18 mo with ear infection - unbearable is this normal?!?

[chocolateanddietcoke]

Hi

My son is pretty sickly and manages to catch every bug going at nursery.

He was sent home Tuesday with a temp and was miserable all of Wednesday. I managed to get him a doctors appt and she said he had an ear infection and gave us antibiotics which we started yesterday afternoon. The last few days he has been HORRENDOUS. I feel awful for him, he gets no joy out of anything. Isn't eating at all (fortunately taking milk) and as a result isn't walking (imagine has no energy) or playing.

We take him for lots of walks to give him some new perspectives whilst he won't play but he is just so so so miserable. I'm 7 months pregnant and it's exhausting me to the point I feel ill (and I know it must be a million times worse for him)!!!

Is this normal? Or do I need to take him to the hospital to be checked out? Was planning to see how he is tomorrow when hopefully antibiotics have properly kicked in and hope for improvement.

He is also having calpol and ibuprofen as suggested by the doctor and has numbing ear drops....

By horrendous I mean bouts of screaming and crying pretty frequently.

If I even show him food he shouts no and gets worked up to the point he's bright red - and that's showing him a yoghurt pot not even opening it and trying to feed him!

We had this repeatedly unfortunately. There was usually relief once her ear drum burst.
I did hospital a few times but due to not responding to treatment, and sepsis symptoms twice (turned out to be noro once). When she got really ill her temperature was fluctuating between very high and very low.

I hope your boy improves soon

So sorry to hear this. He just has been so upset the last few days and it's driven me to my limit (i know it isn't his fault so feel awful for saying that!$

Poor kid, my youngest has had a couple of nasty ear infections but hasn’t ever been as distressed as you describe. Regular calpol and ibuprofen alternated are pretty effective for the discomfort. Another thing that really helped give my daughter relief was a hot water bottle on the affected side: I would cuddle her and hold it to her ear, or if she was lying down she could use it as a pillow. It definitely helped ease the pain a bit.

If he's taking milk and is upset by food, I'd stop offering the food personally.

Let him have as much fluids as he wants and like a PP suggested, alternate Calpol and Ibruprofen so that he always has some pain relief in his system.

Make sure you know the signs of Sepsis and do phone 111 or take him to A&E if you're concerned at all