Toddler vertigo: follow pediatrician's advice, or see a specialist?

[sky_and_lavender]

My 2 year old has never had any sick visits to the doctor. Then, separated by two months, she had two 5-10 minute episodes of extreme vertigo (as in, unable to sit or stand up at all--she would fall down if I tried to sit her up). The first time, I thought it maybe had to do with teething. The next time, I was suspicious and worried it was serious. Both times,  I took very good notes (I have experience in the neurological field as a technologist.) Thank goodness for the internet, it sounds exactly like something called "benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood," which is, well, benign but untreatable. Later in childhood, children with this condition usually grow out of it and/or develop migraine.

Knowing it would take a while to get an appointment with a specialist, I made one before I saw my doctor about this issue. When I saw the ped (a holistic ped who joined the practice of the other holistic ped we had been seeing), he seemed stumped and kind of clueless. (He also had a cold that day.) He took blood to test for a couple of viral conditions and do a CBC. All came back normal.

Yesterday when they called me to tell me the labs were normal, they said we need not do anything or refer to a specialist at this time, "because the doctor isn't sure anything out of the ordinary happened." This was really weird because the doctor read my notes and agreed it was an "unusual" case. So either he forgot, he doesn't believe what I wrote, or he genuinely thinks this is nothing.

The appt with the specialist (ENT) is in a couple of weeks. I can't decide whether or not to keep it. Chances are my daughter's condition is not serious or treatable. And I don't want her to go through excessive testing unless indicated. But the ped seemed "off" somehow. What do you think? Thanks!

[saralm]

Clearly you should do what you think it right for your child.  My personal thought would be to get a second opinion.  Even if that is just going back to your regular doctor (maybe for a scheduled visit so you don't end up with whatever random person is on call).  Even after you get a second opinion, you can choose to follow that person's advise or not.  But my thought would be that more information is better than less.  Also, you could try calling the doctor before the visit and asking them to read your notes before the appointment so that they won't be totally clueless when you walk in.  Good luck with your child's health.

[Asiago]

Can she hear normally from both ears? I just wonder if it is possible that an inner ear infection (viral or bacterial) may have gone undiagnosed, although I'd think her CBC would show elevated monocytes or other WBC, but maybe not.