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Children's health

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Original poster

Anyone gone dairy free for glue ear?

33 replies

oohdaddypig · 13/12/2013 08:56

Hi - I would really appreciate your stories here please as I feel like I'm fighting a lone battle.

DD - 4 - suffered a lot of ear infections as a baby and now has persistent glue ear causing moderate hearing loss. I really want to get this sorted before she starts school. Grommets are being suggested and if they work than fine, but I hear lots of stories of them falling out etc

All the medics tell me there is no link to dairy intake. I am not sure i believe this. I can't have dairy myself due to sinusitis. I see lots of anecdotal online about glue ear resolving with removal of dairy. Some paediatricians even recommend it.

Have you tried it and if so, did you exclude even goat milk? What about butter? I am not keen on soya products so am scratching my head for alternatives. My main concern is calcium/fats/protein that dairy provides.

Thanks so much to anyone who responds.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

oohdaddypig · 13/12/2013 17:16

A hopeful bump

OP posts:

FeetUpUnitilChristmas · 13/12/2013 17:22

I am not sure I understand why you don't want to have the grommets fitted, yes they can (and indeed do) come out, but from experience the difference to a DC once they have been fitted is amazing.

I think that the medics are not suggesting dairy free as a solution because there is no medical evidence to show that it would work, so why put your DD through an experiment.

schmee · 13/12/2013 17:34

I haven't gone dairy free but it is a recognised alternative treatment for glue ear. Just because there isn't medical evidence doesn't mean it doesn't work. Pre and pro biotics seemed to help with my son but it could have been that he was growing out of the glue ear anyway.

smartietot · 13/12/2013 17:46

Poor you and your poor dd. Ds had 2 years worth of ear infections which started when he was 10 months old - I can remember the day it all started. I too felt very alone and unsupported by NHS and ENT department we were referred to. All anyone seemed to do was pump him full of antibiotics.

By the age of 2 he was taking trimethoprim daily, couldn't sleep, & couldn't eat as he was in constant pain. It was awful to see him like that. We were recommended a cranial osteopath by someone. (By this point I would have danced down the street with my pants on my head on the off chance it would have helped ds!) It has changed our lives! After a couple of sessions we stopped the trimethoprim and a year later he has not had an ear infection since!! For ds the issue was linked to a very traumatic birth which led to a build of fluid in his system so the cranial osteopathy helped clear it all.

I would really recommend calling a cranial osteopath in your area and having a chat. I do hope you manage to get this sorted and you and your dd can get back to enjoying yourselves before dd starts school.

Just realised my reply has nothing to do with a dairy free diet - sorry! But thought it worth mentioning anyway. Good luck!

Original poster

oohdaddypig · 13/12/2013 18:56

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your time!

Feetup - my main reason is that's its a general anaesthetic which I would rather avoid if there is a simpler solution. Because for me going dairy free has made such a huge difference to my health, I feel the answer is staring me in the face, if that makes sense. Also my niece had a bad (rare) experience with grommets - they cocked up the operation - so that has tainted my albeit limited experience. I feel her body is telling me that something she is eating or is exposed to isn't right. So I will go for grommets in a few months if dairy free doesnt help but I feel I have to try it.

There is evidence dairy free can help - something like a third of cases - so I presume the medics don't suggest it if it won't definitely help? Schmee - is it recognised as a treatment in your area?

Smartie - that's wonderful that osteopathy helped. I share your pain of constant ear infections and wanting to avoid antibiotics. I did consult an osteopathy who honestly said he thought he couldn't help her! Oddly he said he could help me and he did (I had near constant sinus pain) so I'm a big fan :)

I would also do pant dancing in the street on this one to get it resolved :)

OP posts:

bundaberg · 13/12/2013 18:58

ds2 had glue ear despite being totally dairy and egg free from 2 months old!
and he was breastfed which is supposed to lower the risk too.

i do believe it can help in some cases, but it made no difference to us.

like you I didn't want to go down the grommet route immediately, and we did lots of waiting and seeing, but did eventually have the op

Original poster

oohdaddypig · 13/12/2013 19:00

Thanks bundaberg. Would you mind letting me know if the grommets made a big difference?

OP posts:

bundaberg · 13/12/2013 19:06

yes, they did. school commented on it on his first day back!

his reading and writing really came on in leaps and bounds. although he had never had a problem understanding what we were saying there were clearly sounds he had trouble hearing and once the grommets were in it was all a lot clearer to him.

he was also discharged from SALT soon after the grommets went in.

he did say that he could hear a constant high-pitched humming noise, which concerned me a lot but it didn't/doesn't seem to bother him!
i;'m still reserving overall judgement for when they come out...see if he can still hear!

Original poster

oohdaddypig · 13/12/2013 20:03

Thanks bundaberg. It seems the key to their success is remaining in! Do you still swim etc? (DD loves swimmimg)

OP posts:

bundaberg · 13/12/2013 20:09

no, we haven't done swimming yet actually! partly because everyone we spoke to told us differnet things:
don't get any water on the ears until the grommets come out
it's fine to go in water as long as he doesn't immerse his head
don't go in water for 6 weeks but then it's fine

Sleepingbanana · 13/12/2013 20:40

Hi, like bunda my Ds was dairy free and bf and still had glue ear. We had grommets early (Ds was 2.5) because his speech was so affected. It's been brilliant (speech, confidence, sleep...). The op is sooo minor and the GA very mild .
Re swimming, we were told by consultant that it wAs fine after 6 weeks but not to swim underwater. HTH

incywincyspideragain · 13/12/2013 20:46

We did, 3 DS's (now 7,6 and 4) with glue ear and had to have grommets, I was despairing and asked consultant if there was anything preventative I could do. He suggested dairy free even though there is no formal evidence, he said he recognised a benefit in his clinic (was in his 60's and since retired) we agreed to try it for 3 weeks to see if there was an improvement, after 6 wks all had review and he said he no longer reconmended adenoids or tonsils out as they had reduced in size, it didn't clear the glue ear between the 3 of them they've had 6 sets (affect in education, social development and speech too much not to) but no ear infections and very healthy. FWIW ds1 never had solid poo until he was completely dairy free so I think it's a sensitivity in our family - all now dairy and wheat free, including dh who had glue ear as a child but lots of infections too - he chose to be dairy and wheat free a couple of years ago because it made him feel so much better.

We avoid all animal milk including milk powders - don't use soya at all, we have butter and use oat or coconut milk (both are fortified with calcium) google vegan diets for advice on other foods high in calcium (nuts, green veg for example)

Grommets are only temporary - typically fall out within a year - but can help eleviate issue whilst you try something else to support.
We also found probiotics helped

bundaberg · 13/12/2013 20:54

funny the differences in what people are told. the leaflet I was given actually stated in it that a dairy free diet may help!

clearly not something that everyone agrees with :-D

IMO it's worth a try though!

ds2 has very narrow ear canals, and we suspect also narrow eustachian tubes which I think is what was causing his issues, so no diet changes were going to fix that.

Original poster

oohdaddypig · 13/12/2013 22:05

Thanks incy - that's interesting. I think you are right about it being a family tendency thing. You mentioned butter - reluctantly I have had to stop it due to the (limited) casein in it. Did the consultant reckon it was ok!

Bundaberg - I would love a copy of that leaflet! Was it online?

OP posts:

bundaberg · 13/12/2013 22:52

no it was a real one, but i;ll see if there is an online version!

incywincyspideragain · 13/12/2013 22:56

butter has most of milk proteins removed - boys seem ok with it in small amounts, for cooking I use ghee or baking fat though

Original poster

oohdaddypig · 15/12/2013 09:37

Argh, DD has been up all night with another ear infection. It's unbearable hearing your child moaning in pain.

She had a bowl of ice cream at a party last night (she rarely eats ice cream)

Coincidence? I just don't know.

My mothers instinct, usually right, wants to take her off dairy completely but I feel I can't do it on my own - I need buy in from DH.

OP posts:

incywincyspideragain · 15/12/2013 20:00

will dh not buy in?

we agreed a 3 week trial and if there was no visable improvement then we'd can it - could you do something like that? Christmas could be tricky... but also good as you'll be around to make it happen...
If you feel self concious about saying it (school will need to be on board so they don't offer food, family, friends - playdates can be a nightmare) then I would just say it was recommended as a trial

incywincyspideragain · 15/12/2013 20:00

hope dd's ear it better soon too x

Original poster

oohdaddypig · 15/12/2013 20:24

Thanks incy - appreciate your thoughts.

I have honestly been met by horror from grandparents at the mere discussion of eliminating dairy, even for a month's trial. I need their buy in as they care for her one day a week. DH is like his parents - medics must not be questioned. I was told today by DHs parents that I would ruin her health forever if I take out dairy! I find that bizarre - half the planet don't eat and neither do I...

I'm quite open minded to alternatives and they are completely the opposite - I find it very stressful [hmmm]

We are seeing ENT this week so I shall report back.

DD is a bit better tonight - thanks for thinking of her.

OP posts:

incywincyspideragain · 15/12/2013 21:40

Could you ask ENT for their opinion? you might find you have one like mine who thinks its worth a shot (mention your diet too) maybe then the grandparents might be more supportive?

The whole eating dairy thing is weird, the more I think about why we drink another animals milk well into adulthood the weirder it sounds... we have a huge emphasis on dairy in the UK for calcium - might be worth a google so you can add in calcium rich foods and reassure others if you go down that route

MistyB · 16/12/2013 09:16

I have a DS with recurrent ear infections. He had one grommet only as the other ear had a perforation at the time. The grommet did not remove the underlying cause of excessive inflammation / mucus production / tendency towards ear infections. Osteopathy helps with pain, drainage. Diet helps too. (I have seen ear infections appear within 24 hours of eating wheat / dairy though according to his doctor there is no link between the gut and the ear, however, I have seen a number of medical professionals who think otherwise!). Being dairy, grain and yeast free has reduced the number of infections and increased his ability to deal with the ones he does get.