[BarnMomma]

DS has an ear infection which we are treating with garlic oil, belladonna, and kali.

How long do they last? Hwo long do we treat?

We're also stumped as to how he got one! We BF still (20 mo) and Ds is outdoors a lot, no allergies, and wasn't sick. Then monday AM he woke up conjested, coughing, and feverish and a trip to the ped unveiled the ear infection.

 

[mommycakes]

My 12mo bf dd has a second ear infection in a few months! She has no allergies that we know of except for carrots (strange, I know). The ped. perscribed antibiotics but I didn't fill it and instead have been treating with Hyland's ear tabs, Willow/Garlic ear oil and ibuprofin as needed. Her fever is gone and has been since Monday but she's still not quite herself and is holding her ear still a bit. My husband has encouraged me to fill the script today. I'm hesitant b/c she's teething too. I should probably just take her back to the ped. for another look in her ears.

My almost 5 yo dd was complaining of her ears hurting on Monday eve and all day yesterday. I treated her with the same products plus a Chinese Ear Formula by EcoHerbal (my 12mo old can't take it yet). She bounded out of bed this a.m. and said she feels great. We're supposed to go to a Kangaroo Farm today too, so I'm not sure how much of her "healing" is due to that.

I just feel stumped. I'm not sure quite what to do. I really don't want to rely on antibiotics, but I want to get my baby feeling herself again. How long to these take to resolve on their own? Her balance is better, her fever is gone, she's just a bit fussy (though happy and silly at times too), sleeping on me rather than in the bed and holding her ear at times.

 

[FrannieP]

I am convinced that some of us are constitutionally prone to ear infections. I was as a child and finally outgrew them in adolescence. None of my dc's ever get them though - nor did my dh.

It sounds like you are giving all the right stuff. Duration will vary for each person. I would expect it will start clearing up in a few days though.

Good luck - they are no fun!
fp

 

[mommycakes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrannieP I would expect it will start clearing up in a few days though. Good luck - they are no fun! fp

So...if it were you...would you continue the course w/o filling the antibiotic script? Even knowing she still seems to be in pain? She's wanting to nurse a lot and just be on my body--poor girl. When would you revisit the ped? Is there anything else we could be doing?

Oh, and will going outside make it worse or hurt more? The kangaroo farm is calling...

 

[SandyMom]

I personally wouldn't fill the script - but that's your call of course.
I honestly feel more comfortable using children's Tylenol for pain than abx.
In my own experience the abx didn't even really help or shorten the duration - just upset intestinal flora and lead to other imbalances.

I would probably avoid cold outdoor weather - just follow her cues.
Some echinacea tinc in glycerine may very helpful for clearing up the infection.

If it were me, I wouldn;t return to ped unless it got way worse rather than better - like if eardrim ruptured - even then, there's really very little they can do.
Time, rest, and lots of nursing, mommy's bod etc. It will clear up.

 

[FrannieP]

Kangaroo farm???
Wow, that sounds like a blast.

It sounds like you are doing all you can.
I really doubt the antibiotics would do much at this point.
Belladonna is usually very effective - especially if the cheeks are red.
It just takes a few days.
Maybe sip some catnip tea?

 

[BarnMomma]

We stopped the belladonna today becasue the fever is gone. (This was my first time using it...is it always used to reduce fevers?)

I'm continuing with the garlic oil. Ds doesn't seem to be in any pain and finally ate something other than BM today.

Poops are still on the runny side. Is this normal?

 

[mommycakes]

Thanks so much FrannieP and SandyMom. Is belladonna for pain or fever? I also read that a little lavender oil behind the ear can ease pain and be calming too. We have a teething oil (topical) that includes lav., chamomile and something else that I've been putting back there since last night. It does seem to work a bit too.

Oh, and a big apology for taking over your thread, BarnMomma. I'm sorry! I got on here this a.m. looking for advice and saw your post. I'm glad to hear your little guy is done with the fever and eating now. I'm sure he's on the mend like my little gal--it just takes a while.

We went to the kangaroo farm http://www.christmastreesandroos.com...ctinformation/ Totally worth the trek if you're in the Seattle area. We had a blast. The baby did fine and had fun looking at all of the animals. She ate a bit, nursed and slept the entire way back--she's in the Ergo now, finishing her rest.

 

[BarnMomma]

No problem! Not a hijack! Kangaroo farm sounds awesome.

So Ds is not peeing. He's eating a little more now, he's nursing constantly, but he's being fussy about drinking and now he's not peeing much. Went all night and his diaper was dry in the AM.

Just curious what this means becasue this is actually something his ped asked us on Monday morning. Why?

 

[FrannieP]

Probably asked b/c of the possibility of dehydration.
Is overall condition worsening or improving would you say?
Tummy pain gone?

 

[BarnMomma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrannieP Probably asked b/c of the possibility of dehydration. Is overall condition worsening or improving would you say? Tummy pain gone?

Ds seems to be in no pain until I put in his garlic drops but that could be just becasue he doesn't like being on his side with liquid in his ear.

Appetite is somewhat returning. Poops are still few and far between and slightly runny.

He's being fussy about not drinking. Will he get enough hydration through nursing?

 

[Pippi L.]

I was just about to start a thread about ear infections! I think my 18mo might have her first one. If she has a bad night tonight we'll brave the walk-in clinic and take her in tomorrow.

I've resorted to giving her baby tylenol because she seemed to be in so pain. I've only used it twice before so it's a rarity. What else can I do to keep her more-or-less comfortable? I hate using tylenol. What is garlic oil? I've been giving her belladonna for teething (seemed to work well) but I'm not noticing any effect at all with this. I also squirted a bit of breastmilk into her ear. I figured it couldn't hurt.

 

[anyalily]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarnMomma No problem! Not a hijack! Kangaroo farm sounds awesome. So Ds is not peeing. He's eating a little more now, he's nursing constantly, but he's being fussy about drinking and now he's not peeing much. Went all night and his diaper was dry in the AM. Just curious what this means becasue this is actually something his ped asked us on Monday morning. Why?

My 9 mo LO has an ear infection right now, too, and dry diapers was something I noticed and told the Dr but he didn't say anything about it. She is having more poos than usual so I think the moisture is all in her bowel or something.

FWIW, I did fill the abx scrip because I am in Eastern Europe on an extended trip and am afraid of having her get worse and need to go to the scary hospital here. She also has bronchitis.

I don't think that the abx have made any difference and she's been on them for nearly a full course. She is a little perkier but now tugging on both ears rather than just the one.

I don't have great access to natural remedies here, just what I brought: lavender oil, peppermint oil, gse, gummomile teething oil, hylands calm forte and teething tablets. I wonder what I can do to help her from those and foods?

She is taking her probiotics like a champ. I have no idea what they are made of because it is a crunchy prescription that I am supposed to mix with milk. I mix it with BM and she drinks it in a tippy cup.

I wonder what else I could do for her? What is the garlic remedy you've tried? I think I will try the lav behind the ears!

 

[Sage_SS]

I have had ear problems my whole life. The first time my ear drums burst I was 6 weeks old. By the time I was 12 weeks old I got tubes in my ears to try to stop them from bursting. When I was 14 my ear drums had burst so often that the amount of scar tissue on them was impairing my hearing. The specialist advised my mom to teach me and the rest of my family sign language since I would no doubt be nearly deaf if my ears continued to burst with the same frequency.
My doctor told us my ears would probably stop bursting when I got out of puberty. Not true, tho they did take a couple of years between 19 and 22. When they started bursting again I was surprised, since I thought that time was over. I'm 31 and to date my left ear has burts 48 times, my right ear 53.

I've had tubes in 4 times. After seeing specialist after specialist they finally determined that I have short eustachian tubes, too short to balance the amount of water in my inner ear.

Now as soon as I feel ear pain I have to go to the doc for some antibiotics to try to stop them from getting so infected that they burst. The only things I've found to help are putting heat on the infected ear and laying on it. The pressure and the heat help to balance the amount of pressure I feel inside my ear.