Help with ear infection. Don't want to use antibiotics

[Shanesmom]

Both my boys have ear infections and the doctor wanted to put them on antibiotics. I declined and said let me try my garlic oil drops first. So for two weeks, I gave them extra Vit C, and garlic oil drops 2 times a day and an herbal supplement to help boost their immune system. Went back and doc said they were still infected!! I'm so bummed.

I accepted the antibiotic prescription but have yet to fill it. I don't want to! My friend suggested breastmillk dropped in their ears, which is how she cured her sons infection.

Sooooo...I'm doing that. Also I upped their Vit C and probiotics. Kept their herbal supplement. I'm giving myself another week to cure it naturally than I will concede to antibiotics.

Can anyone help me?? What have y'all done to cure it? I plan on so incorruprating lavender and Tea Tree oil rubs along the outside of the ear too fight the infection.

Please help. They are only 1 and 2 years old

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[AmandaT]

My DD just recently had a bit of an ear infection and 48 hours BM in her ear cleared it up! I just put 2 drops in every 4-5 hours. I hope they get better soon!

[Shanesmom]

Thank you Amanda! That is very encouraging....especially since I feel a bit weird putting liquid in their ears. lets hope it works!!

[cherryrho]

I have just posted about ear infection and antibiotics! My son is refusing to take his so its interesting to see there are alternative options. I will try breastmilk in his ear...

[Lovinbeinamama]

Go to a chiropractor who treats children.  My son has had one ear infection, and instead of antibiotics, garlic drops or anything like that, I took him to a chiropractor who adjusted him every 3 days, and it made him drain.  He actually enjoyed going and still goes periodically when he seems to be getting stuffed up to prevent an ear infection.

Anything you put IN the ears is not going to get to the infection itself--the infection is behind the ear drum, and the ear drum is not permeable.  My father is a retired ear, nose and throat doctor and when I asked about garlic drops for the ear infection, he laughed.  He said it might make it feel better, but it won't treat the infection.  While he and I disagree on a lot of medical stuff, on that point, I do agree.

[fullofhope08]

I second the idea of going to a chiropractor. My ds had two ear infections within a matter of months when he was around a year old. A visit or two to the chiro cleared that up with no problems since. good luck!

[Shanesmom]

I actually took them today to the Chiropracter, but I don't see how I can go again because its very expensive and Medicaid doesn't cover it. It's about $50 a visit, times 2 kids.

Thank you for suggesting that though!! I was (and still am) not a huge believer in chiropractic work making huge differences. She simply used her tool a couple times on their back and neck and than was done. How would that really help??

[CascadiaMama]

Hmm, not sure exactly what they did with that tool, but when we've done chiropractic/cranio-sacral therapy for ear infections, she did an all over adjustment, but mostly focuses on his neck and head range of motion. The idea, as I understand it, is that her work on him ensures that he has optimal motion in his head and neck, which during the course of everyday movement stretches his eustachian tubes to help with drainage. We had an ear infection that took about a month to fully clear up, with cranio, garlic oil, and patience. Fortunately it didn't both him after the first night (several days before his doc diagnosed an ear infection at a regular check up). 

Did your doctor note whether they were improving, even if still infected? We felt comfortable continuing with this strategy because weekly checks showed that he was improving, and because he wasn't uncomfortable and his hearing didn't appear affected. It was just a slower method to get to completely cleared ears. 

He got a second ear infection after a cold, and we now are focused on prevention - which for us has meant almost cutting out mucus-producing dairy. We allow a little bit of dairy when he's at 100%, but cut it out entirely at the first sign of a cold. Our plan is to do this until he's old enough that his tube anatomy has changed, and drains better. So far so good... 

[Lovinbeinamama]

With children, chiropractors don't do the huge cracking adjustments that adults get.  Child are so much more flexible to begin with, so there is this snapping tool that they use on the neck that while it seems like it's doing nothing, is actually quite a pop when they use it on you.  It works!  It's not a one-time fix, though, but it was worth it to me to avoid antibiotics, the associated diarrhea, and the potential antibiotic resistance down the road.  My chiropractor was like $29/visit, so maybe call around for a better rate or ask for a cash discount.  Mine gave a cash discount.  I guess I feel like I don't mind spending on things like that as opposed to regular medical care that is usually nothing more than a prescription for a drug.  My current chiropractor will do neck adjustments on my son, but nothing like what she's done on me.
 

[SplashingPuddle]

Our toddler had tons of allergies - wheat, dairy, rice, eggs, nuts.  She always had ear infections. We used garlic oil as well as a homeopathic treatment.  But we were noticing her speech was more an more delayed due to poor hearing from infections.  That's when she got tubes, and she has not had a single one in over a year.  The tubes are still in place, and it took about 15 minutes to put them in.  For us, it was a really good experience, because she slept so poorly due to ear pain, etc.  Also her speech improved so dramatically once she could consistently hear. 

[Shanesmom]

Originally Posted by Lovinbeinamama 

With children, chiropractors don't do the huge cracking adjustments that adults get.  Child are so much more flexible to begin with, so there is this snapping tool that they use on the neck that while it seems like it's doing nothing, is actually quite a pop when they use it on you.  It works!  It's not a one-time fix, though, but it was worth it to me to avoid antibiotics, the associated diarrhea, and the potential antibiotic resistance down the road.  My chiropractor was like $29/visit, so maybe call around for a better rate or ask for a cash discount.  Mine gave a cash discount.  I guess I feel like I don't mind spending on things like that as opposed to regular medical care that is usually nothing more than a prescription for a drug.  My current chiropractor will do neck adjustments on my son, but nothing like what she's done on me.

 

Yes! She used a snapping tool. I hope it works. I called back and she lowered her rates for me, so I'm going again tomorrow. Because I agree with you: I'd rather spend my money on that, than a prescription for antibiotics!!!
I'm more encouraged now.

Pray that all I'm doing will work! I'll be extremely disappointed if it hasn't cleared and I'm forced to do drugs.

[One_Girl]

From what I've heard antibiotics are okay for use when the ear infection is clearly not viral and after two weeks it is incredibly unlikely they are viral
Antibiotic resistance is caused by starting a prescription then not finishing it not by taking the full prescription when antibiotics are necessary. Having had ear infections as an adult I think you should give them the antibiotics. The pain of an ear infection is excruciating and I wouldn't wait weeks to treat it, three days yes but not two weeks plus. I hope they do recover quickly but if not I strongly urge you to give them the antibiotics.

[Lovinbeinamama]

The reality is that you never have to do antibiotics unless they are in pain.  My pediatrician is very open-minded, and she told me I could use antibiotics or go to a chiropractor or do nothing....it would go away one way or another.  I actually had no idea my son had an ear infection until he broke out in a full body rash!  The rash was a result of bacterial toxins that manifested in a dermal reaction.  Otherwise, he was not complaining at all!  So I went to the chiropractor and each time it got better and better.  After seeing her 4 times, it was pretty much gone.  The chiropractor even had the otoscope, so she was able to look and see at each visit.

If he had been in pain, I might not have been so patient.  And my father is a retired ear, nose and throat doc, and even he said ear infections will resolve on their own--it's the pain you're treating.  When we were kids, we never got antibiotics for ear infections.  So if you're uncomfortable with antibiotics, as am I, hang in there.  There are other things to save the antibiotics for!
 

[leighi123]

Breastmilk

Garlic oil (I make it, cook garlic in oil, coconut or olive for a long time, strain, put in ear)

chiropractor

and allergies cause a lot of ear issues, I had them one after the other along with a rash thing, finally found out I was allergic to milk and both stopped!

[Shanesmom]

Thank you everyone!!

So we had our second visit to the Chiropractor today and will go back in 5 days for a 3rd appt. right after we left, my oldest sons nose started running...good sign??

As far as pain goes, they are in no pain. If they were, I would give them the drugs. But they are just as happy and normal as always. Thank goodness! I've never heard of antibiotics only for pain. Isn't it possible to get a raging bacterial infection without bring in pain?

[One_Girl]

Originally Posted by Shanesmom 

Thank you everyone!!
So we had our second visit to the Chiropractor today and will go back in 5 days for a 3rd appt. right after we left, my oldest sons nose started running...good sign??
As far as pain goes, they are in no pain. If they were, I would give them the drugs. But they are just as happy and normal as always. Thank goodness! I've never heard of antibiotics only for pain. Isn't it possible to get a raging bacterial infection without bring in pain?

The antibiotics kill the bacteria causing the pain and yes sometimes people don't experience pain with ear infections. I am not sure if no pain means the bacteria isn't damaging the ear drum permanently, that is a question for the doctor. Ime when an infection goes on for a long time and there is pain pain killers stop working and only killing the bacteria stops the pain. It is good there is no pain for them. I have never used a chiropractor for this, I never knew they could do different alignments to kill the bacteria causing the infection. It makes sense that reallignment can readjust where fluid is building up though. I will watch this thread with interest since I get ear infections.

[Shanesmom]

Going to the doctor today or tomorrow morning to see if everything I've been doing has worked. I'll keep y'all updated

[Lovinbeinamama]

The chiropractor just adjusts so that fluid can drain--nothing they do actually kills the bacteria.  Every time my son is adjusted, he ends up with a runny nose--a very good sign!  It's not stuck in his head anymore.  Ear infections always start after a cold, even a minor one, where there is too much fluid building up in the eustachian tube that doesn't drain well in children.  Then bacteria get involved, and there you go.  So drain the fluid, and the bacteria go with it!  It's not usually a one-stop treatment, but it works and they feel better after even one adjustment.
 

[Probiotics]

How about natural oral probiotics? BLIS K12. http://www.blis.co.nz

http://www.blis.co.nz/effect-of-blisk12-on-middle-ear-infection?___store=default
 

[Shanesmom]

So I went to the doctor today, and my oldest sons ear infection is gone. Yay!!

But my 1 year old still has his. In just one ear.

Guess ill have to do the antibiotics. *sigh*


Whomever suggested probiotics....I already do that