still having EAR problems.....

[kimlovescats]

I decided this should be on this board rather than Cat General.... but some of you may not have seen my original post there.

Well, in a nutshell ... I have had a very serious ear infection.... my eardrum was bulging terribly and I was given a 10 day supply of antibiotics. Well, nothing much improved, so I called my doctor and she refilled the RX for another 10 days and made an appointment to see me this Friday. Well Friday is just 2 days away now, and my ear still feel clogged, is ringing and I am getting sharp pains in it and in my temple and cheek bones on that same side!

It's been two full weeks since I first went to the doctor and started the antibiotics, and I am soooo tired of this. Just wanted to "vent" a little and ask for prayers for my ear. I'm really getting worried now that there has been damage to my eardrum after all.

[bisi.cat]

Don't worry...it took nearly four weeks until my hearing was alright again after the inflammation of the middle ear (and nearly 15 days of antibiotics)...it really goes gradually...but on the other hand it wasn't so bad at all...no one disturbed me!!!

[jenluckenbach]

My co-worker is having problems like yours and I know how awful it is to go on for such a long time. It seems that this kind of problem just takes a long tome to heal. Prayers for a speedy recovery!

[ramanth]

*hugs* I hope you feel better real soon and that the meds start to kick in. I can sympathize. My head feels like it's going to explode.

[kimlovescats]

Yes, Kimmy ... I just read your post about your awful headaches. I was going to say it was a sinus headache, but I was beat to it by about 20 people!!! hehehe

Mine started as a complete URI .... well, actually as a severe sore throat for 4 days straight, then it went into my ears and eyes. Both of my eyes were so infected that they were oozing goop and would glue themselves shut everytime I closed my eyes for just a few minutes. It was basically pink eye in both eyes. Then of course the horrible ear ache came along with that. My left ear was bleeding out of my ear....that is when I knew it was time for a trip to the doctor!

Anyway, the eyes, nose, etc... cleared up really well with the antibiotic in just a few days ... but this darn ear is really giving me fits! The pains in my temple are a real nuisance.

Hope you are feeling better soon too, and that those awful headaches subside! **HUGS**

[wolfsoul]

Try taking a decongestant. It will dry up the fluids in your ears. Also make sure to drink lots. The swallowing reflex causes the passages in your ears to open up.

I hope you feel better soon!

[Miss Meow]

Will be sending lots of good wishes to you. I hate having anything go wrong with my ears or nose, because it's relentless and there's not relief from the discomfort

[catland]

Has the doctor taken a sample to culture to find out what EXACTLY is going on?

What doctors often do is treat what is the most likely cause, but since your's hasn't responded yet, they might be treating the wrong thing and if they don't get a culture and know what is going on, it could persist.

My brother in-law had an ear infection that wouldn't go away even though he was seeing his doctor and taking medication and it turned into toxic shock and nearly killed him. I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but this kind of thing scares me after what he went through.

[ChrisH]

Poor you, that sounds horrible. Prayers that you are better real soon.
Hugs
Chris

[kimlovescats]

No.... my doctor (actually just the nurse practitioner is who has been seeing me ) hasn't done any tests yet. I told her that I have diabetes so that maybe she would be a bit more concerned? I didn't know they could do ear cultures.... sounds scary though... I am assuming they stick something in your ear for a sample????

The words Toxic Shock scare me because I had it when my 2nd child was 5 weeks old .... went back into the hospital and was very ill. Is it very common to get something like this in the ear?

[Nomilynn]

I hope it's nothing too serious, and that you feel better very soon!

[CamCamPup33]

I have had more than enough ear infections, ear problems to last me a life time.. Lol, Im so serious! One time i was at my grandmas house, and i had just gotten out of the shower, so my brother was laying down on my grandmas bed and i was watching tv, (with q-tips in my ears getting ready to get back up) Out of nowhere, my brother hugs me, STRANGE, my brother never hugs me, and his elbow hits one of the q-tips in my ear and POP it goes into my ear, SO, Its in my ear, I screamed louder than anything! I didnt know if it was stuck, or if i would go deaf or what, i was sooo scared! So we went to the hospital and i ruptured my ear drum, So tip to everyone dont keep q-tips in your ears, around little ones..

Kim, Sorry you are hurting, Prayers are on the way! Im sure you will be fine, That's kind of how my moms situation was awhile back, hers was popping out blood!

Hope you feel better real soon!

[Karen]

Poor you! The very first ear infections I got in my life were 10 years ago at Christmas. Both ears, very badly infected, flunked hearing tests, everything echoed inside my head, and I went through 4 rounds of antibiotics before it subsided. They kept asking "Are you sure you haven't used X antibiotic before, so that's why it's not working for you?" And I would truthfully answer: "I have never been on antibiotics ever before in my lifetime."

It was a fortuitous ear infection, though. The resulting hearing tests revealed a completely unrelated problem that could have eventually killed me if left undiscovered. I am now deaf on one side, not from the ear infections, but from surgery for an acoustic neuroma (non-cancerous) that was removed surgically.

I am sorry your ears are hurting you so badly. Decongestants should help. (My sister had many many ear infections when we were growing up.)

[Cookiebaker]

Poor you! That sounds very painful!

I hope you feel better soon!!!

[Killearn Kitties]

I'm sorry to hear this has been going on so long. As I think I said before, mine was only painful for around an hour. It was absolute agony when the infection was "drilling its way out" (as the doctor put it) through my eardrum, but after that I didn't have any pain. Loads of distusting gunge in my ear for weeks, but no pain. One of the things the doctor gave me was a decongestant nasal spray which I have used since if I have developed ear pain with a cold and it has proved very effective.