Ear Infection for 8 months!

[buggerluggers]

AIBU to saw my ear off a la Van Gough?

I started with an ear infection at the beginning of December, inner and outer, resulting in a perforated ear drum.

I have been on numerous courses of antibiotics ever since. It seems to clear up for a few days and then starts itching like mad again, oozing liquid that gets darker and darker before turning black. It’s really smell too (sorry, tmi) 😷 it’s sometimes painful, sometimes just irritating but always blocks my ear so I can’t hear out of it. I’m also exhausted whenever it flares up, I mean I could sleep 20hrs a day if possible. The skin on my ear lobe become cracked, sore and bleeding too.

At one point, my face swelled up and went numb on one side. I was referred to urgent care and put on an IV at this point, which was a couple of months ago.

We then discovered it was fungal so I was given cream, etc for that.

Since then, I’ve been referred to a consultant at ENT who has auctioned my ear for a third time and given me more cream. This was 2 weeks ago and it started to leak again yesterday and is unbearably itchy.

I’m going to call the GP again tomorrow but I know they won’t override the consultant so I’m not sure what to do but it’s really getting me down now - it’s been 8 months of discomfort and exhaustion.

Sorry for the long post but does anyone have any experience of this and how did you cure it?!

TIA

That should so suctioned, not auctioned - nobody would bid for my smelly, sticky ear at the moment!

I don’t have any advice but didn’t want to read and run. I really do feel for you. My oldest DC is 11 and rarely ill, but he had ear infections regularly when he was younger. They knocked him on his arse every time, usually he’s so active but they would really take it out of him. So I have a lot of sympathy for you and I hope you get it sorted.
The only thing that we have found helpful (not sure if it would work for you) every now and then I look in his ears and if it looks like there is a lot of wax, I use a syringe to flush it out. Seems to keep everything at bay

I experience similar op but doesn't sound as bad as yours. I have just given up trying to do anything about it. It happens every few weeks I get really itchy ear with a bit of puss for about a day then it dries up and goes away I am just sick of taking antibiotics for it and it doesn't effect my hearing. Had my ears checked by ENT who couldn't see anything amiss. Sorry not much help for you

I had this very thing

Still do - nothing as creepy as the cats sniffing my ear and recoiling

But it's treated with otomise spray - like a little miracle
Gets rid of it immediately but it always comes back

ENT said it is otitis externa and it's a chronic condition

Ear infection veteran as I've a cleft palate repair. Even shower water can set me off. The only thing that clears it for me is otomize ear spray. It does say not for perforated eardrums, but the doctor will give it as I have perforated eardrums.

They are reluctant to prescribe as there are cheaper antibiotocs. Oral ones don't do anything. I just buy it from superdrug online doctor now.

It might be worth asking your GP/ ENT doc if you could have a condition called cholesteatoma.

I used to have horrendous ear infections twenty odd years ago. I had to have them packed with antibiotics twice a week every time. Two things stopped it.

1. Use cotton wool in ears every time you have a shower/wash hair. You need to keep the ears dry.

1. Eczema cream. Apparently I had mild eczema inside despite having no eczema anywhere else on my body. It was that creating the itch, you rub, scratch, whatever the itch away, this causes inflammation which gets infected, so you need antibiotics. All fine until that minute little patch of eczema flares up again, it gets itchy....and so the cycle continues.

Try putting a little bit of cream in at the first sign of itchiness. Good luck!

Hmm, interesting. I have been having problems with my left ear in particular for some time now. It builds up with wax quickly, I automatically place my phone beside my right ear as it's easier to hear with, it's itchy and a bit sore.
I know this sounds really stupid, but it didn't occur to me that it might be infected I assumed the problem was wax build-up, which I've been paying to have microsuctioned privately.
Will make an appointment with the GP.
Thanks for posting OP and hope you get it sorted. Please keep us updated.

This sounds exactly like what I have thank you 😃 and thank you op for starting thread

Would that show as a fungal infection on swabs though…the flare ups affect my breathing too (asthmatic)