Coping with an ear infection

Mim

I had been dealing with some hearing difficulties last week and figured it was just an overabundance of ear wax. I had flushed my ears with tap water and then on Friday, when the pain didn't die, hydrogen peroxide and tap water. When the pain became too much I went to the emergency room to find out, ta da, I have an ear infection.

Since Friday, I've been taking Sudafed, Ibuprofen. The doctor told me to take these first and then the Amoxicillin if the pain didn't desist in three days. Thinking "Why the hell would I use temporary pain relief if I have an antibiotic" I decided to use all three (though not taking them all at the same time).

The pain relief does not last as long as I would like, only helping out for four hours and then I have to take another Sudafed and Ibuprofen. This is wrecking havoc on my sleep. What else can I do to help with the pain of the ear infection?

Also, how long till the Amoxicillin actually HELPS? I would like for this thing to go away a lot faster than it is due to a midterm in Japanese on Friday.

Also, taking the Amoxicillin with the Sudafed/Ibuprofen wouldn't make the fore mentioned one work less effectively would it? The doctor didn't say anything nor did the pharmacist. I know, I know ask a doctor, but I was wondering if anyone else around here knew before I miss more school just to see a doctor to tell me something someone here could have told me.

Rainbulimic

The antibiotics will actually kill the bacteria causing the infection, depending on what infection you have, but unless you know you probably won't be able to predict how long it will take.
Amoxycillin and Ibuprofen should be fine together, according to my google-fu.

Mim

Rainbulimic wrote: »

The antibiotics will actually kill the bacteria causing the infection, depending on what infection you have, but unless you know you probably won't be able to predict how long it will take.
Amoxycillin and Ibuprofen should be fine together, according to my google-fu.

I just googled too and it said Amox with the Sudafed is safe as well.

I believe I have a middle ear infection. The puffiness of the area is causing my ear drum some pain. I'm wondering if I should go to school tomorrow, or should I stay home.

When I was younger my mom used to use a blow dryer on my ear with a warm, wrung out washcloth to help with the pain, but I don't want to fuck up anything in there and cause the pain to become worse. Wondering if anyone else thinks this is a good idea to resume?

Magus`

Just wait.

The end.

Talka

I had a really bad ear infection about a year ago.

The Amoxicillin took about two and a half weeks to work completely, but the infection became significantly less painful after just one week.

Mim

And the fluid can take weeks to drain, right? I'm reading about ear drum rupturing and while it sounds like something I want (permanent relief from the pain if it all ruptures in one go instead of repeatedly) but at the same time, it sounds scary and painful in its own right. Plus, I would hate to be deaf in one ear.

Should I go out and buy a heating pad for my ear?

Talka

My advice is to just take the Amoxicillin and wait a week. You'll still feel and hear the infection but it won't be the 24/7 pain in the ass that it is now. Just wait it out.

Aegis

Mim wrote: »

And the fluid can take weeks to drain, right? I'm reading about ear drum rupturing and while it sounds like something I want (permanent relief from the pain if it all ruptures in one go instead of repeatedly) but at the same time, it sounds scary and painful in its own right. Plus, I would hate to be deaf in one ear.

You don't want this as it will result in blood coming from the ear (I've had it growing up, it's not fun). Amoxicilin is the standard for treating ear infections and should resolve it. If you were younger the fluid could stay in there for years, but I doubt (IANAD) it would develop into a chronic condition as an adult.

Mim

Aegis wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

And the fluid can take weeks to drain, right? I'm reading about ear drum rupturing and while it sounds like something I want (permanent relief from the pain if it all ruptures in one go instead of repeatedly) but at the same time, it sounds scary and painful in its own right. Plus, I would hate to be deaf in one ear.

You don't want this as it will result in blood coming from the ear (I've had it growing up, it's not fun). Amoxicilin is the standard for treating ear infections and should resolve it. If you were younger the fluid could stay in there for years, but I doubt (IANAD) it would develop into a chronic condition as an adult.

Oh, I've had an ear drum rupture before when I was a child. But I agree, I don't want that. I just kept reading about how it helps relieve the pain and going day three into this I'm like "Maybe that doesn't sound like a bad idea?"


EDIT: Also, quick question. Which side should I lay on? Should I lay on my left ear or my right (infected) ear? Will it help drain or no?

FyreWulff

if you tend to stay on one side, sleeping on your infected ear will help it drain, although you should probably put a towel on your pillow.

Steel Angel

FyreWulff wrote: »

if you tend to stay on one side, sleeping on your infected ear will help it drain, although you should probably put a towel on your pillow.

Due to a medical issue, I used to get a lot of ear infections as a kid until some surgery patched stuff up. I did this a lot.

FyreWulff

As a bonus you can also put the towel in the freezer before hand.

GungHo

Just take the antibiotic on schedule. Take the full regimine. Space it out like they ask and don't take it all at once. And, you don't want to rupture your ear drum. It hurts and it could scar the ear drum. Leave your ear alone and let the medicine work. You wouldn't squeeze the hell out of your eye or jab it with a pin if you had a stye.

Mim

Yeah, I went to the doctor and he upped my motrin from 400mg to 800mg and my amoxicillin from 1 pill twice a day to two pills twice a day. I also have run off with my grandmother's heating pad for my ear. Ahh, sweet sleep at last.

TheBlackWind

"Wait and Watch" is pretty standard for ear infections before starting antibiotics. Something like 80% tend to resolve by themselves and the antibiotics carry extra cost (though amoxicillin is pretty cheap) and the chance for some side effects. I'd expect 3-5 days before you start to notice much of a difference either way though.

The heating pad is a good idea for non-drug relief.

Erm, It's been mentioned, but yeah, Sudafed/Ibuprofen with Amoxicillin are OK.

And to reinforce what Gung said, take your whole course of antibiotics

FyreWulff

Remember to put a towel between your head and the heating pad.

Inquisitor77

Eat something with those pills. Ibuprofen is harsh on the stomach.

If it gets really bad, it's not unheard of for a doctor to prescribe something major, like Vicodin. But it's have to be a pretty bad infection with some fantastically bad pain. I've coped with ear infections my whole life, and I've only had Vicodin prescribed once.

My advice is to take the antibiotics, pop the over the counter stuff, and do a lot of sleeping on your ear so it can drain. Resist the temptation to clean it out with water or something while you're in the shower - that just opens you up for a whole new level of infection.

Mim

Inquisitor77 wrote: »

Eat something with those pills. Ibuprofen is harsh on the stomach.

If it gets really bad, it's not unheard of for a doctor to prescribe something major, like Vicodin. But it's have to be a pretty bad infection with some fantastically bad pain. I've coped with ear infections my whole life, and I've only had Vicodin prescribed once.

My advice is to take the antibiotics, pop the over the counter stuff, and do a lot of sleeping on your ear so it can drain. Resist the temptation to clean it out with water or something while you're in the shower - that just opens you up for a whole new level of infection.

You haven't a clue how much I want vicodin right now.

When I went for my followup yesterday, he said he didn't see any fluid in there, just a really red ear drum, so that if there is any fluid in there it doesn't matter which side I sleep on because the Sudafed would help it drain out. I tried sleeping on that side earlier this morning, but a car crash woke me up, and then the pain kicked in overdrive and I had to sleep on the other side.

I'm hoping two pills of Amoxcillin will get rid of this thing faster (I took the 1 pill twice a day prescription since Saturday till Monday). Last night I felt the pain revert back to Friday night and I felt like kicking things again.

Is there anything else I can do? Drink Orange Juice? Is there a higher dosage of Sudafed (I couldn't find any). Also, the major question is, should I be going to school? I have a midterm I have to grab on Thursday and I have a Japanese midterm on Friday. I was hoping to take it but if I'm kicking things and on the verge of tears I don't think I'll be in the best shape to do it. The Motrin isn't as strong as I'd like it; I still feel pain even with the dosage in my system.


Oh yes, and the water in the ear thing. Actually the first two days of the infection, I thought it was just a giant ball of wax (I'm prone to those). So I DID clean it out with water and then a hydrogen peroxide/water mix. But have since kept water from getting into that ear. I believe that's why it's in more pain than it should be right now and didn't clear on its own.