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Original poster

Severe ear infection

48 replies

anonxc · 18/03/2023 19:46

I feel so let down by doctors, I had a previous post but just wanted to rant. I had Covid a week and a half ago and suddenly lost my hearing in my right ear, saw an out of hours gp who looked at my ear with a torch for about two seconds and said nope - blocked ears no infection. Pain gets worse so I contacted my doctor over the phone on Monday who said probably not infected but we will prescribe an ear spray, today I started vomiting with a high fever and severe ear pain that it hurts to even eat, see out of hours gp and they've said my ear drum is perforated, very red and inflamed - they've started me on anti biotics tonight but I'm concerned as the pain is so bad and I keep feeling like I'm going to vomit, they told me as long as no swelling redness or blood in ear I don't need to go a&e and anti biotics should do the trick but I really lack faith now, I've never had so much pain in my ear ever. I have took ibuprofen but what else can I do to ease my symptoms? How long will anti biotics take to work aswell? I did ask but she just bluntly replied saying they will work stop worrying. :/

OP posts:
Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 19:48

Are they antibiotic drops?

Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 19:50

If the bone at the back of your ear swells go to A&E- I was given antibiotic tablets, went to work, left work as vomiting, admitted to A&E as the bone was swelling. I needed iv antibiotics and ear drops. Only antibiotic ear drops nuke infection according to the consultant I saw.

A warm hot water bottle eased my pain.

BorgQueen · 18/03/2023 19:52

I ended up deaf for 4 weeks and on steroids this time last year for a horrific ear infection that doctors ignored.

Original poster
anonxc · 18/03/2023 19:56

Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 19:48

Are they antibiotic drops?

No they are oral anti biotics

OP posts:
Original poster
anonxc · 18/03/2023 19:58

Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 19:50

If the bone at the back of your ear swells go to A&E- I was given antibiotic tablets, went to work, left work as vomiting, admitted to A&E as the bone was swelling. I needed iv antibiotics and ear drops. Only antibiotic ear drops nuke infection according to the consultant I saw.

A warm hot water bottle eased my pain.

Thank you, this concerns me because I have been vomiting but doctor didn't tell me I needed to go a&e - just from checking behind my ear I can't see that there is swelling but I honestly feel SO unwell - no discharge from my ear either which I find so strange as I always thought that was a tell tale sign of an ear infection

OP posts:
Original poster
anonxc · 18/03/2023 19:59

BorgQueen · 18/03/2023 19:52

I ended up deaf for 4 weeks and on steroids this time last year for a horrific ear infection that doctors ignored.

I can't hear out of my right ear at all, it's very muffled. It's so wrong, I feel so let down - I didn't feel this bad when I contacted them Monday I wish they would have just prescribed oral anti biotics then I wouldn't be this way. I also suffer from anxiety so it doesn't help the panicking

OP posts:
BurntOutGirl · 18/03/2023 20:18

Paracetamol and ibuprofen max doses.

I would put a cold compress on your ear to cool and reduce any inflammation.

Literally take it hour by hour and reassess how you feel at the end of each hour. Feel worse, call 111... feel better...reassess in another hour

Splodgerbodgerbadger · 18/03/2023 20:20

Ear infections are awful, I had a bad one in October 2020 my GP wouldn’t see me as I had a temperature over 38 degrees so they prescribed me an ear spray and antibiotics over the phone. I couldn’t keep the antibiotics down as my temperature was high I kept vomiting. The pain was awful and they only thing that gave me any sort of relief was a hot water bottle pressed against my ear.

I phoned them the next day as I was vomiting the antibiotics up thinking they would give me anti sickness meds but they told me I had to go to a&e, they sent me to the urgent care clinic next door who gave me anti sickness tablets funnily enough. By this point my ear drum had burst and this foul green discharge was leaking out of my ear. They referred me to the ENT casualty clinic and I was seen a week later.

The infection had subsided by then and they micro suctioned my ear and gave me antibiotic drops to use for a week.

My ear drum had never healed and I have permanent hearing loss in that ear now and am in the process of getting a hearing aid fitted. I’ve had a few infections in that ear over the years but that last one was awful and did permanent damage.

If your antibiotics are not working could be worth going to urgent care if not a&e.

you have my sympathy they really hurt.

Lavenderzen · 18/03/2023 20:30

Go to A & E.

Original poster
anonxc · 18/03/2023 20:36

Splodgerbodgerbadger · 18/03/2023 20:20

Ear infections are awful, I had a bad one in October 2020 my GP wouldn’t see me as I had a temperature over 38 degrees so they prescribed me an ear spray and antibiotics over the phone. I couldn’t keep the antibiotics down as my temperature was high I kept vomiting. The pain was awful and they only thing that gave me any sort of relief was a hot water bottle pressed against my ear.

I phoned them the next day as I was vomiting the antibiotics up thinking they would give me anti sickness meds but they told me I had to go to a&e, they sent me to the urgent care clinic next door who gave me anti sickness tablets funnily enough. By this point my ear drum had burst and this foul green discharge was leaking out of my ear. They referred me to the ENT casualty clinic and I was seen a week later.

The infection had subsided by then and they micro suctioned my ear and gave me antibiotic drops to use for a week.

My ear drum had never healed and I have permanent hearing loss in that ear now and am in the process of getting a hearing aid fitted. I’ve had a few infections in that ear over the years but that last one was awful and did permanent damage.

If your antibiotics are not working could be worth going to urgent care if not a&e.

you have my sympathy they really hurt.

Thank you, gosh that sounds awful!
I've only been prescribed the anti biotics tonight so I assume I should give it a day or two before worrying myself about it?

OP posts:
Original poster
anonxc · 18/03/2023 20:36

Lavenderzen · 18/03/2023 20:30

Go to A & E.

I was only prescribed the anti biotics tonight I just got back home from the doctors, surely if I needed a&e they would have sent me there right?

OP posts:
Cece92 · 18/03/2023 20:40

Hi OP I'm so sore your going through this. Ears infections are horrid! I seen a tip on Facebook before and I'm sure they put a flannel in a mug in the microwave until hot then put the mug over their ear be careful not to touch the ear with the flannel though xx

Original poster
anonxc · 18/03/2023 21:04

Cece92 · 18/03/2023 20:40

Hi OP I'm so sore your going through this. Ears infections are horrid! I seen a tip on Facebook before and I'm sure they put a flannel in a mug in the microwave until hot then put the mug over their ear be careful not to touch the ear with the flannel though xx

Thank you! Il try this. Ibuprofen has kicked in now so pain is not half as bad but will definitely do this now before bed just to help soothe a bit more, it is awful

OP posts:
wineandsunshine · 18/03/2023 21:07

Take max dose paracetamol too - you have my sympathy as ear pain was worse than child birth for me!!

Splodgerbodgerbadger · 18/03/2023 21:20

anonxc · 18/03/2023 20:36

Thank you, gosh that sounds awful!
I've only been prescribed the anti biotics tonight so I assume I should give it a day or two before worrying myself about it?

Show quote history

Yes will be worth giving it a bit longer to work, unless it gets a lot worse. This is what my pillow looked like with all the green gunk that came out of my ear.

Severe ear infection
Lizzy1328 · 18/03/2023 22:45

Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 19:50

If the bone at the back of your ear swells go to A&E- I was given antibiotic tablets, went to work, left work as vomiting, admitted to A&E as the bone was swelling. I needed iv antibiotics and ear drops. Only antibiotic ear drops nuke infection according to the consultant I saw.

A warm hot water bottle eased my pain.

Bone is not able to swell, it's bone! 🙄😩

SuffolkUnicorn · 18/03/2023 22:49

I’ve had one since September tried loads of antibiotics sprays drops you name it still have it

Dinopawus · 18/03/2023 22:56

Ask for Otimise ear drops instead. It has pain relief in it and is recommended by NICE

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng91

DefinitelyRizzo · 18/03/2023 22:56

My worst ear infection had me taking co-cocodamol for 3 days straight. They can be horrendous. Just have to wait for the antibiotics to work sadly.

And probably the swelling bone poster means a lump on the bone behind your ear. I had that and had to have IV antibiotics and scans.

CrotchetyQuaver · 18/03/2023 23:14

Paracetamol and ibuprofen the max dose of each spread out at equal intervals for best effect. You will have periods where they wear off and you're counting down till you can take the next lot.
Would agree with PP that the antibiotic ear drops are the only thing that works. Just get back in to the surgery on Monday if you don't have any improvement and tell them the pills haven't touched it and ask for the ear drops.
I think ear infection is the worst pain I've ever known so I feel for you.

Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 23:47

@Lizzy1328 can always rely on one lol

here you are…

Mastoiditis is a serious bacterial infection that affects the mastoid bone behind the ear. It's usually more common in children, although adults can also sometimes be affected.

Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 23:53

Dinopawus · 18/03/2023 22:56

Ask for Otimise ear drops instead. It has pain relief in it and is recommended by NICE

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng91

I would not use these if ear drum is perforated. I was prescribed these by my G.P and it made the infection worse.

I’d ring 111 for further advice. Your hearing can be permanently affected as a result of doing the wrong thing. I was back and forth to my G.P for three weeks, then in hospital for a week. The G.P gave me drops which you should not be given with a perforated ear drum, so I certainly wouldn’t heed the advice given on mn!

DorritLittle · 19/03/2023 00:03

Hi OP, your out of hours doctor will have checked for mastoiditis swelling. Ibuprofen and paracetamol can be taken alternately, you might need to set your alarm for the middle of the night so you are not woken up in pain. The antibiotics will almost certainly work in a few days. Sympathy, ear infections are awful!

Lizzy1328 · 19/03/2023 01:50

Suzi888 · 18/03/2023 23:47

@Lizzy1328 can always rely on one lol

here you are…

Mastoiditis is a serious bacterial infection that affects the mastoid bone behind the ear. It's usually more common in children, although adults can also sometimes be affected.

That's inflammation not swelling, trust me bones 🦴 do not swell!

Lizzy1328 · 19/03/2023 01:52

@Suzi888 mastoiditis is an infection leading to inflammation, like I said bones definitely DO NOT swell!