PLEASE HELP: DD in terrible pain with earache.

[JacksSnoryStory]

DD is 7yrs. I gave her calpol at 4.30 am and she was crying again at 5.30 in pain so I've given her neurofen. She's wriggling around in pain now. Is there anything else I can do?

[mumblechum1]

I'd get her to the GP as soon as it opens tbh. Wouldn't give her any more painkillers till 8.30

[Bucharest]

Earache is horrendous......call docs when they open, here they tend to give antibiotics almost immediately, as (apparently) it's usually an infection.....I think you can alternate calpol and neurofen every 2 hours? (not in UK and never done it, but have seen it on here I think?) (ie don't listen to me without checking first!!)

[SchrodingersCatFliesToOz]

Go to the Gp.
Did you follow the age or the weight indication for the amount of medicine you gave?
Both my DDs are freakishly tall and heavy for their age, so they need more than the age indication recommend to be efficient.
(If your DD is really light she will need less than recommended be careful not to overdose).

[JacksSnoryStory]

Thanks all. She's fine now. TBH her ear looks fine, not red on the outside or in (when looking with very bright light). I'm not sure if it is an infection as she doesn't have a temp but has a snotty cold. Poor sausage.
Shroedinger - yy I know what you mean. My dd is tiny so I don't give her the full amount of neurofen for her age. It seems to have done the trick though.

I think I'll see if the pain returns when the calpol wears off and if it does we'll go to see GP this afternoon. Thanks again for the help.

[Bucharest]

Hope the pain stays away, there's nothing worse than earrache! (at least until you give birth )

[JacksSnoryStory]

LOL! Too right
YY hopefully it was just congestion from lying down, we'll see.
Meanwhile I will be zombified for the day having been awake since 4.30am whilst dd bounces around like nothing happened no doubt

[ClaraRenee]

Fluid behind the ear can cause a lot of pain. My GP told me that nurofen was the best painkiller for fluid behind the ear drum.

[DamnItJanet]

You can warm up oats or salt in the microwave and put them into a sock and get dc to hold it on the ear, it is comforting for them and eases it a little too.
Earache is awful, glad she is feeling better.

[bossyboop]

Might be worth a trip to the gp just to rule out ear infection, my dd gets them a lot and they are worse at night so I find it's best to get her checked out and started on the antibiotics as soon as possible as it's a long night with a poorly child waiting for the doctors to open in the morning. Though on several occasions she has just mentioned her ears hurt and hasn't been too bothered by it but I've had her checked anyway and sure enough it was another ear infection though to look at the ear it seemed fine.

[nometime]

Definately the GP, they can see things that you can't. Earrache is horrendous and I find with DS it progresses quite quickly. You don't want to be looking for an emergency GP over the holiday weekend.

[usualsuspect]

yes yes

[bossyboop]

I find we go to the doctors to rule out infections, it's easier to get through it knowing we've done everything we can. Otherwise we get to gp surgery closing time and start panicking about are we going to out of hours or are we muddling through till the morning, flapping about not wanting to waste anyone's time (though never a waste of time with kids). Then we see the gp and the so called ruling out IS actually an infection - 8 infections in 10 months in fact so for that reason I am cautious and get her seen everytime and a couple of times It has just been viral i.e. just get on with it, but I find it easier to deal with a distressed child knowing she has been seen by a gp and we are doing everything we can - it just gives you peace of mind.

[JacksSnoryStory]

Well we've been to the GP. He said both ears are red but one was oozing white stuff a bit so has diagnosed an infection and given antibiotics. DD is sobbing in pain again . We've given her neurofen followed by calpol but they haven't kicked in yet. Poor dd. I will try warming oats in a sock now.

[bossyboop]

Glad you got sorted out with gp. DD has had lots of ear infections this last year but the one she's just had was the worst, crying with pain (she is 4) I know how awful it is when you just feel so helpless. All I could do was encourage her to sleep as that was the only way she didn't feel the pain. The antibiotics should help dry out the ear. Hopefully she should feel a lot better tomorrow.

[JacksSnoryStory]

Thanks Bossy. She was sobbing for about an hour earlier and then on and off for another hour after that. She's finally in bed now but because the pain was so bad we're going to wake her in the night to give her more neurofen I think (on the advice from a lovely nurse at NHS direct - I rang them this evening when dd couldn't stop crying even after the neurofen and calpol).
Whoever suggested the oats in a sock, thanks! The nurse recommended something warm too and I said I was already on it () and I think it has helped dd feel like she was doing something.
Sodding ear infections.