Any glue ear experts around to help?

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Ds 1 (6) having his millionth day off school with ear ache. He has a glue ear and will most likely be having grommets in next couple of months.

Short term, when his ear drum gets red and sore he is prescribed ear drops. This takes down the inflammation, and helps the muck drain out of the Eustachian tube.....

.....and into his stomach, which makes him really sick a couple of days later. Whilst I am pleased we have figured out a way to prevent the night of screaming which preceedes a peforation, he is still needing them same amount of time off school because of the sickness.

Prescribed drops today for latest infection - anyone know of a way of helping his body cope with the muck as it passes to his tummy? Any foods that help break it up?

bump

Could he be reacting to the ear drops? Is vomitting listed as a side effect? Anyway I'd ask for the oral ones if that seems to be the reaction.

Two fo my DC have had/ have glue ear and have rarely been sick for any reason and certainly not this - they have had various treatments but never responded in this way - I'd check it isn't an allergy or someting else.

all 3 of mine have had glue ear, grommets and drops at some point for a perforated eardrum or infection with grommets. Never had this reaction - is it listed as a side affect?

I wouldn't, personally, opt for oral antibiotics as it affects the gut and is broad spectrum rather than at the site of the problem.

I don't think I understand how the drops help, does the ear drum perforate anyway? are they prescribed as preventative? how does it help the ear drum drain? sorry loads of questions, genuinely interested in case it helps my ds's in future I thought ear drops only help if ear is infected which we've only had once the drum is perforated and gunky, if the canal is red we've been told to wait, sometimes we get infection other times it clears.

Only other thing I could think of was, does ds have any intollerances? ds1 is now totally casien free and ds2 and ds3 on reduced dairy after a suggestion from consultant that dairy causes mucous build up - has helped all 3.

DS1 had history of ear infections every 3 wks. ENT have since put grommets in every winter and problem is resolved (he is nearly 5)

What I wanted to add was he never had ear drops - just oral antibiotics when after perforation if he was still unwell and he was never sick. ENT advised ibuprofen because of the anti inflammatory effect, paracetamol for pain, and holding a warm heat pack to ease the discomfort.

I would go back to ENT and ask them for their opinion re the vomiting. Is more likely to be reaction to Abx or colouring in calpol than the gunk in his ear

Thanks all. Have only just got back to the laptop as youngest was up sick all night.

Ds1 is nearly always sick with an ear infection, whether he has the drops or not. Dr suggested that it could be caused by the mucus draining into his tummy. Tbh maybe I should just accept that he is sick with lots of things - he can't have Medised, and have often wondered about the other painkillers.

He is allergic to one type of oral antibiotic, but that is always acknowledged before he is prescribed anything new.

incywincy - I'm no expert on the mechanics of how the drops work but its something like this - there is antibiotic and steroid in the drops. It reduces inflamation on the ear drum and surrounding tissue, this helps reduce the pressure, stops the glue being drawn up towards the ear drum and encourages it to drain back down the Eustachian tube - hence the suspicion that it then hits his tummy and makes him sick.

It works best if combined with ibuprofen, and lymphatic drainage massgage around the head and neck to help shift the fluid in the swollen tissues. Drs are often reluctant to prescribe Ciproflaxin because really its an eye drop, but ENT departments are widely adopting it. You might more easily persuade them to give Otomize which is an ear spray. I much much prefer the drops. The steroid helps relieve pain instantly, works much quicker than oral antibiotics with no side effects.

Now if he's sick this time around I won't know if it was the cold / ear drops / or he's picked up ds2's bug...unless maybe they've been having the same thing just spread out by a couple of weeks??

Back at ENT in the next few weeks anyway - or sooner if this ear infection persists / returns quickly.

My son had really bad glue ear and never had this reaction to ear drops. My son has prescribed sofradex when he had perforations and when he had nasty infection with his grommets.

It sounds like as if your ds has an unusual reaction to the medication rather than it being glue ear. Prehaps your son could try a different type of ear drops.

Oh thanks ReallyTired, I had forgotten about Sofradex. Maybe its worth trying that one. Think Ds has had it before but not Ds1.

DS1 always got ear infections when he was younger and he also had glue ear. I also don't completely understand the mechanics of it but he never had grommets fitted but instead his consultant decided to remove his adenoids because they were huge and were stopping the fluid draining which was causing the pressure to build up and therefore causing the ear infections. They also took his tonsils out at the same time and he hasn't had an ear infection since.

DS2 looks likely to be going the same way...he's 14 months and we're currently on ear infection number 7 already!

Incidentally I had my first ever ear infection as an adult about a month ago and I was prescribed Otomize by my GP as I can't take oral AB's very easily (really upsets my tummy) and while it did work very quickly I also felt very sick and it was almost like something was falling down my ears when I laid down. I know it's not exactly the same thing but Im thinking it could well be all the gunk there making it's way out.