Why not use an ND or DO?

[delphiniumpansy]

I am always mystified by the threads about peds dropping people as patients. Vaccination is pretty standard medicine in the MD world. If you don't want to vax, why not see an alternative practitioner? We see both a family doc and an ND and they are both fine with our choices about vaccination but if I did not want to vax at all, I would probably only see the ND. She actually recommends vaccination but is fine with people who don't do it and does not give them herself. Osteopaths (DOs) also are usually fine with not vaxing. Most people I know irl who do not vax see either an ND or DO and don't have the problems you all have.

So, why not see alternative practitioners and just forget MDs unless you have a need for a specialist or an emergency? Seems like it would save a lot of heartache.

[mamakay]

Most osteopaths are actually about the same as MDs when it comes to vaccines, and a lot of DOs don't do pediatrics, anyway.
Naturopaths are usually trained in (and often 'believe in') homeopathy, and I'm...not down with that.

We see a GP/FP who we like a lot.

[~Megan~]

because most of us rely on insurance coverage for medical care and not all insurances cover alternative medical providers.

[delphiniumpansy]

Mamakay, that has not been my experience at all. I've been to several DOs and know mamas who take their kids there and none have been provax. They've all been very good about delayed, selective, or no vaxing. Here is the osteopathic association website where you can find a DO. They have specialties, just like an MD, and you can search for one who specializes in family meds or pediatrics or whatever.

http://www.osteopathic.org/


Also, homeopathy and naturopathy are two different things. You can get a degree in either and many homeopaths know some naturopathy and vice versa but an ND is not a homeopath and vice versa. Naturopathy is a medical system that relies on natural remedies such as sunlight, good exercise, nutrition, diet changes, supplements, etc for treatment. If you do not want to do homeopathy or accupuncture or anything else, you just tell your ND no thank you and they won't bring it up. That has been my experience. Mine focuses on diet and supplements. In WA state, you cannot do homeopathy unless you are a homeopath. Same with any alternative medicine practice. You can recommend something that can be bought at at store, like arnica, but you cannot do the rest.

You can find an ND at this site.


http://www.naturopathic.org/

As for the insurance issue, in my state, WA, nearly all insurance covers alternative practitioners so I guess we are lucky. I guess you have to play the game if you are not so lucky to have that.

[fek&fuzz]

I chose a DO as my PCP, and when I went to meet with her she talked about alternative treatments, how she can do adjustments and things in the office, and I told her about my sinus pain and how I go to the acupuncturist for it. I told her that I don't generally visit the dr. when ill, and usually just go to the acupuncturist.

Then she said that it didn't seem like I needed antibiotics at this point for my allergies/sinus issue (which I never do, and hadn't even brought up) but maybe a nasal spray would help (Hi, I just told you acupuncture helps). Then she told me I needed to get a tetanus shot or if I stepped on a rusty nail I wouldn't be able to use that leg anymore, and then she let me know that the office does flu shots. :

[delphiniumpansy]

Sorry you had a bad experience. Are you blaming all DOs? Clearly you got one that does not meet your needs. I had a lamo dentist once but I don't blame them all.

[fek&fuzz]

Originally Posted by yellowpansy

Sorry you had a bad experience. Are you blaming all DOs? Clearly you got one that does not meet your needs. I had a lamo dentist once but I don't blame them all.

No, of course I'm not blaming all DOs. I don't see where that came across in my post.

My point is that it is the person who matters more than the letters after their name. So, finding a DO isn't a cure-all to the vax issue.

[amnesiac]

I guess for me, if I'm going to take my kids to a medical person then I want it to be someone very experienced in that particular medical field. That's why I don't choose family practitioners for my kids - where I live they just don't see many little kids & kids are not just little adults as far as meical care is concerned. And I can't even think of any osteopaths around here that are pediatricians - most of the DOs are family practice. We have seen chiros & NDs before but I do sometimes find value in seeing our MD pedi.

[delphiniumpansy]

Sorry, I misunderstood. I agree but I guess my point is that if I were totally antivax I would not even try to find a pediatrician for my children. I would find an alternative health practitioner for them unless they needed a medical specialist. I just would not want to deal with the heartache and stress of our doc trying to talk me into vaxing. Or dropping us as patients. I just could not handle that. I would rather find an alt doc who was ok with my choices. You always have to ask first before you try them, of course, but it seems like alt docs are morel likely to be antivax than traditional MDs.

[delphiniumpansy]

Originally Posted by amnesiac

We have seen chiros & NDs before but I do sometimes find value in seeing our MD pedi.

With that attitude, which I respect, I guess you have to take the good and bad of your doc. But, still, no one is really addressing the point of my question. Why choose an MD who is provax when you are not? Other than insurance issues.

[mamakay]

Originally Posted by yellowpansy

Also, homeopathy and naturopathy are two different things. You can get a degree in either and many homeopaths know some naturopathy and vice versa but an ND is not a homeopath and vice versa. .

In WA state, you cannot do homeopathy unless you are a homeopath. Same with any alternative medicine practice. You can recommend something that can be bought at at store, like arnica, but you cannot do the rest.

You can find an ND at this site.


http://www.naturopathic.org/

.

From that link:

http://www.naturopathic.org/viewbulletin.php?id=29

A Licensed naturopathic physician (N.D.) attends a four-year graduate level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as an M.D. but also studies holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health).

When naturopaths start abandoning homeopathy, I'll maybe be able to take them seriously.
Till then, I think they're quacks.
Told you I was a snob, though.

[MommytoTwo]

Because mine charges $375 and my insurance does not cover it.

I guess my point is that if I were totally antivax I would not even try to find a pediatrician for my children

My daughter has chronic ear infections and asthma. Not having a relationship with a care provider is not an option.

[mamakay]

Originally Posted by amnesiac

I guess for me, if I'm going to take my kids to a medical person then I want it to be someone very experienced in that particular medical field. That's why I don't choose family practitioners for my kids - where I live they just don't see many little kids & kids are not just little adults as far as meical care is concerned. And I can't even think of any osteopaths around here that are pediatricians - most of the DOs are family practice. We have seen chiros & NDs before but I do sometimes find value in seeing our MD pedi.

Yeah, the new thing with pedis is that they want to give all non-Prevnar'ed babies with fevers spinal taps. They're not all like that, but enough of them have that idea in their head (lack of Prevnar causes meningitis) to where it's kind scary just trying to deal with them at all.

So we see a GP.

[roxyrox]

We don't vax (anymore, ds has had some) but we have a GP and a Naturopath. We haven't had much need for either but both fill completely different health needs. My GP is far more knowledgeable than my naturopath in many areas and vice versa. (Our naturopath does not believe in homeopathy btw - that's why we choose him)

I think the system is different here though. No one has a "ped". All children have a GP and you can find one to suit you. If your child has any sort of problem they would then be refered on to a ped or whatever specialist doctor they needed. My old GP has just published a vaccine book recently - it is neither for nor against vaccines, just really balanced. ("The Truth About Vaccines" by Richhard Halvorsen if you are interested!) It is against the "vaccine schedule", which is pretty much my position now too.

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

Originally Posted by yellowpansy

I am always mystified by the threads about peds dropping people as patients. Vaccination is pretty standard medicine in the MD world. If you don't want to vax, why not see an alternative practitioner? We see both a family doc and an ND and they are both fine with our choices about vaccination but if I did not want to vax at all, I would probably only see the ND. She actually recommends vaccination but is fine with people who don't do it and does not give them herself. Osteopaths (DOs) also are usually fine with not vaxing. Most people I know irl who do not vax see either an ND or DO and don't have the problems you all have.

So, why not see alternative practitioners and just forget MDs unless you have a need for a specialist or an emergency? Seems like it would save a lot of heartache.

in *my* experience, both the osteopaths i know are NOT fine with not vaxing. the practice we used to use for our kids had 3 docs, and only one was an md, the other 2 were dos, and one of them is who argued wiuth me the most about vaxing.

those are the only 2 do docs in my area for kids though, and we actually had the best luck with a family practice doc (who is an md btw). there are no naturopaths etc in my area. small town.

[tropicaldutchtulip]

We went to a DO that was a Pedi and really was not crazy about her. So we kept on looking! She was open to vaxes, but just did not feel like she was "the one" for us!

[nini02]

We live in a pretty small town with no options besides MDs. So we don't go to WBVs or anything, and won't go to a doctor unless we have a specific need/emergency. I'd love to have the option of a DO for checkups, but the closest I've found is about an hour away...

We didn't get dropped by the ped. we saw, but we got hassled about vaxing so we didn't go back.

[amnesiac]

Originally Posted by mamakay

Yeah, the new thing with pedis is that they want to give all non-Prevnar'ed babies with fevers spinal taps. They're not all like that, but enough of them have that idea in their head (lack of Prevnar causes meningitis) to where it's kind scary just trying to deal with them at all.

So we see a GP.

I think that I am at an advantage in that I can professionally direct my kids care pretty well so it may not be as big of an issue for me as it might be for some other parents. Generally when we visit our pedi I already know why we're going & what needs to be done. I do also find overly aggressive tendencies like you mention in younger docs. I tend to get along better with those who have been around a while. I tried I think 4 others before settling on our current doc who we've been with for about 10-11 years.

[spero]

Originally Posted by yellowpansy

As for the insurance issue, in my state, WA, nearly all insurance covers alternative practitioners so I guess we are lucky. I guess you have to play the game if you are not so lucky to have that.

Yes, you are lucky. And I would venture so far as to say that your situation is probably not the norm.

So please don't go throwing stones at those of us who do indeed have to "play the game".

[2 in August]

Ours is mostly an insurance issue. We have crappy coverage that we pay too much for (even though it's the cheapest option) plus the kids have state coverage too, but neither of them cover anything but a md. So we have a ped who is pretty nice, who stopped trying to "educate" me about vaxes after I told him absolutely no more shots for dd and none for ds. I'd hate to change drs now and end up with somebody who is less vax friendly.