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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Posting here for traffic Have a perforated eardrum am in excruciating pain what would they do at A&E?

146 replies

doubleshotespresso · 04/04/2019 19:38

As above really....

GP prescribed antibiotics for this two and a half days ago, area is so swollen and painful I am unable to put head on a pillow, pain is not of this earth....

Any wise folks here have any idea what they might do at A&E if I were to go? Will they be able to stop the pain?

Feel like they need to take a Dyson to my ear but suspect it's going to take far more than this....

My God this hurts

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 04/04/2019 19:40

Has it actually burst?

Unfortunately there’s not really anything they will be able to do. It will just start to heal now.

vanitythynameisnotwoman · 04/04/2019 19:41

Maybe go to whatever your local area has as GP out of hours - often via 111 - sounds like you should have had some painkillers as well as the antibiotics. Is your ear still discharging??

OnlyJoking1 · 04/04/2019 19:42

Not really anything you can have done, you’ve got ABs, I’ve burst mine twice so I know your pain, should start to feel a little better each day.

IgnoranceIsStrength · 04/04/2019 19:43

All they can really offer is antibiotics. I have had this and both burst. Genuinely never known a pain like it (I have 2 dc!). It is horrible and I feel for you

Original poster
doubleshotespresso · 04/04/2019 19:44

Thanks for the replies

Yes it seems to have burst, ear has been weeping this weird thick watery stuff today and feels totally swollen and blocked, like it is stuffed with something. I cannot describe how painful this is and I thought I had a very high pain threshold!

I have been taking ibuprofen on GP advice but today not really touching it at all. The last two hours the pain has seriously ramped up

OP posts:
Ragnarthe · 04/04/2019 19:44

Get some co-codamol from the chemist

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 04/04/2019 19:45

Send someone to the chemist (or go yourself if no one else can). Ibuprofen isn't strong enough for this, get some co-codamol etc.

A&E won't be able to do much more than the GP already has, but it will start to slowly get better now. Sympathies, the pain is extreme 💐

mrscampbellblackagain · 04/04/2019 19:48

God, much sympathy as I have had this before - once last year. You need very strong pain killers and try and keep hydrated. It is awful but you are past the worst bit - you just need to do the pain killers very regularly.

JaceLancs · 04/04/2019 19:49

I don’t know but I feel your pain
I’ve suffered from ear problems all my life and regularly get infections - thankfully often not as severe as this
I had a bad one few weeks before Xmas year before last and eventually had to go to GP - they said I should have gone earlier and sent me straight to hospital - who cleaned out and sprayed then packed with dressings - I had to go back 2 days letter to have it redressed but by then the bone had become infected and had to be admitted for IV antibiotics
Since then I’m very wary about how long I leave things before seeking help

SabineUndine · 04/04/2019 19:51

Hugs, I've been there, it took the antibiotics 2.5 days to start to work and I was beside myself. If it doesn't start to improve by tomorrow morning I would get an emergency appointment with your GP in case you need a different antibiotic. What have you got?

Original poster
doubleshotespresso · 04/04/2019 19:53

Thanks all I have Amoxicillin

OP posts:
IgnoranceIsStrength · 04/04/2019 19:55

Antibiotics are different for everyone but amoxicillin has never helped me. Too broad spectrum. If it isn't improving I would go back to gp. Also agree with co codomal to make it manageable. Hope it improves soon.

ButEmilylovedhim · 04/04/2019 19:57

Hi lovely, so sorry to hear this. Ear infections are the very worst. I haven't had a burst ear drum ever but I have had very bad outer ear infections. I have twice or three times ended up on intra venous (sp?) antibiotics. So has my sister. Must be susceptible. Could you see someone in out of hours? They have taken one look at me in the past, not examined and just admitted me. I think I could have died without as the infection was heading for the bone behind the ear. Sorry to be so dramatic but if you're in so much pain (I was screaming when the painkillers wore off, all too quickly) please, please see someone. It might be different with a perforated ear drum but I wouldn't like you to take the risk. All the very best xx

moreismore · 04/04/2019 19:59

Literally worse than childbirth, I really feel for you! Two things which helped me: stuff the ear with cotton and use a hot water bottle. I hope it feels better very soon.

MarvinMarvinson · 04/04/2019 20:03

Out of hours gp would be better. Have you tried applying some dry heat?

Original poster
doubleshotespresso · 04/04/2019 20:03

Yes these antibiotics really seem not to have touched it at all, the pain is actually worse then tooth abscess and very close to childbirth I literally cannot speak. Just been told I look "frightfully pale".

I cannot get cotton wool inside it is too swollen I can't actually see the inside bit if you know what I mean?

OP posts:
Whatisthisfuckery · 04/04/2019 20:04

OP you have my sympathies. Ear pain is unbearable. You need some codeine and prop yourself up on as many pillows as possible. I had Amoxicillin for an infection a few years ago and it did f all.I went to the docs 4 times, got fobbed off twice and ended up having a double whammy of Otimise I think it was called, and Flucloxicillin, or however you spell it. That finally shifted it after a couple of days thank god. I don’t think I’d slept in a week the pain was so awful, and I was moving house as well just to make it worse.

I’d send somebody to Boots before it shuts to get you some stronger pain killers and get on the blower to the quacks first thing in the morning if things haven’t improved. Antibiotics really should be improving things after a couple of days but Amoxy are a fart in the wind against what you’re suffering.

Good luck. Sending virtual hugs because ear pain really is the pits.

Original poster
doubleshotespresso · 04/04/2019 20:04

Also really scared to be admitted as I have a a very important meeting at my childs' school in the morning

OP posts:
MarvinMarvinson · 04/04/2019 20:07

It may not come to that but you really should get some help.

ButEmilylovedhim · 04/04/2019 20:09

Don't put anything in the ear! It will be agony and if it does need packing, it will need to be sterile. A doctor needs to do it. You might have to make your peace with missing the meeting my sweet. They don't admit for the fun of it. If you need admitting it is really serious.

Sexnotgender · 04/04/2019 20:09

100% get thee to a chemist and get co-codamol.

I was lying crying in a ball on the floor with a wry neck last year and that was the only thing that helped. Alternate them with ibuprofen.

pouraglasshalffull · 04/04/2019 20:10

Take lots and lots of painkillers to ease the pain. I get lots of ear infections so I sympathise with you, I'm coincidentally just coming to the end of an Amoxicillin course.

Although, it doesn't sound like your ear has perforated. Have you had a perforated ear drum before to compare it?

It happened to me when I went on a short-break to Aberdeen, I had to fly back with a bad cold/mild ear infection. The pain was excruciating and unbearable, the pressure in my ear drums was so intense I was nearly sick. Then suddenly the loudest popping noise and that was it, the end of all pain.

My ear was running with watery wax and blood, I was almost completely deaf for a few days, however there was no pain at all, and certainly no feeling of pressure. Because perforating your ear drum would mean it has a hole in it, there should be no feeling of pressure behind it, as it can pass freely through the drum

Youtube ways of unblocking infected ears- there's some videos with tips/exercises, none of it worked for me but there are comments on the videos saying it did for them. Everyone works different!

Hoping it gets sorted soon for you OP I know how unbearable they can be, just take lots of Ibuprofen to help and apply a heat pad too, not just to the ear but to the neck and jaw area too

ShirleyPhallus · 04/04/2019 20:11

Can you call 111 and get an OOO emergency appt?

Agree you need stronger painkillers, and agree with a hot water bottle. Hope you feel better soon, ear pain is the absolute worst

Hassled · 04/04/2019 20:18

I'm not in anyway medically trained so this could well be bollocks - but - in my experience, ABs have well and truly kicked in after 2.5 days. There should be some impact by then, I'd have thought. It could be that you need a different type to Amoxicillin - I really would seek some OOH help at this stage. And forget about the meeting at school tomorrow - they'll understand and rearrange.

vintanner · 04/04/2019 20:20

Just googled for advice....

Treatments for a perforated eardrum. ... try not to blow your nose too hard, as this can damage your eardrum as it heals. hold a warm flannel against your ear to help reduce any pain. take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve pain if you need to.

Hope this helps.