Losing my mind… dc ear pain for two weeks!

[Fineandnaturalsight]

Please help me, I’m going crazy.

Two weeks ago dc was off for a week with an ear infection. He was was in horrible pain and had a high fever. Antibiotics got it under control and he seemed well again.

Two weeks later the pain is back again! No fever this time. GP says it’s too gunked up with wax to see properly but doesn’t think it’s infected.

But he’s in agony unless dosed up with nurofen. Since Saturday night he has woken up several times a night with pain, not able to stay at school because he’s in too much pain. The same during the day.

On Monday the GP prescribed olive oil to clear the wax and told us to come back in two weeks. But three days later nothing is better and he can’t stay off school for two weeks. I just don’t know what to do?

we are alternating calpol and nurofen and using a hot water bottle and elevating his head. But I want to treat the cause not the symptoms!

Any thoughts on why this might be happening? Or reassurance that it will clear up soon?

Go back to the GP. Don’t get medical advice from Mumsnet!

Go back to the GP. Don’t get medical advice from Mumsnet!

I have a little bit of knowledge about this but not a doctor. Antibiotics in ear infections rarely make any difference in reducing pain or duration of illness. That's not to say they're not painful, just that antibiotics don't improve the situation - typically symptoms settle on their own within a week with or without treatment (hence those who've been given antibiotics think they got better because of the antibiotics).

At 2 weeks with symptoms and with presumable an obstructed ear canal impacted wax can be really uncomfortable. If there's any kind of infection in the upper respiratory tract/ear/nose this can really exacerbate the sensation. By using olive oil this is treating what the Dr thinks is causing the increased discomfort. Unfortunately it's not a quick fix as you've discovered. It sounds like you're doing all the right things to support him, when applying the olive oil ideally keep him laid on his side for at least 5minutes so it really soaks in and loosens the wax.

The GP thinks this can take upto 2 weeks to work but that doesn't mean they expect the symptoms to persist that long, just that this is the point at which if they've not significantly improved then would review. If however symptoms significantly worsened or changed then that would prompt being reviewed sooner. I'm sure they ran through a few things but it could be if a persisting fever returned, if the ear looked swollen or very tender to touch - especially if this is from just behind the ear, headache/lethargy stops doing normal activities.

Are you 100% certain it's ear?
How are his teeth on that side? Ear pain is common with dental issues.

Thanks @SleepyRich this is a helpful perspective. I agree, he doesn’t need antibiotics and I am really hoping that he does get better on his own. It’s just not better, and he can’t do his normal activities. He can’t do anything for more than an hour without needing to lie down again / apply heat / have pain relief.

it’s just frustrating because he’s not ill - when he’s not in pain he is fine but the pain is overwhelming and so he can’t go to school and it’s hard to believe that wax can be the cause of it, or that there isn’t a quicker fox.

@bfsham we have been checking his jaw and the sources of pain and given his ear is so gunky we think it is the ear, but you’re right that there might be other causes.

I disagree about him needing antibiotics, the first dose obviously improved his infection but then the pain came back after he finished the course. So my feeling is that he still has an infection and needs a different antibiotic.

I would go straight back to the gp.

@3luckystars thanks for your input. He doesn’t have the same infection symptoms at the moment that he did two weeks ago (fever, green funk coming out of his ear) and the go said she couldn’t see anything on Monday. But if he does get a temp then I agree we’d need to change treatment. I’ll go back on Friday if he’s still in pain. I’m wondering if there is more I can do in the meantime?

How old is your DC? Are they old enough to have their ears suctioned? Ear wax build up causing a blockage, behind which water gets trapped, can cause a lot of pain. But at the very least, if you have any blockage removed and it still doesn’t improve, then that can be taken off the list of potential causes.

N.B. I am not a doctor and I agree with others that you can only get help from a doctor. My suggestion is more about discounting a possible cause, even if it doesn’t fix it, so as to get quicker help from a doctor.

As per PP, if you can find a private ear microsuction place that will do whatever age he is, that might help. Would Google for your local area but can be harder to find places that will do younger children though.
Hope he feels better soon 🤞🏻

At least if the wax is gone the GP can have a clearer picture of what's going on, if the process of clearing all the wax doesn't sort it in first place ofc.

Thanks all. I feel encouraged to continue the olive oil and if he hasn’t improved by Friday we’ll take him back to the gps. Will investigate wax suction too, especially if tonight is bad as that will be five nights in a row.

If his ear drum ruptured recently (you mentioned green stuff coming out) you likely can't go near it in terms of microsuction/wax removal.

How old is he? I find proper sudafed (pseudoephedrine) helps with earache but you can't give it to young children, read bottle for age etc.

@LadyFeatheringt0n this is useful advice. He is 6.

For an an update the pain seems to have gone apart from a few episodes today so we’re doing the olive religiously throughout the day and hoping it stays like this.

Appreciate everyone’s input.

He might need a steroid ear drop, I had a terrible infection in my ear a few years ago. Took months ...2 rounds of antibiotics and then the steroid helped. Worth asking GP if it doesn't improve.