Great GP but doesn't like to prescribe medication

S

sweet_tomato

Registered User
Just want to share our experience here. Our GP is caring, supportive with breast-feeding and down to earth. But every time bub and I go in cause of a cold or cough, she just gives us a sympathic look and sends us home with no meds. Bub is 14 months and she believes we will fight the virus naturally and get better in time. But our stuffy noses and sore throats are begging for some relieve. I want to take her advice and let our bodies do the work...but it's been 10 days! Give me a break ;-)
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She's a rare one in Hong Kong then, hold on to her! She's right that if it's a cold then there's nothing she can give that will cure you, the rise of those scary hospital bugs like MSRA is largely attributable to overprescription of antibiotics and people's failure to finish courses, often for conditions that antibiotics can't help anyway.

There's quite a few over the counter and natural remedies that can help you feel better in the meantime, our gp often 'prescribes' those even though you can get them from a chemist if you want to. Maybe ask her what she recommends if you're not sure.

Lots of sympathy though, having a cold is horrible, especially when it's the whole family. Get well soon.
 
Your ped is probably right if your little one has a cold and following 'best practices' from most Western countries for children under 2. Our doctor shared this link from the Mayo Clinic in the US with us:

"Over-the-counter (OTC) medications should generally be avoided in infants. Fever-reducing medications may be safely used ? carefully following dosing directions ? if fever is making your child uncomfortable. Cough and cold medications are not safe for infants and young children."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/common-cold-in-babies/DS01106/DSECTION=symptoms

Some things we have found to help include using those baby saline nasal sprays, warm baths in steamy bathroom and baby panadol or neurofen if she is really uncomfortable. Other than that it is lots of holding, hugs and uncomfortable nights until she is feeling better.

Some doctors in HK will prescribe an antihistamine for babies with colds (believe it is called Polaramine, which you can purchase in a children?s dose at local pharmacies in HK), but this practice is strongly discouraged in the US.
 
Unless you are dealing with some really high fever or some complications that can lead to serious damage, your doctor is right. No need for meds for babies and young kids. Let the baby fight fight fight and all the fighting will build up good immunity.

Even if there is fever, some cool towels go a long way and medication should only be considered in very special circumstances.

Most HKG doctors love to prescribe; you've got a rare one. Hang on to that Doc.
 
However, if you do want a doctor that prescribes something for cold, it shouldn't be hard to find one. My pediatrician surprised me by prescribing stuff when my son had a cold. I tend to hang onto it and avoid giving it unless I feel my son is really suffering.
 
Great doc! Would just check to make sure no fever...otherwise warm bathes, otrivin to dry the runny nose, sucking out the phlegm...fever control with medication only I believe....
 
I was FLOORED the first time I took my not yet 2 year old to the doctor here. I went mainly to make sure it wasn't an ear infection and was thankful it was only a cold, but very surprised when I left with 4 bottles of medication for my little patient. I went home and looked up all 4 medications on the Internet and all of them were listed as highly contraindicated when giving to children under 8!! One was even an opiate to "help baby sleep." I chucked them all and stuck with an old remedy for colds... Chicken noodle soup and some baby panadol.
 
That's great? What kind of medicine will help for a cold? Nothing a doc will prescribe and certainly not antibiotics since it's a virus. Some Panadol, nasal spray, rest is usually sufficient to let things run their course. My kids are 7 1/2 and 5. My oldest never had antibiotics, the others: one twin 3 times (2x double doses) for quite severe, long lasting ear infections and my other one once plus a mega-dosis for 2 weeks (first time) when she contracted MRSA at age
5 months. Only use antiobiotics when truly necessary is my motto.
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Sweet Tomato -- Sounds you like found a gem of a doctor.
Most doctors over-prescribe just because HK parents feel "cheated" when they don't walk out with a bunch of bottles and pills.
 
Totally agree. I find all the silly medicines the doctor gives with your consultation to be...well, silly. It always makes me laugh that I'll go in basically because I'm feeling unwell and want to take a day off from work which I need a sick note from a doctor for and I'll walk out with things for fevers I don't have, pain I'm not complaining of and they always like to throw in something for the stomach too (something in case you have "too much acid") which is totally unrelated to the stuffy nose I'm experiencing. We have a lot of unused meds in our house.

For colds, saline spray for babies and small children is really great. Also, we use an herbal tea for children that helps a lot--when my son was under 2-years-old we just diluted the tea more. Other than that it's just being wrapped warmly, soothing baths and lots of holding. We have had some success with rubbing a small amount of Menthol rub on our children's feet which is a "home remedy" that my mom used with us children. We just dab a tiny amount on the bottom of their feet and put socks on them and for some reason it helps relieve congestion.

The only time my son has ever taken antibiotics in his 4-year-old life was when he was 1-year-old and he came down with an ear infection that got very serious very quickly. His fever was 39.4 degrees and he was vomiting continuously (couldn't keep any liquid down) for almost 24 hours when we finally took him to the hospital.

He was listless and didn't have enough energy to even cry. In the city I was in in the States there is a nurse hotline that you call and the nurse assesses your situation and then makes a recommendation. We had called when his fever wasn't quite as high and she told us, "If the child is throwing up for 48 hours and/or his fever is 40 degrees then take him into the hospital. Otherwise, just keep him at home and try to cool his fever and keep him hydrated." So, compared to those protocols, HK people are really over-medicated. :)

I do hope your child will feel better soon.
 
you're all very lucky. my boy between birth and 3 years, suffered ear infections EVERY single time he caught a cold. i think he had anti-biotics every 2-3 months. luckily, they still work.

his worst ear infection? fever hit 41C. it was awful.

as for cold meds being contraindicated for kids under the age of 8.... i think that is a bunch of BS. they were only taken off the shelves a few years ago, parents were over-medicating their kids and this is what caused the problems.... not the meds themselves.

if my kids have a stuffy nose and are coughing terribly, i will continue to give them meds to help alleviate the symptoms. i take meds when i have a cold, i don't see why my kids should have to suffer through it. i ONLY give according to the instructions and NEVER give more than indicated or more often than indicated.
 
Thanks everyone for your support and advice. We are finally well after 3 weeks of snots and coughs. Bub didn't let the saline nasal spray near her. The only thing that gave her relieve was breast feeding. She was on my boob most of the time for the past few weeks. I am exhausted but glad I could comfort her. So yes, the doctor was right ;-) we didn't need meds to get better but it was not easy. I will definitely keep my ears open for alternative remedies for future reference.
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thanka2 said:
Also, we use an herbal tea for children that helps a lot--when my son was under 2-years-old we just diluted the tea more.
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Thanka: Can you buy that tea in HK or do you purchase it online? I'd like to try it with our little one. Did your children take to drinking it easily? I'm guessing that you serve it warm? Do they only drink it when they are not well? Thanks so much.

-elle
 
carang said:
.

as for cold meds being contraindicated for kids under the age of 8.... i think that is a bunch of BS. they were only taken off the shelves a few years ago, parents were over-medicating their kids and this is what caused the problems.... not the meds themselves.
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Boy that's a bit heated considering you don't even know what meds were perscribed. The one in particular was an opiad and another an antihistamine for a not yet 2 year old who had a cold. I wouldn't even take those for a cold let alone give them to a baby.
 
i was not referring to prescribed meds. i was referring to over-the-counter cough meds not being available in canada and the us.

i am sorry if my post was unclear.

of course, i make sure what the meds are before i administer them to myself a well as my kids.
 
elle said:
Thanka: Can you buy that tea in HK or do you purchase it online? I'd like to try it with our little one. Did your children take to drinking it easily? I'm guessing that you serve it warm? Do they only drink it when they are not well? Thanks so much.

-elle
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I buy the tea for about $48 HKD/box at this shop in Causeway Bay. They carry the full range of tea from Traditional Medicinals.

My son loves the tea. He used to drink another sleepy time tea every night before bed and would always request it. For him, when he was older, we put a drop or two of stevia in it to sweeten it. We would brew it for about 10 minutes in a covered cup and then put a few ice cubes in it to bring it down to a warm temperature for drinking. There are a few types of tea and we have all the ones for kids so if my son is having tummy troubles he drinks some tummy tea or a cold the cold tea etc. But, the sleepy time tea is good any time.
 
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