help! 10 year old ear=ache, can't go to sleep

[jrabbit]

this is the part of parenting I'm no good at.

Whole family has been coughing/sniffly for a week. Could be allergies, but I'm inclined to think not - I personally was bedridden yesterday. All 3 kids have been playing like normal but more cranky because they don't feel excellent I guess.

DD is 10. She is crying because her ears hurt so much. But she doesn't have any fever, ears aren't red or hot. I gave her 2 sinusalia tablets and 3 chamomilla pellets an hour ago. She says her ears "just hurt." I don't know what else to do.

I told her to go stand in a hot shower - maybe the steam will help her feel better.

What else? I have arnica, pulsatilla, beladonna, chamomilla, benadryl tablets, and ibuprofen. I guess if it's pain, I should give her motrin, but we're out!! She's not really good at swallowing pills, but I could give try to her an ibuprofen ...

I just dug out something else from the medicine cabinet: Dolisos Nasal Decongestant Dolicare Homeopathic Medicine. I can't find an expiration date on it, though, and I think we would have bought it maybe 2 years ago.

help!
--janis

ETA: I gave her one ibuprofen, and 2 minutes later, she threw up.

[Crafty]

Poor thing! Ear infections are so, so painful. My mom used to have me lay down on a warm heating pad; maybe try that or use a rice bag. I could never sleep with ear infections either, the pain was too much. I hope she feels better soon.

[jrabbit]

well, last night, I did end up giving her that dolisos medicine.

I made her a hot rice sock. She screamed like I was trying to burn her, though. She is not a fun person to be around when she is sick. Seriously, the sock was NOT that hot. It finally cooled off enough that she hesitantly held it with a hot pad from the kitchen. I also put hydrogen peroxide in her ears.

I think she must have just been exhausted, or the medicine worked because she did go to sleep then.

DH found some chewable motrin this morning, which he gave her. It has just worn off again, though, and our princess is in pain again. Gave her some more motrin and dolisos. She seems to think that medicine should have an immediate effect, unfortunately.

Now I understand why my mother was so awful to me when I was sick as a kid. It's TOUGH to be empathetic with an irrational child. My mom's solution was to tell me it was all in my head, though, and I don't want to do that to my kids. I just wish I was magic and could make her pain go away. I sincerely believe that it is real, I just don't know how to help her.

--janis
p.s. still no fever at all.

[tanyalynn]

Massage around the ears? That's what helped DS, 3yo, last fall when he got an EI.

Long strokes behind the ears all the way down to the collarbone, and also long strokes starting in 4 places along the midline of the face--mid forehead, sides of nose, under the nose and on the chin--out to the edge of the face, down past the front of the ears, and again down to the collarbone.

And with older kids, tug a bit up and out on the top of the ears. I think kids 4 and under are tug down and out from the bottom of the ears due to the angle of the eustachian tubes being different for younger kids.

Hope y'all feel better soon.

[iamme]

[QUOTE=jrabbit;15206539
Now I understand why my mother was so awful to me when I was sick as a kid. It's TOUGH to be empathetic with an irrational child. My mom's solution was to tell me it was all in my head, though, and I don't want to do that to my kids. I just wish I was magic and could make her pain go away. I sincerely believe that it is real, I just don't know how to help her.

--janis
p.s. still no fever at all.[/QUOTE]

Aw, hugs to you!!!
I,too, have a dd who is irrational/illogical when sick. It is VERY difficult for me to stay calm and nurturing. Do your best, that's all you can do.
In addition to what Tanya(?) said, i would like to suggest something that has worked for all of us-dh, me, dd, and ds.....

I cut an onion in half, put a little olive oil in a skillet, warm the onion in the skillet till it is very warm. Wrap warmed onion in a cloth(test on wrist, just like formula bottles are tested) and place on ear till it cools. Re-do with a good 30-45 mins in between applications. I always do a lymphatic massage(like Tanya said?) afterwards. I massage in ONE direction-from JUST behind the ear, DOWN TOWARD the neck. LET UP on pressure when bringing your fingers back up to behind the ear-you are moving the lymphatic system, and you want it going from EAR TO NECK, NOT NECK TO EAR. Just lighten up on the pressure of fingers when you are going bac k up. Hope I make sense....

I pray she is feeling better soon!!

[ttcintexas]

I have warmed up olive oil with several slices of garlic--in microwave for 10 seconds made it warm enough to feel good, but not too hot (be sure to test on wrist before putting in ear). Then just two or three drops in the ear. Then tugged a bit on earlobe to move it down and did the massage mentioned above. This helped both my 5 year old DD and 2.5 year old DS recently. Hope she feels better soon.