Really painful ear infection

888 Views 8 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Liz, Oct 8, 2003

Liz

Discussion Starter · Oct 6, 2003

We have weathered most ear infections without antibiotics. My ds is 3.5 and has had maybe 3 or 4. He woke up last night in a lot of pain. He described it as his cheek so it took me a while to figure out it was his ear. I gave him tylenol and propped him up in bed which knocked him out for a while but then he was up again in pain. I kept trying to get him comfortable while sitting up but inevitably he'd scoot down and wake up in pain. Finally I did the garlic oil treatment. I hadn't until this point just because I didn't want to leave him crying while I made it. Anyway it worked almost immediately (and by this point he was begging me to put it in his ear even though it's something he would normally hate - I think he was in so much pain he was willing to try anything

). So he slept peacefully until morning and he's in excellent spirits right now. Some more background: He never had a fever. He complained about one ear earlier on but then when we got to the garlic oil he presented me with the other ear so he may have a double infection. He's had a nasty coughing cold for the last week that started with some croup. I think he caught it from his cousins one of whom ended up with pneumonia (she is very prone to pneumonia) and the other with a chest infection and double ear infections. So my question is:

If I decide to go one more night without antibiotics, can I give him more garlic oil? I've never done it more than once and I worry that his ears will get gunged up with oil, ya know?

I think I'm going to take him to the doctor today just so she can have a look. DS has never had one this bad so I don't want to risk rapturing his ear drum. She doesn't push antibiotics so if I tell her I'm willing to go without (lose another nights sleep) she'll go along with me if she thinks it's advisable.

Anyway, I'm usually the one encouraging Moms to go without antibiotics but here I am feeling uncertain. Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

See less See more

Save

1 - 9 of 9 Posts

Sara29

· #2 · Oct 6, 2003

I would keep up with the garlic oil.Have you tried mullein/garlic mix? The mullein usually helps with pain while the garlic is antibacterial.You can also try some of the remedies listed on the hw page:http://www.healthy.net/clinic/dandc/otitis/

Boost the immune system and maybe give some sodium ascorbate

Save

Yin Yang

· #3 · Oct 6, 2003

Sorry your son is having so much pain! I can relate.....I spend lots of time in hospital with my ears as a child....really bad memories!
Well, since I grew up on antibiotics I of course hate them too.....
These days I am a homeopathy freek (literally) and I will try to treat everything with homeopathy medicine first. Ususally it helps and I don't need to go any futher. I just treated my 5 weeks old son's pretty bad eye infection with homepathics, which I am very proud of!
Anyway.....to the point.....go to this website http://www.kingbio.com/product_listing.html - they have wonderful homeopathy remedies, I ahve about 15 of their products, and I can tell you they work as a charm! I had ear pain when I was pg and bought fromthemthe one for earache and it worked really fast! You can also buy it here: http://www.hmedicine.com/shopping/pr...5/b_king%20bio
I know you need immediate solution, and I don't have any experience with garlic oil yet, but I wanted to help somehow....it's definetly a good idea to have those homeopathics at home for "next time".
Good luck and get well soon for your DS!

See less See more

Save

Liz

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 7, 2003

Well, my doctor isn't in the office today and I haven't had very good experiences with the walk in clinic so we're going into Night 2 without medical consult. It seems repeated garlic oil is not a bad thing so that will be the first thing I try. Any idea if I should do the drops before he goes to bed or wait until he wakes up in pain? I'm not sure if they work preventively.

He was in fine spirits this morning (way better than me!) so I took him to his daycare and I had a nap. Tomorrow I have a full day of work so hopefully tonight will be a little better than last night. My husband will take him to the doctor tomorrow if we think it is necessary. I'm not sure how we will determine if it is necessary.....

Thank you for your responses!

Sara29, that website is interesting. Some of the advice is taken directly from a book I have and really like (Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child), but the other advice seems to all be to take him to the doctor for antibiotics unless it is a minor earache! Dr. Sears and Dr. Miriam Stoppard say the same thing. It's so hard to determine when antibiotics are really necessary. I guess they are all covering their butts which is understandable.

Pavlina, I have never tried homeopathics but my Mom is into it. Maybe I will have some on hand for the next ear infection although he should be growing out of them (cross fingers).

See less See more

Save

Sara29

· #5 · Oct 7, 2003

The first 2 links on that page are what I consider conventional medical recommendations. I usually don't bother with them myself.
You can always go,get a script and pain relief drops,and wait a bit more.When I was pregnant with my son and developed a PAINFUL(I don't know how kids stand them) ear infection I treated it on my own.Everything worked so-so.The severe pain only lasted about a day.Have you read the Michael Schimdt book:Healing childhood ear infections? I thought it was good.You might want to get an ear scope for home use to

h and if you do go to the office take a look in the ear and have the doctor explain what you see,so you can better gauge the situation at home.

Do they test for bacterial infections in the ear,or is it just guesswork? My kids have not had any yet,so I am not familiar with it. You could try a combination homeopathic for ear aches.
Sara
I noticed this in the last link on the page I posted:
<<<<
Antibiotics for middle ear disease are the most common childhood prescription in America, yet 88% of acute otitis media (AOM) clear without antibiotics. Antibiotics increase the recurrence rate of otitis media. For kids age 2-6, middle ear disease accounts for 34-42% of all visits to the pediatrician.

See less See more

Save

Liz

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 7, 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Sara29
When I was pregnant with my son and developed a PAINFUL(I don't know how kids stand them)

Funny, my husband just got off the phone with a friend who has had one and he said the same thing - REALLY painful. I was just feeling guilty for putting my son through this.

Quote:

Originally posted by Sara29

Do they test for bacterial infections in the ear,or is it just guesswork?

We have only done the antibiotics twice. Once when he was a baby and I just couldn't stand to see him in pain and once when the infection came after a particularly debilitating flu and I thought his immune system could use some help. Neither doctor did any testing just looked in his ears.

Quote:

Originally posted by Sara29

Antibiotics increase the recurrence rate of otitis media.

I have always believed this but did not know it had been proven. I will definitely stay my course then. I also keep in mind the study that showed that treating with antibiotics does not get rid of it any faster just gets rid of the pain faster.

I just put him to bed and have the garlic oil ready. You know? My ears feel kind of stuffy......

See less See more

Save

Yin Yang

· #7 · Oct 7, 2003

sorry, double post

Save

Yin Yang

· #8 · Oct 7, 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Liz

We have only done the antibiotics twice. Once when he was a baby and I just couldn't stand to see him in pain and once when the infection came after a particularly debilitating flu and I thought his immune system could use some help. Neither doctor did any testing just looked in his ears.

I

I am sorry, but this is very scary statment!! Anibiotics have never ever helped any immune system as far as I know they do the EXACT opposite. At any time! I have heard that our bodies are trully capable of handling antibiotics only once a year - MAXIMUM. So I uess for the little tine body babies have it's more like once in two years.
Seriously - homeopathy is one of the best treatments for earaches of ANY kind!! And believe if you know how to and pick the correct remedy the relief comes within MINUTES! Even with the worst infections! But it is necessary to have a prof. homeopath help you to pick the correct remedy and dilution, unless you really understand homeopathy and know how to pick one.
I have had in my past exptremely bad infections, and once my doctor gave me antibiotics, b/c I was really suffering - but she was not sure if she picked the right one, since my body has developped resistance to most of them and she did not want to wait for test results from lab, she just hoped she picked the right one. 3 days later I was worse - antibiotics did NOT help at all and when I came to see her, she was really sorry that she picked the one my body was already resistent to. She had the results fromlab and she did not want to give me any more antibiotics, b/c my body was suffering already. Since she was a homeopathy doctor as well, she decided to try homeopathy - and I swear that the infection was gone within one day!! She was surprised herself!!
Anyway - single remedies are the best, always, but if you don't understand homeopathy - combination remedies (such those sprays from Kingbio.com) can be very handy, although they don't work as fast as if you'd pick onyl one single remedy that fits the profile of your symptoms.

See less See more

Save

Liz

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 8, 2003

Well, my ds didn't wake at all last night so I guess he kicked it on his own in one day. That's my boy!

Thanks for all the advice!

Save

1 - 9 of 9 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month