Not again...

[skalexander]

I had a middle ear infection in my left ear about a month ago - the first ear infection I've had since I was a small child - and it was awful.

On Sunday, my right ear started swelling and the pain indicates that another infection is brewing in the right ear. I was awake intermittently last night. I'm a lawyer with 5 Clients in Court this morning and the longest Court list in the universe - so far I've managed to get 2 dealt with and I've got to go back at 2.30 for the other 3.

I am at the nurse in the morning for my 12-weekly B12 injection so I'm hoping she might be able to ask a doctor to take a look, as I needed antibiotics last time. I just cannot believe I went 25+ years between ear infections and now I've had 2 in a month, in different ears

Sorry, no point to this post, just feeling extremely sorry for myself.

[fl-veteran]

Sounds horrible - nothing worse than being in pain but having to get on with important stuff.

Unfortunately, antibiotics are rubbish for middle ear infections. Not completely useless but if your drum is going to rupture it will probably do so whether you're on antibiotics or not.

Take ibuprofen with your paracetamol - they're fairly potent when used together and ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory which will also help.

The cause is probably the same for both ears, often people have had a virus, their Eustachian tubes get congested and you end up with some fluid in the middle ear. To help with relief / prevention steam is good for getting unblocked.

I suffer from this frequently. I find careful auto-inflation also helps.

[Tinkerbell 1]

Teeth and ear pain is the worst. Hope you're feeling better soon.

[Guest]

I used to suffer similarly but they've curtailed now, thank you know who.

In Spain, you can buy antibiotic ear drops over the counter. How easy and convenient would that be if we were allowed to?

One day ...

[bronny]

I am currently 2 weeks into my ear infection and totally deaf in my right ear. It's driving me nuts.

[lovesdisney]

Try some otc ear calm regular brufen and paracetamol and steam inhalation with menthol... as said before abx don't usually help ear infections unless ur systemically unwell fever vomiting pain etc... I went to a ENT evening the other night and a consultant said we r over using oral and topical abx for ear infections ... saying that IF your practice nurse has time to look in your ear and IF a gp has time to look and prescribe for your ear you will prob get antibiotics ... could you not try make another appointment ( I'm a nurse practitioner so I know how pressured everyone is in GP land and to you it's a quick look and anti boitics when seeing a nurse for ur B12 but when said nurse only has 5 mins to do ur injection then document all that then sorting ur ear out it all impacts on time and appointments)
Hope the ear pain improves x

[bronny]

Someone recommended Hopi ear candles to me.

[skalexander]

Originally Posted by lovesdisney

Try some otc ear calm regular brufen and paracetamol and steam inhalation with menthol... as said before abx don't usually help ear infections unless ur systemically unwell fever vomiting pain etc... I went to a ENT evening the other night and a consultant said we r over using oral and topical abx for ear infections ... saying that IF your practice nurse has time to look in your ear and IF a gp has time to look and prescribe for your ear you will prob get antibiotics ... could you not try make another appointment ( I'm a nurse practitioner so I know how pressured everyone is in GP land and to you it's a quick look and anti boitics when seeing a nurse for ur B12 but when said nurse only has 5 mins to do ur injection then document all that then sorting ur ear out it all impacts on time and appointments)
Hope the ear pain improves x

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I know there are concerns about overuse of antibiotics but I've had them once in about 15 years, and that was for my last ear infection.

I could make a special appointment but there are 2 issues - 1) will I get one? I couldn't take an emergency appointment and usually your head has to be dropping off to get one the same or next day; and 2) I'm already at the doctors first thing, which is out of town away from my job, and I really do not have the time to take out of work to attend there twice.

The nurse has 10 minutes to see me, and I'm her first person of the day - she's my Mum's cousin so usually does the jab in a minute or two and chatters away until my time is up. I'm sure if she can find someone for me she will, and if not I will soldier on.

[fl-veteran]

Originally Posted by Cuxi

I used to suffer similarly but they've curtailed now, thank you know who.

In Spain, you can buy antibiotic ear drops over the counter. How easy and convenient would that be if we were allowed to?

One day ...

See more...

Hopefully not. Everyone being able to buy antibiotics over the counter would be a nightmare scenario for antibiotic resistance.

OP - I realise you haven't had them in a long time but no matter how often you think you need them, there's no point in taking them in situations where they won't work. Locally, we won't prescribe them unless you're systemically unwell or you have bilateral deafness and even then there are doubts about their effectiveness.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by fl-veteran

Hopefully not. Everyone being able to buy antibiotics over the counter would be a nightmare scenario for antibiotic resistance.

OP - I realise you haven't had them in a long time but no matter how often you think you need them, there's no point in taking them in situations where they won't work. Locally, we won't prescribe them unless you're systemically unwell or you have bilateral deafness and even then there are doubts about their effectiveness.

See more...

I have to say that as a person who suffered with tonsillitis/strep throat and ear infections since a small child antibiotics were and have been my saving grace.

My mother who suffered similarly as a child in Germany had no recourse to antibiotics and our lives couldn't have been more different.

She would be laid up for weeks at a time and her schooling was very thin on the ground as a result of it.

I have never had a bad ear infection that wasn't cleared up by drops.