I'm not looking for medical advice, but...

[justme1972]

...I need some help on what direction to take, as doctors have been unable to help me.

When I was feeding my son about two months ago, the light hit his throat an odd way and I saw red streaks on his tonsils. The streaks looked like burst blood vessels..in other words, you could clearly see the vein...they don't bleed at all, he is eating like a pig, no other reddness like what normally comes with a sore throat.

Ok...took him to the pediatrician (after my husband insisted nothing was wrong with him)...Dr said he had a bacterial infection..prescribed anti-biotics..did a strep screen-negative.

10 days...throat no worse, but no better.

Took him back to the same pediatrician, that has now said it was probably viral and it just has to run it's course.

4 weeks later, decided to get a second opinion...2nd pediatrician said the same thing...another round of antibiotics...again, no change. Kid is doing fine, no complaints....other than his mother (me) is freaking out over the fact tha you aren't supposed to see bright red blood vessels on the surface of your tonsils.

I call him back after we were done with the meds...he said same thing...it was probably viral and would need to run it's course.

My husband's theory: Our son has developed this screaming habit about the time the streaks appeared...this is a discipline issue that we are working on, because he does it when he is told no, and it's a very, very sudden, high pitched scream....my husband thinks he just keeps re-irritating his throat.

My question....is WHERE do you go when two pediatricians (both very highly regarded in their practice)...have both said it will go away, and it's two months later and it's still there?

Everybody is telling me I'm a paranoid mother....other than the fact you can see these on his throat...not another thing is wrong with this kid.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Is he still screaming?

[justme1972]

Yes, he still is. The entire time...I am suprised his sister hasn't picked up on it yet, but yeah, every time you tell him it's time to do something he doesn't to do or take something away he isn't supposed to have...a meltdown, with screaming.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

How about a third opinion? Maybe a developmental pediatrician?

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

You know how singers who haven't been trained properly sometimes get polyps on their vocal cords? I suspect you son is exhibiting similar signs of stress to his throat from the screaming. He's not febrile, he's had two courses of antibiotics, he's eating, sleeping and playing normally. The only thing that's constant is the screaming, so it's the most likely culprit. I agree with traumaRUs that a referral to a behavioral or developmental pediatrician might be helpful. Your nerves must be pretty frayed!

[justme1972]

Yeah...and embarrassing. We went to McDonald's yesterday, and I told him to wait until everyone is seated before we eat (I know..hard for a small child..probably too much to expect)...his twin sister, by now, has learned the drill and was waiting to eat...and he just screamed.

Now...I'm not one for letting it go on....I got right in his face and said, "If you scream again...we will leave."...now...I am making progress....he used to scream more after that...but after being told what will happen if he does, he was quiet...but it's why he does it in the first place that I need to get to stop.

We started yesterday "upping" the antic for the screaming...he still can't get out of his playpen...so we set it back up in a spare bedroom that we don't use...so when he screams...he goes in for 5 minutes...we just pick him up and carry him off and then when we go back, we make him apologize for screaming and we ask him, "Do you know why you had to come in here?" He says, "Yes...I screamed".

I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something serious that I need to ASK the pediatrician to specifically check for. I'll wait a few more days and see if this dies down, and I'm checking his thoat twice a day to make sure nothing else develops...and it stays the same.

If it continues then we may need some more parenting advice from a professional to find out why he feels the need to do this. He does it in his dreams...not fearful...but just when he objects to something going on in his dreams...it scares the crap out of me to wake up in the middle of the night to a screaming kid.

I know we probably aren't supposed to be doing these types of posts, but I was at my wit's end!

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

We hope that you can get to the bottom of everything with your child. I know it can be frustrating as well as being very concerned. Anytime it is your child.

You've received some good responses regarding seeking another opinion and opinions of other HCP, too.

Good luck.

Thread is now closed.