues with reflux but we never put her on meds for it. I know i have had the sore throat blisters and it made me gag and i dont have reflux. Let her go for a couple of days and start feeling better and try some of the other things u know to do for reflux to see if it may ease her discomfort