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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask if there are any GPs (or just anyone) before I lose my shit!

84 replies

Peanutss · 11/09/2018 19:20

Probably posting here more for traffic really but I am going to go crazy if I don't get sorted soon!

I've had an ear infection now for nearly a year. It's developed into sounding like I am under water in one ear CONSTANTLY. I basically can't hear at all out of one ear. I whisper because I can't tell how loud I'm speaking most of the time!

I've been to the doctors all in all about 5 times now. I've just completed my third set of antibiotics which haven't touched it again and I've had all sorts of sprays / drops. It goes for maybe a week tops and then it's back.

Right now it's the worst it's ever been. Sometimes it feels as though it's (sorry tmi) drained and then I get a little blood coming out...surely that isn't okay!? I went to the doctor again last week and she said she literally could not see my eardrum because of all the stuff (yuk sorry) in the way.

There must be something more they can do other than giving me antibiotics over and over? I am literally fed up completely now. I've booked again for Thursday at the Drs. What should I be asking for?!

OP posts:

bertielab · 11/09/2018 20:47

ENT referral

Ohyesiam · 11/09/2018 20:48

Look up Baldwin’s website and get some verbascum oil. Rub it round your ear night and morning. If you know your eardrum is not perforated you can put two drops in the ear canal.
It totally sorted my dds ear so thatby the time we got to see the ENT guy there was nothing wrong( and he was very intrigued by the verbascum !)

youarenotkiddingme · 11/09/2018 20:56

I had this for a year too. Then another gp said my ear drum was sucked in.

Started beconase nasal spray and 3 days later the horrid fluid draining feeling stopped and so did the pain and the ear wax doesn't build up now either.

Plus I can hear myself talk which was the most annoying thing - like you say you have no idea how loud you are!

wurzelburga · 11/09/2018 20:57

Sounds like a fungal infection. You need to get swabs done. GP should have done this before prescribing anti biotics. If it is a fungus, you will need your ears syringed to remove it. This usually needs to be done on a daily basis for several days before it clears up.

mogonfoxnight · 11/09/2018 21:03

to get rid of the wax usually hydrogen peroxide is amazing, you can get the right stuff for the year from the chemist, just melts away, but I wouldn't recommend now before you see ENT as you don't know what is going on with the ear drum.

Dickybow321 · 11/09/2018 21:08

There is a lot of misinformation on this thread. For one thing you can't have your ears 'syringed' if you have had an ear infection in the last six weeks. Nobody syringes ears these these days either, I think they mean 'irrigated'.

notpostedherebefore · 11/09/2018 21:09

Has it been discharging constantly for that time or is it on and off? If there has been constant discharge you need a fairly urgent referral just to exclude a cholesteatoma. Mention that to the GP- say you are very worried about it and ask to be referred urgently.
Much as I hate advising people to do this is there any spare money to pay 200 pounds to see a consultant privately? You would be seen almost straight away. There also might be a community micro suction clinic (there is in our area) that could remove some of the discharge so that someone can see what is going on.

1vandal2 · 11/09/2018 21:11

Don't forget to take a video for sporners Corner when they irrigate it

quizqueen · 11/09/2018 21:14

My friend had a similar condition and he had to have grommets fitted- it sounds like you need a referral to see a consultant as it's gone on so long.

yumscrumfatbum · 11/09/2018 21:17

My daughter was treated with four lots of antibiotics for an ongoing ear infection over around six weeks. It didn't get better and continuously oozed. I took her back to GP endlessly. Eventually we happened to see a locum who had just done spell in ENT. He prescribed steroid drops and sent us to ENT. She had a Cholesteatoma not an infection. Two years on she's had two lots of surgery the last being a titanium replacement of two of the hearing bones and a graft patch of her ear drum. She's lucky she has retained around 80% of her hearing. Not trying to worry you just reiterating the need for an expert opinion.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 11/09/2018 21:27

Peanuts, really sorry you're suffering in silence. If you really find it hard to speak up, write down what you want to say, before you go, many people do this. Hope you get a referral very soon.

kentparent · 11/09/2018 21:31

I have recently had the same. The infection was so bad I ended up with a perforated ear drum. My hearing then started going in the other ear. It's really frightening and I felt like I permanently had cotton wool in my ears. I got an ENT referral and he mentioned grommets but also said they can cause further hearing loss as they press on the ear drum. The olbas oil idea mentioned earlier is a good one and also never get water in there. Currently mine are OK but still hear myself speak first thing in the morning and feel like I'm underwater. Good luck you need a referral.

HildaZelda · 11/09/2018 21:43

Absolutely (politely) DEMAND a referral. I'm sorry you're having to go through all this OP. I can understand how fed up and worried you are because the shit I've had to put up with from my GP in the last six months, you just would not believe.
I really feel that so many of them just couldn't care less about patients any more and that you really are just a number.

I hope you get it sorted soon.

tomatan1990 · 11/09/2018 21:47

I have had ear infections for 2.5 years... I kept getting given steroid drops and it would just keep coming back, a doc eventually took a swab and it turned out to be thrush in my ear caused by guess what... overuse of steroids!!! They are still not right, constantly itchy and dry skin but not as bad as they have been in the past. Also I went to get them suctioned and the doctor at the hospital was bloody useless just told me to keep them dry in the shower

modzy78 · 11/09/2018 21:51

@yumscrumfatbum They can replace the bones after a cholesteatoma? Does the NHS do that? I'm currently recovering from a skin graft because of inflammation from one I had 14 years ago, and I've never had bone replacement suggested. I'd love to be able to hear again from that ear if it makes a difference.

OhLookHeKickedTheBall · 11/09/2018 21:52

This happened with DD - thankfully they had swabbed her before it got to the blood stage though we were told it was an odd infection that required an urgent ENT referral. Turned out their don't worry about it we just can't give the needed medicine actually turned out to be MRSA. Only found out when we took her to A&E with the bleeding ear. They hoovered it and drugged the hell out of her.

Definitely get swabs and/or an ENT referral.

Happened to DD a second time, though they swabbed very quickly and it wasn't MRSA that time but required a different type of antibiotic the GP could prescribe.

Morethanthisprovincallife · 11/09/2018 21:57

I can't Belive you have been left to suffer for so long with no closing down of this issue? I'm just wondering why any educated bright gp wouldn't have referred you already?

Morethanthisprovincallife · 11/09/2018 21:58

Goodness does op need a and e?

Original poster

Peanutss · 11/09/2018 22:02

Oh my goodness these are a bit scary!! Ok I'm 100% requesting some form of referral / further investigation on Thursday.

It's strange as im actually not in pain with it. I always thought ear infections were supposed to be painful but this isn't. It's just very swollen. Even on the outside, you can tell which ear it is.

OP posts:

brokenharbour · 11/09/2018 22:09

Are you sure it's not just a waxy build up rather than infection? I went completely deaf in one ear, it was swollen and felt really full. Went for syringing privately as it was too stubborn for the microsuction to clear it. Had to go back twice. I've had ear infections too where they did Swab to identify bacteria, v v painful though so I knew it was different.

OhLookHeKickedTheBall · 11/09/2018 22:11

Sorry - we were sent to A&E by our GP with DD because of the bleeding and the fact they couldn't see anything other than blood and pus and the fact that the urgent ENT referral hadn't been responded to.

DD wasn't in pain either BTW. For some reason when she gets infections that pus they don't seem to bother her pain wise.

Original poster

Peanutss · 11/09/2018 22:14

@brokenharbour honestly I don't know. It could be!

I'm saying infection because that's what the doctor is telling me it is from looking into my ear.

I've no idea or the state of my eardrum as she said the 'gunk' from the infection has literally blocked my ear canal so much that she can't see my ear drum at all.

I do think it's odd that I'm not in pain with it though. It's just very full, tender yes but not painful.

It's the feeling that my head is swimming, like I'm underwater and can hear my own voice in my head that's driving me loopy! And the bloods a bit scary too!

OP posts:

elf1985 · 11/09/2018 22:15

Do not take no for an answer. I had an ear infection for over a year with my ahole doctor just prescribing the same drops over and over. I finally moved doctors and the new doctor told me I had to be seen 3 times before he could refer me to ent. He booked me another appointment later that day and one the next day and I was in the ent 3 weeks later having my ears cleaned under a microscope. It got so bad that I had impetigo all over the side of my face and hadn't slept for 4 days. Do not let them fob you off. You have my sympathy, it's agony x

redsummershoes · 11/09/2018 22:22

first things first
DO NOT PUT ANYTHING INTO YOUR EAR (unless prescribed by dr upon physical examination).

if you have no luck with the gp, look up an clear ear clinic in your area. see if they have an ent in attendance to give you a check up, it's a private service, but relatively cheap.

hope you get better soon!

WoollyMollyMonkey · 11/09/2018 22:25

Well I was just about to say the same as redsummershoes - don’t put anything in your ear. The blood might mean you have a perforated ear drum.

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